“Money can’t buy happiness” is a great mantra for rejecting the capitalist enshirining of wealth as a virtue. It’s important to see happiness as something more complex than income.

The issue is that when interpreted as “poverty is no excuse for unhappiness”, it loses all valid meaning.

See also: “Life isn’t fair”

Context matters. This is an appropriate statement to make to someone who has enough to live a comfortable life but is always chasing more. But to say it to someone struggling to make ends meet is just incredibly disrespectful.

Money can buy happiness in indirect ways. It is the same kind of liberal fake dreams sold to people, like everything is equal (it is not). If everything is perceived as equal, why will anyone try to change anything? Everyone becomes lazy, comfortable, sedentary and anti-revolutionary.

Moderate amount of money and financial independence is essential for happiness and wellbeing. Income does not directly determine happiness, but it can provide access to resources and opportunities for social interaction.

after a certain point*

i doubt someone like elon musk is as happy as he is rich, id argue the opposite.

being debt free and unworried about cash would make me happier tho

“‘Money doesn’t buy happiness.’ Do you live in America?..because it buys a WaveRunner. You ever see a sad person on a WaveRunner?” -Daniel Tosh