Hedonic Treadmill and Material Limits

I’ve hinted at this before, but in my new book, The Meaning of Your Life, I explore where meaning actually comes from—one place, for example, is by serving others with our time and treasure. However, you certainly won’t find it in the worldly idols we so often chase. This all brings us to today’s topic—money.

Most people assume that having more money will make them happier. The research suggests something more subtle. What matters is not how much money you have, but how you use it.

In this episode of Office Hours, I am joined by Dave Ramsey, one of the most influential voices in personal finance, whose work has helped millions of people change their relationship with money. Dave shares his own journey from early financial success to bankruptcy and back, and how his faith shapes his thinking about debt, discipline, and financial peace.

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Where to find Dave Ramsey:

• X: https://x.com/daveramsey

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramsey-dave

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daveramsey

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daveramsey 

• Website: https://www.ramseysolutions.com

Where to find Arthur Brooks: 

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://arthurbrooks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/arthurbrooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuyFRjJQFGCKzfHTBvWM6A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠officehours@arthurbrooks.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(05:14) Dave’s early experiences with entrepreneurship and money 

(07:30) How Dave’s early career success gave way to financial collapse

(10:54) Why borrowing money tends to undermine happiness

(13:34) Dave’s path back to prosperity 

(16:43) What financial peace means 

(18:07) How serving others contributes to long-term happiness

(19:45) How hope supports lasting change

(21:20) Why intentionality matters most

(23:37) Why things won’t bring you happiness 

(27:12) How the credit system’s lack of guardrails sets people up to fail

(29:02) Why credit card debt is especially damaging to well-being

(30:00) Why people make poor financial decisions 

(32:25) Why car debt is usually a poor investment

(35:16) How to get an education without taking on excessive debt

(38:40) Why mortgage debt doesn’t lower happiness when kept in check

(41:25) A framework for thinking about debt and savings 

(42:21) Why generosity is linked to greater prosperity 

(48:14) Q&A: How to stop being so stressed about money

(50:14) Q&A: How to make a savings plan for college 

(52:58) Dave’s six big principles for money and happiness

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Referenced:

• The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness: https://www.amazon.com/Meaning-Your-Life-Finding-Emptiness/dp/0593545427

• The Happiness Scale: https://learn.arthurbrooks.com/the-happiness-scale 

• Good credit, bad credit: The differential role of the sources of debt in life satisfaction: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joca.12388 

• Financial Peace: https://www.amazon.com/Financial-Peace-Dave-Ramsey/dp/0963571206

• What Is the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility?: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/lawofdiminishingutility.asp 

• Why You’re Better Off Not Borrowing: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/02/debt-borrowing-happiness/677303

• How your bank balance buys happiness: The importance of “cash on hand” to life satisfaction: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-17475-001

• ...References continued at: ⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/office-hours

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