On Not Having Enough Money

Indulgence is about excess; pleasure is about savoring what you have

Money influences happiness, but some experiences can show you that these two things overlap less than you think. For example, company matters more than circumstances. A 10-hour flight enhanced with snotty children and pale, microwaved food isn’t so bad when you’re sitting next to the love of your life. In contrast, a night at the Ritz Paris with your worst enemy can turn the suite into a gladiator pit.

Now, it’s unlikely for wealth to make one miserable. My point here isn’t that money is unimportant; it’s that if we have money without love, freedom, and a well-understood life, we will never be truly happy. And if we have them, but are missing the fortune, we can never be truly unhappy. It’s nice to have an expensive watch, but the watch will never be enough — feel enough — without having someone who will make you lose track of time.

We’re drawn to expensive things even when they don’t bring us joy because luxuries are good at pretending to feed our psychological hunger in the material d…