Reason, emotion, and appetite. These are the three sources of happiness, according to Plato. Synonymous with satisfaction and contentment, happiness can only come with having achieved a goal or made progress on one. Therefore, happiness does not come alone. Reason gives the most happiness, followed by emotion and then appetite. However, Plato did not include wealth as one of the factors of happiness. Charles Dickens' Great Expectations is a great example of this misconception. Its main character Pip is born a poor blacksmith who seeks to become a wealthy gentleman. Through his struggle to find happiness, Dickens shows that many people have the wrong idea of what will bring them joy, certain that fame or wealth is the most important, only to find out later that it did not matter to such an extent.

A common belief is that wealth is guaranteed to bring happiness, although it is...