University Sociology Essay: Money, Meaning, and the Good Life

This sociology essay examines the age-old question of whether money or a meaningful life is more important, challenging the mass media's portrayal of wealth as the ultimate path to happiness. It delves into the complex relationship between money, happiness, and personal fulfillment, exploring the views of scholars and the impact of materialism on contentment. The essay argues that while money can enhance certain aspects of life, it doesn't guarantee overall fulfillment. It highlights the importance of finding a balance between financial stability and pursuing meaningful experiences, relationships, and personal growth, drawing on examples from American culture and offering guidelines for improving one's relationship with money. The conclusion emphasizes that true wealth lies in satisfaction and a balanced life, rather than the mere accumulation of money, and that a successful life incorporates both wealth and happiness.

Running Head: SOCIOLOGY ESSAY
Sociology Essay
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SOCIOLOGY ESSAY
Topic – How important is making money versus a meaningful life?
It has been convinced by the mass media that wealth ultimately leads to the happiness
which is not the case always. It is true that money can make people’ life quite enjoyable but it
does not guarantee that it will bring fulfillment too. For example, when a person is living below
the poverty line, an extra amount of money can definitely add significant difference in the
happiness (Cbc.ca 2020). On the other hand, a family that runs in a stable way will not feel that
radical change in life if some extra money is added in a particular month. The essay will deal
with argument of how important is making the money than making a meaningful life.
Money can buy some the portions of happiness but not the whole
It is one relevant big question: ‘can money buy happiness?’ It is quite natural to assume that the
rich people will become happier than those who are poor or have less money. However, it should
be kept in mind that money is nothing but a part of the psychological wealth where the picture is
quite complicated. According to the views of Matz, Gladstone and Stillwell (2016), there is a
strong connection between happiness and wealth since the scholars have said that rich people and
the nations are happier than the poor counterparts they have. These scholars also notice that the
impact of money on one’ happiness is not that large as thought. When one has clothes for
wearing, food for eating and a roof over the head to stay, an increased disposable income and a
small influence on the sense of well-being. It can be rather said that money can buy some the
portions of happiness but not the whole (Lam, 2018). There is one real danger that the increased
level of income can make one’ life miserable when one desires to spend the grows with it.
However, it is not being said that one will have to live like a monk and one key way is to find a
specific balance between having excessive and having insufficient (Cbc.ca 2020).

2SOCIOLOGY ESSAY
Personal fulfillment is about being content with one’ own life
Taking the example of the American culture, it can be said that it is extremely consumption
driven. On one hand, the media teaches an individual to desire for the clothes and the cars seen
on the TV and on the magazines ads. The studies also show that those people who are quite
materialistic are likely to be less content and happy than those who are not (Moulding et al.,
2017). In simple words, when one desires to become content, one should own and not want less
stuff. It has been further argued that there is a relationship between spending and the happiness
that is non-linear and every dollar one spends can bring less happiness than the time before
having it (Steptoe & Fancourt, 2019). One who spends more cannot guarantee that he/she is
fulfilled and happy but too much of spending can practically have a negative impact on the
quality of one ‘life. There are scholars who have suggested that the personal fulfillment is about
being content with one’ own life which can be shown through a curve:

3SOCIOLOGY ESSAY
A life can be well-lived and rich when there is security, strong relationships and
experiences
In one such study, it is found that a larger income group can make people quite happier but it is
not true always. It is not just about how much one makes determining how much he/she is happy
with his/her life. The psychologists usually agree to the fact that a life can be well-lived and rich
when there is security, strong relationships, experiences and others as suggested by Steptoe and
Fancourt (2019). It is about how much money is related to the desires of an individual. One
might say in this context that one’ happiness is equal to whatever one has divided by what is
wanted. Hence one should lead a life that is abundant with money only but a life that is full of
happiness, energy and good health. In order to improve an individual’ relationship with money,

4SOCIOLOGY ESSAY
few guidelines should be followed such as spending on thing which make others the happiest
(Matz, Gladstone & Stillwell, 2016). One should also focus on staying healthy and not compare
oneself with others, should limit the exposure to media, help others, embrace the routine and
pursue some meaningful goals.
On a concluding note, it can be said that one can never lead a rich life irrespective of the
fact there is abundance of money. The only key to manage money and happiness is through
being satisfied. It is not about how much one has that makes him/her happy or unhappy but how
much one wants in life. It is not being said that one should lead a life of poverty without having
any aim. But, a life balanced with both wealth and happiness leads to a successful and hassle-free
end.

5SOCIOLOGY ESSAY
Reference
Cbc.ca (2020). I Peaked In High School And Haven’t Lived Up To My Potential — But Who
Cares? | CBC Parents. [online] CBC Parents. Available at:
https://www.cbc.ca/parents/learning/view/peaking-in-high-school [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].
Lam, J. (2018). The EMN Salary Survey: Can Money Buy Happiness? No, but It Sure Helps.
Emergency Medicine News, 40(8), 8.
Matz, S. C., Gladstone, J. J., & Stillwell, D. (2016). Money buys happiness when spending fits
our personality. Psychological science, 27(5), 715-725.
Moulding, R., Duong, A., Nedeljkovic, M., & Kyrios, M. (2017). Do you think that money can
buy happiness? A review of the role of mood, materialism, self, and cognitions in compulsive
buying. Current Addiction Reports, 4(3), 254-261.
Steptoe, A., & Fancourt, D. (2019). Leading a meaningful life at older ages and its relationship
with social engagement, prosperity, health, biology, and time use. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, 116(4), 1207-1212.