Success and happiness

Arthur Brooks, a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and author of Gross National Happiness (Basic Books), argues in an article in the May / June issue of The American that it is success rather than money that brings happiness. For Brooks money is important simply as an indirect measure of success.

For Brooks this explains why entrepreneurs continue to work so hard even after amassing large fortunes. It also shows why “easy money”, such as that gained by winning the lottery, does not bring happiness.