Band 9 IELTS Essay Sample | Does Money Bring Happiness?

The following essay writing task appeared in a recent IELTS test. Here is a sample essay on the topic.

Most people agree that money cannot bring happiness. Why is happiness difficult to define?

How can people achieve happiness?

Band 9 IELTS Essay Sample

Money certainly cannot buy happiness. If it could, then the richest people would be the happiest people on earth. The reality, however, is different. In fact, many of the rich and famous are totally unhappy with their lives. This clearly shows that money is not the key to happiness. Nor is fame or power.

Happiness cannot be defined easily for the simple reason that it is relative. The things that make someone happy need not necessarily make another person happy. For example, kids are happy when they get toys or toffees. An adult, however, is unlikely to find much happiness in receiving these objects. Likewise, a poor person will be happy to win a jackpot but a rich person will not find much happiness in it. For someone diagnosed with a serious illness, regaining health is the biggest happiness in life. Healthy people, on the other hand, almost never appreciate their health. They are unhappy in spite of being healthy because they want other things in life. Evidently, happiness means different things to different people. You can be rich, famous, good looking and healthy and still you can be unhappy with your life. At the same time, there are lots of people who lead perfectly happy lives in spite of having very few things going for them. This clearly indicates that happiness is a byproduct of contentment. The happiest people are those who are satisfied with their lives.

Finding happiness is not all that hard. It requires one to be satisfied with what one has. Generally speaking, wanting things that one does not have is the main cause of unhappiness. The moment we learn to count our blessings, we automatically find happiness. Setting realistic goals may also help because it allows us to have a purpose in life.

To sum up, it is evident that happiness is difficult to define because it is a relative concept. However, happiness can be achieved by being satisfied with one’s life and setting realistic goals.

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Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.

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