What the “Time Is Money” Mindset Gets Wrong and How to Fix It
This subtle shift in mindset is a game-changer
Valuing money over time is a recipe for a sad, lonely life.
Two connected problems in modern society are contributing to feeling isolated and unhappy:
- Valuing our time in the same way we value money
- Believing that having more money is more important than having free time
In this article, I review research highlighting the benefits of valuing time over money and the dangers of valuing time in the same way we value money — lessons I did not learn until my mid-30s.
The costs of thinking of time the way we think of money
“Time is money” is one of the more subtly self-destructive beliefs a person can hold.
That was my first thought after reading a 2019 study titled “Making seconds count: when valuing time promotes subjective well-being.”
The paper explores how we value our time and how it influences our happiness.
In modern society, most of us have been conditioned to perceive our time in dollars and cents by the nature of our work. More specifically, how we get paid for our work:
