"Kindness will make you happier than a higher salary," ...No, no it won't. No one believes that money doesn't buy happiness or whatever stuff, right? Because if you're going to live in a capitalist society, a high salary is directly tied to happiness.

Yes and no. There is a point of inflection where the money is more than enough such that the additional marginal gain from more money - which usually comes with more misery by way of longer hours, more stress, annoying and /or unreasonable clients or upper management expectations - does not outweigh the additional marginal misery. The thing is everyone has a different inflection point.

I would like to be kind and rich please

Happiness equals expectations minus reality. Money doesn’t bring happiness. An increase in wealth temporarily improves reality but the problem is that increased expectations follow soon after and then people return to their baseline level of happiness. Plenty of research, showing that each of us has a baseline level of happiness that we normally revert to. Also known as the Hedonic Treadmill.

While a "happiness set point" or baseline is influenced by genetics and personality, intentional efforts can help shift it and increase overall happiness. Here's how:
Strategies to Shift Your Happiness Baseline:
Practice Gratitude:
Regularly reflect on and express appreciation for the good things in your life.
Engage in Meaningful Activities:
Pursue hobbies, interests, and activities that bring you joy and a sense of purpose.
Cultivate Strong Relationships:
Nurture your relationships with family and friends, as social connection is vital for well-being.
Practice Mindfulness and Self-Compassion:
Pay attention to the present moment and treat yourself with kindness and understanding.
Prioritize Physical Health:
Get sufficient sleep, eat a balanced diet, and engage in regular physical activity.
Challenge Negative Thoughts:
Identify and reframe negative thought patterns with more positive and realistic ones.
Embrace Challenges and Learn from Mistakes:
View setbacks as opportunities for growth and resilience.
Practice Random Acts of Kindness:
Helping others can boost your own happiness and create a ripple effect of positivity.
Reduce Stress:
Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as exercise, meditation, or spending time in nature.

I have 100 problems and money will solve about 94 of them

Happiness comes from within.

Facts

It is about giving up your material wants, at the end of the day. If what drives you to earn more is because you want more, you won’t be happy. If you give up a good portion of the wants you now technically have more than you did before in the form of free’d up money or time, both of those are what you can exchange for giving to others, which is going to help make anyone happier.

The real issue is not being able to separate needs and wants correctly, which very few people can and why most of us (including me) usually equate more money to a happier life.

In THIS economy?

Kindness makes you kinder.

Money makes you able to afford vacations with your kids, eating out, babysitters, putting money into your savings account, maintaining your home HVAC,

They can be kind and pay us more. Not even a lot more. How about industry average?!?!

The economy is the only issue that matters. That was proven by this past election cycle. Vast major of Americans want around 200k to feel financially secure. The only people who have diminishing returns on money are in the 1%. 99% of the time, money = happiness for the average person. I can tell you for sure that a 200k+ salary is absolutely wonderful and I have no hesitations trading WLB for it, especially in this economy