The Pursuit Of Lasting Wealth

Matt’s Musings

We hope you enjoy this collection of ‘Matt’s Musings’ inspired in part by his occasional walks with ‘Nala’ (his loyal Ridgeback) around the family farm. At Method to My Money, we don’t pretend to have all the answers, or even most of them. But, we do believe in the passionate pursuit of something of true and lasting value… we believe there is an eternal wealth available to us all that, by contrast, all the money in the world seems worthless.

C.S. Lewis wrote ‘We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” As we see it, our struggle is not that we have too much ambition, it is that we have too little, and that our ambitions are often misguided. While we cannot find lasting happiness in the things we accumulate or purchase, it is attainable to us … and not nearly as distant as we might think.

Videos

I recently asked ChatGPT: What Makes Humans Happy? I was surprised by…

Today on Method to My Money, I’m diving into a deceptively simple question I asked ChatGPT: 👉 “What makes humans happy?”

What Makes Us Truly Happy? Exploring 6 Keys to Human Happiness

Originally from the YouTube series Method To My Money with Matt Hearn.

What really makes us happy? In this episode of Method to My Money, Matt Hearn shares a surprising interaction with ChatGPT that unpacks six commonly cited keys to happiness—and goes deeper into why they don’t always satisfy. Here’s what we discovered.

The Full Transcript

Hey folks, Matt Hearn here, and this is Method To My Money, where we talk about money, madness, and the pursuit of lasting wealth.

I recently asked ChatGPT a question that, honestly, I thought just might stump it.

My logic was, if most of the people I know, including myself, struggle with the answer to this question, I doubt ChatGPT will have an answer either.

What was my question? What makes humans happy?

It thought for a total of 6 seconds, and then amazingly gave me 6 key contributors to human happiness.

Wow. This is it. I knew this AI thing was going to be amazing, but I didn’t know it was going to give me the answer to the oldest and most profound question out there: how can we be truly happy?

Ok, so before I share with you what the 6 ChatGPT key contributors to human happiness are—spoiler alert—you’ve probably heard these before. They’re commonly cited by psychologists and motivational speakers. After all, ChatGPT was programmed by humans, so it didn’t just come up with this on its own, right? I don’t think it did. But even though they are familiar, reminding ourselves of these 6 often elusive human happiness boosters is well worth our time.


1. Strong Social Connection

ChatGPT’s first insight: we need strong social connections. In Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection (Cacioppo & Patrick, 2008, W. W. Norton & Company), the authors write: “The need to belong is a fundamental human motivation.” Their research shows that unmet relational needs can result in emotional and even physical harm—demonstrating just how critical relationships are to our happiness.

2. Sense of Purpose and Meaning

Second, we thrive when our lives have meaning. Viktor Frankl, in his seminal work Man’s Search for Meaning (1946, Beacon Press), states, “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” This insight reveals that lasting happiness is tied deeply to purpose, even in suffering.


3. Autonomy and Self-Control

Third, ChatGPT highlighted autonomy as a contributor to happiness. In their article Facilitating Optimal Motivation and Psychological Well-Being: The Central Role of Autonomy (Ryan & Deci, 2008, Canadian Psychology), the authors write: “Autonomy, competence, and relatedness are essential nutrients for psychological growth.” In short: freedom matters.


4. Engagement and Flow

Fourth, real joy often comes from deep engagement. In Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, Harper & Row), the author describes “flow” as a state of complete absorption in an activity, noting: “The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times but those when we are fully engaged.”


5. Physical and Mental Health

Fifth, our physical and mental well-being significantly impacts our happiness. In the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (Dunn, Trivedi, & O’Neal, 2001), the authors write: “There is a dose–response effect between exercise and improved mood, supporting its role in managing depression.”


6. Gratitude and Positive Thinking

Sixth and finally, gratitude matters. In Authentic Happiness (Seligman, 2002, Free Press), Martin Seligman writes: “Authentic happiness is achieved by cultivating engagement, meaning, and positive emotion.” In other words, we’re wired to flourish through positive thinking and perspective.


Further Reading:

 

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