You can thank Dan Ariely for this tip on how to increase your level of happiness.
Dear Dan,
My aunt gave me some money for my birthday. Since she wasn’t sure about my likes and dislikes, she said to spend it on something that would make me happy. Do you have any advice on how to choose? —Katy
And Dan’s response:
While I’m sure there are many items that would make you happy, spending the money on someone else could make you even happier. In an experiment, researchers gave participants either $5 or $20. They then randomly asked the participants to go about their day and spend that money either on themselves or on someone else. Later, the researchers asked them about their happiness. Those who had spent the money on someone else, regardless of the amount, reported feeling happier throughout the day.
But what to buy these other people in order to get both the glow from gift-giving and something that they will like? A different set of researchers asked people to name the last gift that they had received and say how happy they were with it.
Though gift recipients were happy with items that they had wanted, on average they were even happier with unexpected and surprising gifts. These made them appreciate the thought from the sender and got them to experience something new. Hopefully, your aunt will also appreciate how you choose to spend her gift money.
Maybe you see where this is going – I want to help you on your road to becoming happier.
It’s pretty simple.
Just send me cash or a check made out to Jim Borden and mail it to me at Villanova University.
Imagine how happy you’ll feel.
And to paraphrase Jimmy Buffett, I will be sure to spend that money foolishly.
P.S. Feel free to put yourself on some sort of monthly happiness plan…
*image from Ticketmaster
I need to try this one myself, I would love to make people happy by allowing them to give me money as a gift!😁😺
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let me know if you have any success in making people happy 🙂
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I’m sure that giving us this advice made you very happy. I’m happy just reading about it so your work is done!
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talk about backfiring… 🙂
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Ah, man. I thought you were going to go absolutely unselfish with this one. 😄
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come on, I’m a capitalist! 🙂
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I changed my name, then gave my money to that guy, who then gave it back to me. We both ended up happy.
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is that like robbing Peter to pay Paul?
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No, it’s all charity, in the virtuous name of humanity.
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you are one of the world’s greatest benefactors…
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Thank you.
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👍
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I honestly cannot believe anyone sent that query in!
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I often wonder if Dan makes up his own questions just so he can share some research he has done on the topic…
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I got no words for this post 😂 🤣 The most beautiful scamming words I’ve read in a long time 🤣🤣
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then I succeeded! well, almost… 🙂
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yes, almost haha 😀
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I smiled at the idea of giving someone $5.00 and randomly going about your day to spend it or give it to a friend. I guess it’s a short experiment. I bought a package of six bagels at the supermarket today that cost more than $5.00.
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hopefully buying those bagels made you happy – I know I’d feel happy!
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The money the people in the experiment gave away was a gift. If you can convince someone to be kind enough to give me a $20, I’d be happy to think about giving some or all of it to you. No promises.😊 I wonder what the results of these strange experiments are used for.
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you’re right; it’s alot easier to give away money that someone jsut gave you. but isn’t that what a birthday gift is like.
I think the results of these experiements are used to justify getting tenure 🙂
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😄😄 Don’t know what university policy is about receiving cash gifts, but working for the National Health Service we have a rule about receiving these – I hope you won’t be hearing this post read aloud in court 🤣
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I am waiting for your Black Friday sales when I can send one check and get two hapinesses.
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your patience will be rewarded…
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It’s NFT time again, isn’t it. I’ll pass – I’m happier being miserable and mean anyway 😊
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I guess that’s why you listen to so much music, it softens you up a bit 🙂
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There has to be a reason!
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thankfully, at least you share your love of music with all of us on WordPress!
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You can never have too much music in your life 😊
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even heavy metal and rap? 🙂
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There’s more than enough other types to be able to ignore them. I do like some heavy legal, to be fair. I’m just looking for an excuse to play The Hu some time 😉
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hmmm… I don’t recognize that band. Have you featured them before and I just don’t remember?
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I think you’d remember them if I had as they are very distinctive: Mongolian band, playing heavy metal on traditional instruments, with a style of Mongolian throat singing. Their videos look like they are shot in Middle Earth. Might be an eye opener 🤣
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hmmm…. they sound a bit familiar, I’ll give them a listen.
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Maybe I’ve told you about them before? I’ve never played them, though. Have fun.
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I just watched one of their videos – a little different, but not bad at all. For some reason, I feel like I’ve watched them before…
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They are pretty unforgettable, aren’t they! I have an extremely vague recollection of mentioning them, so maybe I’m to blame for that 😊
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I just found a mention of Hu in a comment you left on a blog post I had written about a band from Greenland known as Nanook, back in January, 2021.
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Haven’t you got anything better to do?! That makes sense to me, though, as it would have been an obvious connection for me to make with Nanook of the North.
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I rarely have anything exciting going on!
I am sure that is why you made such a comment…
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Ditto!
And I’m nothing if not obvious 🤣
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🙂
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oh, I must have read this all wrong! I was getting ready to find a check from you in the mail and had already decided how to spend it. this is why it’s important for me to keep going to school and work on my reading comprehension.
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sorry to disappoint you; I guess I have to learn how to write more clearly…
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Obviously these people weren’t buying gifts for picky tweenaged granddaughters. Believe me, money works better to make that demographic happy and giving money makes me even happier because I don’t have to shop.
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yes, I much prefer money as well, especially in unmarked bills… 🙂
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😁
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👍
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Great idea Jim 😉
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I’m as good as Kramer with coming up with hare-brained schemes to make money 🙂
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Better than Kramer.
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that’s the highest a compliment I could receive!
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I can’t imagine writing to ask someone what I should spend my money on to make me happy!
But I do agree, giving gifts to others brings happiness to both people, and the gift of friendship is priceless, so there you go. 😉
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don’t worry, if you send me money, I won’t ask you any questions.
and yes, gifts are good for both the giver and the receiver.
and as to friendship, I think we could still be friends if you started paying me money…
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LOL!! Even if I just send you a penny?
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that’s a good place to start! 🙂
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I am so happy I made it all the way through this scroll, although I cannot remember what the post was about.
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I am sure that is the case with all of my posts…
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Well Jim, it’s like this. On Friday I received notice that my rent will increase by $183 per month, an increase of 15%. Meanwhile, my Social Security checks remain the same, about $118 more than my new monthly rent. So, what I am sending you is an I.O.U. in the amount of $1 million, payable when I win the lottery! You’re right!!! I feel happier already!!! Thanks, Jim!!!
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that’s a big rent increase! I’ll keep an eye out for the lottery winners in Ohio 🙂
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Gee, Jim … I really thought that since you’re receiving all these ‘gifts’ from other friends, you would offer to send me money to increase your own happiness!
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maybe once the gifts start rolling in 🙂
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Sounds like a plan! I hope it works for you. 🙂
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same here 🙂
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Jim, this post gifts me with some unexpected happiness and smiles. And . . . it didn’t cost you even a dime.
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I’m happy to oblige! 🙂
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This is good to ponder. Is that Amazon gift card on the ‘happiness meter’?
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Amazon gift cards are quite high on the happiness meter! 🙂
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Yes…but it’s not personalized.
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that’s true; but if people send me one, they can be sure I will put it to good use 🙂
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Haha!! Good point!
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👍
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Afraid i will decline your kind offer of sending you hard cash my good fellow. Just don’t think it’ll make you happy, man.
You know it makes sense….
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well you can send it, and then we will see what happens 🙂
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😀
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👍
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This post just made me so happy I don’t think I need to send you any money now!
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I’m glad I made you so happy. I do take small tips. of the monetary type 🙂
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I’ll keep that in mind… do you accept all currencies?
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sure, why not 🙂
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Will be sending 10ksh soon…
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awesome! I just checked 10 Kenyan shillings works out to be less than a dime (ten cents) American. But like I said, those small wins eventually add up to a big one 🙂
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Oh in that case I’ll be sending 1 shilling…
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slow, really slow, but steady wins the race…
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I like your enthusiasm.
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anything for an extra shilling here or there… 🙂
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That’s what I always say.
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👍
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I may re-blog this and ask for cash myself! 🤣🤤
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maybe we could start a ponzi scheme… 🙂
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