Do you think money has an impact on your personality? Could access or a lack of access to money alter the personality of a person? Does it change a person’s behavior, attributes or characteristics? Could a lack of money alter personality traits? How about an overabundance of money?
How Does Money Impact Your Personality?
Money is present in so many aspects of our lives. It often dictates where we live, the level of education we receive, the people we meet and the jobs we attain throughout our lifetimes. Having money can expose you to opportunities and experiences that simply aren’t available to those who have less.
When you have money you have greater control over your life. For example, you can choose a job you enjoy or choose to retire early. When it comes to health you can pay for more expensive ingredients, organic products, better medical care and personal trainers.
Money can certainly impact our experiences, but can it also impact components of our personality?
Can Money Change Your Personality?
I think money has altered my personality ever so slightly over the years.
I believe that money makes me happy. Well, let’s rephrase that; I am happier with money then I would be without it. I also believe that money influences my personality. When my bank accounts are overflowing I feel calm and mellow. When money is tight I feel stressed. As time progresses and my bank accounts build I am much more at ease with myself and the people around me.
I feel less angry and agitated now that I have more money. Part of that calmness is certainly in-born. My brother has always run a bit hotter than I do. He tends to bubble up with excitement and anger much more quickly. I am often calm and patient even in the midst of turmoil. My former coworkers might disagree, but my family and friends will tell you it takes quite a bit to get me worked up.
I strive for a zen-like attitude as often as possible. My medical past is a reminder not to sweat the small stuff in life. To be honest I’m happy to wake up every morning. If I wake up pain-free without the use of medications all the better.
While my personality is altered by many internal and external factors I do believe money has a direct effect on my demeanor. With an ample emergency fund I don’t have to worry about how to pay bills if something unexpected happens. When I can easily pay my mortgage I don’t have to worry about being evicted or having my house fall into foreclosure. With ample money I can even seek relaxation if I’m stressed by getting a massage or scheduling a visit with my acupuncturist.
If I didn’t feel secure with my income and my savings I definitely think I would be more uptight. I think the stress of needing money would consume much of my time and thoughts. Those concerns would make me less happy and more stressed. I wouldn’t be a completely different person, but I think I wouldn’t be nearly as calm and relaxed.
Of course, as always I can only speak for myself. I know some people with money who are mean and miserly. I know some people without money who are always relaxed. Do you think money has an impact on your personality? If so how do you think it impacts you?
Having money definitely affects my personality. Right now, are savings is quite small. We are on the fast track to pay $15k in debt in four months (student loans and car payment) so that we can live with our mortgage being our only debt. While I understand the purpose of what we’re doing right now, it stresses me out to have our savings be lower than I’d like it to be. When we have our nice nest egg (as we’ve had before), I am much more relaxed. We both are. Come June, we’ll start replenishing our savings very quickly. We won’t be nearly as concerned about the nickels and dimes as we are right now.
Good for you for focusing on your debt with such vigor! You’ll definitely feel better once it’s behind you.
I agree with Becky, money definitely has an affect on my personality. I’m the “money manager” in my family, so I’m always considering how each expense has an affect on our financial situation. I tend to be more frugal than my wife and don’t really like to shop unless I’m looking for something. I avoid most situations where I’d be really tempted to spend money.
Thanks for the comment Ryan. I do the exact same things.
Yes, it definitely does. I’m on edge when my spending it out of control and I have little money in my checking/savings. But just having made the decision recently that enough is enough has calmed me down. I’m being 100% more conscious of where my money is going. I’m a big advocate of taking care of yourself both physically and mentally, especially with exercise and eating right, but I was missing a piece of the puzzle which is reducing stress. I think reducing my own stress (money and career being the biggest stressors) will help make me calmer and more peaceful!
Oh yeah careers can cause a significant amount of stress. I find having my finances in order actually makes me more capable of handling other stresses. It’s like one thing out of the way helps me tackle everything else.