Can Money Buy Happiness?

We’ve all asked the question – “Can money buy happiness?”  Most of us think about it in the context of winning a lottery or inheriting a fortune.  But if we look at it in the context of “giving,” rather than “getting,” then yes it can buy happiness, especially if you’re donating it to a worthy cause.

“Neuroscience studies consistently show that donations to charitable organizations can have a lasting positive impact on your mood.  When you give money to a cause you believe in, your brain activity changes. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, there is a  clear neurological basis for human altruism — that is, scientists can observe through brain imaging studies how giving charity generates increased activity in the brain’s reward system.”

Scientifically speaking, the brain is activated in two places when a person gives money to charity. The first is the mesolimbic pathway — the pathway that is thought to be especially important to mediating pleasure and rewarding experiences. This is also the same area that distributes the feel-good dopamine chemicals associated with money and food. 

The second area of the brain activated by charitable giving is the subgenual area, which plays a significant role in regulating emotion and plays a key role in formulating social attachment. In an age where isolation and loneliness can lead to depression, giving to charity can serve as an important reminder that as humans, we’re all interconnected, and need to support each other.

The popularity of the internet and connecting through social media helps charitable donors develop those feelings of connection even further. We can get instant gratification now by going online and seeing what our favorite charities are doing, rather than waiting for an annual report or newsletter.  Through social media, donors get a chance to peek inside and genuinely become a part of the charity’s extended family.

If that’s not enough reason to increase your commitment to being charitable, consider this: in addition to helping your mental health, helping others can also have a positive impact on your physical health. Engaging in activities like volunteering and community charity events can bring on a wide range of physical benefits, including everything from lowering your blood pressure to living a longer life.

Winston Churchill was a wise man who once quoted – “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”  Yes, giving money can buy happiness!