Our whole society, and our economy, is built on the idea that "money will make you happy," said attorney Jon Gallo, co-author with his wife, Eileen Gallo, of the book "The Financially Intelligent Parent." "It's part of our cultural ethos. . . . These teenagers are just epitomizing that."
In reality, money doesn't add much to people's happiness once they're raised above the subsistence or poverty level.
"Money does make a huge difference when you're talking about going from $8,000 a year to $30,000," said Gallo, citing the research of Harvard psychology professor Daniel Gilbert, who wrote "Stumbling on Happiness." "Between $50,000 and $500,000, though, the difference is scarcely measurable."
Many of the things that do make us happy, such as a sense of purpose and strong relationships with family and friends, don't necessarily add much to our nation's gross domestic product. In fact, Gallo joked that our economy "would grind to a halt" if people gave up the idea that happiness lies in more money and more stuff.

Ha ha, isn't that funny? Why it just makes me want to chuckle, snort...vomit. (See also the commercial quoted below.) Is it a coincidence that Americans, among all the industrialized nations, have the highest rates of reported depression, social isolation, and disparity between the rich and poor? I'm really not sure what else I can say that hasn't already been said (except that I'm sure we could create jobs for all the ones that are eliminated: in environmental restoration, teaching, education support, childcare, healthcare, community liasons etc etc etc. And small pub owners) but it was amazing to see this fact spelled out in a financial advice column. See also the commercial quoted below.

I guess I would also add that I don't think there's anything wrong with making money and saving it, being wise about money etc. But I do think there's a problem when we start earning or saving money for its own sake. Money for the sake of money. And then we cling to it in place of intangibles. Of course, part of the sick thing is that there are some things that having more money DOES get you more of: political clout, legal protection, and of course, access to healthcare.