To the Editor:
Re “But Will It Make You Happy?” (Aug. 8), which described a new frugality among consumers:
The article said research has found that people are happier when they spend their money on experiences — like travel or concert tickets — than on material things. But we shouldn’t assume that spending of any kind will bring lasting and deep happiness.
Many people make the mistake of assuming that the achievement of something specific — whether winning a lottery, getting a job promotion or visiting a specific country — will bring such long-term contentment.
Instead, the best recipe for happiness is to have had loving, caring parents. If parents participate with joy in their child’s activities, the child senses it. And when that child is an adult, he or she will often have a happy disposition. Jorge H. Tolaba
Putnam Valley N.Y., Aug. 8
