The relationship between finances and satisfaction has been contentious for centuries. A new book, The Good Life, sheds light on the timeless conundrum, as Chris Taylor reported for Reuters.

Marc Schulz, one coauthor, is professor of psychology at Bryn Mawr College.

His analysis is part of the world’s longest study on happiness. Since 1938, Harvard University analysts have tracked three generations’ relationships with earnings v. emotional soundness.

Schulz and his coauthor find that “… money can’t buy us happiness, but it’s a tool that can give us security and safety and a sense of control over lives.

“At the end of the day,” he continued, “life is really about our connections with others. It’s our relationships that keep us happy.”

Other takeaways from the analysis include some worthy reminders:

• Career success is also not happiness
  • The pursuit of inner joy from a profession is inherently flawed. “The problem with that approach is that life passes you by,” wrote Schulz
• Work friendships are a treasure
  • Schulz calls interactions with colleagues “important for well-being,” based on how much time they is spent with coworkers in a 40-hour week
• Value experiences over things
  • “Rather than buying a bigger house or a nicer car, if you use your money to share experiences with others, that money will get you a better return on happiness,” Schulz chronicled

More on the money-happiness balance is at Reuters.

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