According to a study done by the San Francisco State University, a person, who invests in exotic vacations or tickets to concerts to impress other people, does not get as much of happiness as he/she would when he/she spends in a trip or adventure. According to Ryan Howell, assistant professor of Psychology at San Francisco, because one spends money on trip and adventure solely because it fits his/her values and interests, he/she is likely to experience a happiness boost.
He said that why one buys something is as important as what he/she buys and that when a person invests in life experiences only to impress others, the act itself erases the well-being they receive from the purchase.
To do the study, Howell and his colleagues surveyed over 241 people and found that people, who bought life experiences as they had always desired and had immense interest in experienced a sense of well-being and fulfillment. These people were highly likely to feel less depressed or lonely, self-sufficient and more competent. On the other hand, people, who bought life experiences to impress others felt less content, connected to others and competent. To know why one is buying something, he/she must ask himself/herself as to why he/she is buying is suggested Howell.
