It's commonly said that money buys happiness, and it's easy to pass this overblown phrase off as fact. For years, the “American Dream,” first written in 1931 by James Truslow Adams, has been the driving force behind Americans' motivation. JT Adams believed, “Life should be better, richer, and fuller for all, with opportunities for each based on ability or achievement. This, coupled with the United States Declaration of Independence, which reads that "all men are created equal" with rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," fuels the fire that Americans are motivated from wealth and happiness. This fire, however, does not cease to consume. Americans earn wages, invest them in objects that satisfy them, and then the process repeats, decreasing pleasurable activities ever so slightly with each revolution of the cycle. Happiness itself is an emotion; it is not something you can simply buy in a store, like groceries or medicines. Tangible objects cannot satisfy an emotional need, such as happiness, but rather slowly create larger voids in emotions if left unresolved. So, in truth, money doesn't buy happiness. It is exactly the opposite of what was stated above. Money, or materialistic objects, do not buy happiness because the excitement of purchases fades, because those purchases are distractions that take people away from their goals, and finally, because the more things one has, the more they will want more. , tangible objects. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In most cases, people who buy something are not satisfied after a short period of time. The euphoria of a recent purchase will diminish. The most striking example in America is when a commercial giant like Apple releases a brand new iPhone every year, now with prices rising to $750. Hundreds of thousands of people line up and wait for the new iPhones to be released so they can buy them, even though they did exactly the same thing the previous year. Apple consumers are unhappy with the iPhone they've had for a year. They save money for twelve months only to shell out for a brand new cell phone. And this happens every year. The process is known as hedonic treadmill theory. New York Times author Stephanie Rosenbloom defines hedonic treadmill theory as “a phenomenon in which people quickly become accustomed to changes, big or terrible, to maintain a stable level of happiness. ” (par. 37). It's like when the human body gets used to the temperature of a room. At first, walking into a cold, air-conditioned room after working in the garden on a hot summer day is amazing. But, after a while, the room starts to get cold and the person has to wear a jacket or long-sleeved shirt to keep warm. This means that when consumers, like most of the American population, make a new purchase, the enjoyment of that purchase diminishes. This leads to an individual who never stops purchasing more things in an attempt to satisfy their personal desires. Now, everyone has monetary goals. Whatever those investment goals are, they can and are hindered by what individuals buy. For example, everyone wants to become a millionaire. According to Dave Ramsey's investment calculator, if you invest your money at an annual growth rate of just 10% and give up one Starbucks coffee a week, after forty years you will have more than a million dollars. Although it may seem like a long time, if one started at the age of twenty, one would become.