What’s more important to you, time or money? Crazy question, right? But science writer Robert Roy Britt reports on numerous studies that demonstrate that, as his title declares, “time can make you happier than money.” Check out his September 2019 essay published in elemental+, a Medium blog.
Britt, “Time can make you happier than money”
- At some points in his essay, Britt frames the opposition as time vs. money; at other points, he states the opposition as one of meaning vs. money. Are these two assertions compatible? How is it that time contributes to meaningfulness but money does not? Explain Britt’s argument. Do you agree? Why or why not?
- Throughout most of the essay, Britt is reporting information—results of various studies—in a factual manner. Only in the final three paragraphs does he shift gears and end by giving advice and advocating specific courses of action. Do you think he should have stated his real purpose earlier in the essay instead of waiting until the very end? Why or why not? Explain your reasoning.
- Britt provides hyperlinks to the research studies that are his They Say, and he offers brief framinginformation about the studies. How effective is Britt’s framing? Should he have provided more information? Less? Why do you think so? Point to specific examples to support your conclusions. (You may want to read or re-read Chapter 3 of your text to help you with this question.)
- Britt presents the issue as largely an either-or matter: you either value money or you value time, one side or the other. Clearly, life is seldom this simple; it’s more likely a matter of proportions as well as circumstances and timing, since expenses that are large or unexpected (or both!) can throw off anyone’s equilibrium. What do you value and in what proportions? How willing are you to “buy time,” as Britt describes devices or services that help you gain more time for pleasurable pursuits? How much money would you need to earn each year to feel that you have “enough”? Reflect on these questions and then write an essay that describes and explains your responses; use Britt’s essay as your They Say.
They Say I Blog 
In the article, I agree that time is more important than money. Money is the root of all evil. While you busy enjoying money you lose insight into important things in life. People value material things nowadays over time and memories. That is what society has become to some. I believe in the value of time and memories. I would much rather work a regular paid job and be happy with my work than work long miserable hours at a place that I don’t enjoy just for a much higher paycheck. I want to enjoy the small memorable things in life. I want to be able to spend time with my children and grandchildren and be able to watch them grow and be a part of their lives. Time does hold more value than money but it is still important to be able to take care of bills and life necessities. More people live life alone and in misery because of money and greed. People tend to let money get in between family and friendships. The studies on this logic are correct in my eyes. But it also is different in opinions and lifestyles of each individual.
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In the article “Time can make you happier than money,” the author Robert Britt argues that time can make you happier than money. He explains how time is something money can’t buy and says that in the long-term, people that value time over money are happier. I agree with the article because I think time is more important than money when it comes to being happy. Money is good for paying bills and buying what we need, and even sometimes just being able to go out and splurge on shopping, but having a lot of it doesn’t always make people happier. What matters more is how we spend our time. When we focus on things like family, friends, and hobbies, we feel happier because those moments are things that money can’t buy. I also like the idea Robert made of spending money to save time. For example, paying someone to help with cleaning or chores can give us more time to spend with family or do things we enjoy. That feels way better than just buying more stuff that isn’t a necessity. The article also makes a good point that people often forget how important time is. A lot of people work too much trying to earn more money, but that means we have less time for the things that really make us happy, which can make us stressed and unhappy. This article is a great reminder to think about how we spend our time. Instead of always worrying about money, we should make sure we use our time for things that bring us happiness. Time is something we can’t get back, so it’s important to focus on that, rather than money.
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