Your last quote captures the point of the age-old phrase.<p>The point of &quot;Money can&#x27;t buy happiness&quot; is that happiness doesn&#x27;t have a UPC. The connection between money and happiness has tangible intermediaries. You have to spend the money in order to be happy.<p>The wisdom of it is putting the ball in the hands of the listener.<p>A lot of times people can get excited just about making money. That&#x27;s fine because there are so many wonderful things you can buy. On the other hand, I&#x27;m sure there is at least an inkling of a further goal behind the idea of making money. No one is trying to be the guy from the parable who dies with a ton of money in the bank (guy has no descendents&#x2F;will either). Money can be a trap if it is used as a proxy for future desires that are never realized.<p>&quot;Money can&#x27;t buy happiness&quot; leads to the question: What is it that you do want?