Germans are less bitter[1], they have a far less violent society, and live longer? oh, and they are better appreciated in the world. All that with a smaller country. Nothing fungible with money, it's true. That's the trick with Maslow's analysis (not an economist, sorry): past a certain level of income your values drift from simply earning more to more immaterial needs.

[1] They didn't militarily invade any country recently, also there are waves of Germans swarming sunny European beaches during the holidays, they eventually recess in the fall.