Conceptual Frameworks - are they useful?

Ritesh Bawri

Oct 13, 2023 — 1 min read

Conceptual frameworks are very useful for us to organise information. You probably use it every day, perhaps even without realising it. The 80/20 principle, for example. 80% of your outcomes in life will come from 20% of your effort. But have you ever stopped to think about how you acquired these frameworks and whether they are indeed accurate or even useful for you to believe?

Let us use the conceptual framework that "money cannot buy you happiness." Socrates is believed to have spoken about eudamonia, or happiness, being your purpose. He was disdainful of material wealth. In the New Testament of the Bible, it is said you cannot serve two masters, God and money. So would it be fair to argue that money cannot buy you happiness?

I apologise to all the great masters of the past. Happiness is generally short-lived or fleeting. I don't think anyone has ever felt happy for prolonged periods of time, say a year. Happiness is also a state of mind. Clearly, you cannot buy a state of mind unless, I suppose, you inject yourself with some chemicals that you bought.

So creating an equivalence between happiness and money is not really accurate. Nothing can buy you permanent happiness; in fact, you may not even desire it. So is the conceptual framework that money cannot buy you happiness correct?

Conceptual frameworks are created to simplify life. So if someone wanted to help you understand that material wealth is less important than spiritual growth, which could result in happiness, they would create a framework to help explain this.

Obviously, this does not suggest that someone who is wealthy cannot be happy. Wealth, or the lack thereof, is simply a fact. Both conditions can create happiness. But if you took the conceptual framework literally, you could easily choose happiness over money.

It is therefore important to evaluate the conceptual frameworks in your head. Evaluate whether they are being understood the way they were intended. Finally, evaluate what conceptual frameworks help you achieve the goals you have set for yourself! These concepts are driving the choices you make.

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