money can't buy happiness theme

also known as: material things don't make you happy

This old adage is illustrated. The idea is that no amount of money or other external things can guarantee a person's happiness.

Examples

In "Citizen Kane" (1941), we see how the exceedingly rich and powerful Mr. Kane dies miserable without friends while reminiscing on the last time, perhaps, that he was truly happy: when he was eight and had a sled named "Rosebud".

12 total · 4 choice · 6 major · 2 minor

Story	Level	Motivation
movie: You Can't Take It with You (1938)	choice	Mr. Vanderhof spelled out his philosophy to Mr. Kirby: One should not waste one's time in the pursuit of wealth because "You Can't Take It with You" when you die. For some reason he also believed that you can take your friendships with you.
tz1959e1x05	choice	It seemed the moral of the story was that success doesn't bring happiness - Martin was happier during his carefree youth.
tz1959e2x21	choice	In the end, Jimbo ensured that Ace learned how Kitty's love is more valuable than all the money in the world.
tz1959e3x36	choice	Agnes's guardian angel Harmon summed up their experience like this: "cash and contentment are not necessarily synonymous".
ahp2x29	major	Towards the end, a point was made that Manny was not happy despite his financial success.
as1985e2x10	major	Elma was exceptionally rich but obviously miserable because she kept loosing the pumpkin competition year after year.
owgm1x22	major	The story illustrated that for all her wealth, luxury, and success, Vivian was far from content. In fact she was borderline mad. Marcia, by contrast, was humbled and poor, but on the whole seemed like a balanced individual.
tz1959e1x28	major	Valentine got millions in cash and won more wherever he went but soon realized that this did not make him happy.
tz1959e1x33	major	Mr. Bevis made a point about $10/week not being worth much next to the various things that made him happy.
tz1985e3x14	major	Willy found this out first hand.