Careers: Money or happiness?

So long as i'm happy doing what i'm doing, then that's all that matters.
Money is good to have, but happiness, a friendly environment and having a rewarding career is more important to me.

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Whenever I hear the question, one thing enters my mind: The distinction between happiness and money themselves and the pursuit of those two things. Money does not make me happy but strangely enough, the pursuit of it does.

Let me try to explain: The reasons I make this distinction is that the pursuit is a process it involves decision-making, thinking and processing of information. I read somewhere that part of the reason money doesn’t make people happy is that we are actually pretty bad at estimating what actually makes us happy. Example: Someone wins the lottery, and moves to some remote beautiful mason. The problem the mason is so peaceful the guy start to feel lonely and isolated. This seemly logical decision horribly backfires into the guy’s face. I have discovered I have a similar problem only it happens when I go the happy route. Example: I may attend function x in the pursuit of material wealth but while there I met a group of people I can have a simulating conversing with, but when I decide to go to function y instead pursuing happiness, I find myself with a group of people who I find less interesting to converse with in addition to the reduced money.

So basically I keep material goods as my goal not because the material wealth itself makes me happy, but because I’ve learned the hard way I tend to make far better decisions when I set that as my goal. (My theory is that the measurability of material wealth gives me a better centering point then the abstract idea of happiness or maybe again, I’m just crazy). Now I do have to admit I’m probably the freak here in that I assume most people would pursue happiness and find wealth along the way while I’m the opposite. Anyway that my 2 cents.

I was speaking idiomatically.