第2602期:The benefits of spending money on a good time

1 What's best: a brand new phone or a day out with your friends? Is it better to spend money to buy things or to do things? A study of UK consumers showed that six in ten people would rather spend their money on experiences than material possessions. Those aged 18-34 reported spending the highest amount on fun activities.

1什么是最好的：全新的电话或与您的朋友一起出去？ 花钱买东西或做事更好吗？ 对英国消费者的一项研究表明，十分之六的人宁愿将钱花在经验上而不是物质财产上。 年龄18-34岁的人报告说，在有趣的活动上花费最高。

2 Possessions can last for many years, while experiences are fleeting. This, however, might be the wrong way to look at things. Psychology professor Thomas Gilovich discovered that the happiness that objects provide can fade quickly. We adapt to having new possessions, so that rather than being something we are excited by, they just become our new normal. Soon we may even want to buy a better version of the things we own. Our feelings around possessions can also be affected by others. We tend to compare what we have with other people. If someone else has something better, we can start to feel envious.

2财产可以持续多年，而经历正在转瞬即逝。 但是，这可能是看事物的错误方法。 心理学教授托马斯·吉洛维奇（Thomas Gilovich）发现，物体提供的幸福会很快消失。 我们适应拥有新财产，因此，他们只是成为我们的新常态，而不是成为我们感到兴奋的事物。 很快，我们甚至可能想购买我们拥有的物品的更好版本。 我们对财产的感觉也可能受到他人的影响。 我们倾向于将自己的东西与他人进行比较。 如果其他人有更好的事情，我们可以开始感到嫉妒。

3 A holiday or a day out may have a short duration, but the happiness it provides can last much longer. Waiting for our latest purchases to be delivered is frustrating, but waiting for an exciting event gives us a feeling of anticipation. Experiences are often shared, so we gain pleasure from social connection and time spent with other people. Memories of our experiences become part of our identity. As Gilovich points out, we are the sum of our experiences. Indeed, the very fact that experiences last for a limited time can give them value. A physical good deteriorates over time, while our memories of an experience can give us pleasure year after year.

3假期或一天的休息时间可能持续很短，但是它提供的幸福可以持续更长的时间。 等待我们最新的购买交付令人沮丧，但是等待激动人心的活动使我们有一种期待的感觉。 经验经常分享，因此我们从与他人度过的社交联系和时间中获得了乐趣。 对我们经历的记忆成为我们身份的一部分。 正如吉洛维奇（Gilovich）指出的那样，我们是我们的经验总和。 确实，经验持续有限的时间可以使他们有价值。 随着时间的流逝，身体的好处会恶化，而我们对体验的记忆可以使我们年复一年。

4 Of course, it's not always that simple. Other studies have suggested that happiness gained from experiences might depend on your personality type, and how many possessions you already have. People with more introverted personality types may get less benefit from social occasions and those with few possessions may get greater benefit from objects. However, for many of us, it could be that when choosing how to spend our disposable income, we'll get far more benefit by spending on something to do, rather than something to have.

4当然，这并不总是那么简单。 其他研究表明，从经验中获得的幸福可能取决于您的性格类型以及您已经拥有多少财产。 具有内向的人格类型的人在社会场合中可能会获得较少的好处，而那些拥有财产很少的人可能会从物体中获得更大的好处。 但是，对于我们许多人来说，可能是在选择如何花费我们的可支配收入时，我们会通过花费一些东西而不是要拥有的东西来获得更多的好处。