Money and Possessions Won’t Make You Happier. Here’s What Will

Kristie Leong M.D.
6 min readOct 25, 2021
Image from Freepik.com by Kvladimirv

Are you convinced if you had more “things” in life, you’d be happier? Does a little voice inside your head tell you a new home or a shiny, new car is the ticket to contentment, or that the latest high-tech gadgets will put you on the fast track to happiness?

From the time people enter adulthood and start working, they fight to accumulate “stuff.” For some, it’s an ongoing quest to see who can accumulate the most dazzling high-value items.

Cars, a new boat, a larger home, they’re some of the most common possessions people aspire to own and display so others can see and admire them.

It’s all part of “conspicuous consumption.” Investopedia.com defines conspicuous consumption as

“The acquisition of particular goods or services that serve the express purpose of displaying one’s wealth.”

It turns out that many possessions people accumulate only provide a brief dopamine surge, and when that surge subsides, so does the contentment it brought.

The Glow of “Stuff” Wears Off

You feel fantastic driving that new luxury car for a few weeks, but then you grow accustomed to that new car smell and seeing that expensive automobile in your driveway, and it no longer triggers your happy…

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Kristie Leong M.D.
Kristie Leong M.D.

Written by Kristie Leong M.D.

Ready to change your health trajectory? As a family physician, I'll help you build a path to lasting health—one meal at a time." https://www.histaminedoctor.com

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