Money is Not Everything

Money is sources of all feelings. It is a dangerous creation. Money is a Pandora's box. Money is no better than a ghost that haunts human beings. One of the most important realisation that one would have during the course of their life is that there are many more other things which are important than money.Money is not everything . Money can't do many things. Sometimes money is not of any use at all. One cannot evaluate many things in terms of money. Money is also not permanent. It comes in like flood and disappears like flood too.

Money is essential to transact freely. It is designed to get rid of many complexities. Its importance can never be underestimated. The barter system would have continued if concept of money had not been evolved and the world would not have certainly progressed this much at all. Even today there are many people who consider money as Goddess of wealth. Money enables us to buy something that we want. It is a movable asset. It is a very powerful medium of exchange. It is a legal tender. It is very convenient to deal with it. But it is not everything. Money is only a means. There are many more important requisites in life than money. We cannot evaluate many things in terms of money. We cannot surely buy either happiness or peace and serenity with money at all. It cannot heal ruptured relationships, or build meaning into a life that has none. It is not a wealthiest man who is powerful in this world but it is either a politician or a military dictator who are at the helm of affairs in this modern world. Parting with money isn't considered anywhere as a great sacrifice at all. When somebody dies in an accident Government declares compensation. Money cannot compensate a loss of life at all. It is not everything. Shortage of money is to be made good by only money itself.

“Money means happiness ” is one’s wrong perception only. In fact, it is this perception that leads one to think that “Money is everything”. Considering that money is everything is nothing but giving too much of an importance to it. A man who thinks money is everything is like a horse tied to a cart. A horse tied to a cart cannot look side ward. Similarly, a man who thinks money is everything cannot look at life from no other angle other than money. A horse always gallops forward and its steps never falter whereas a man falters and faces one or other trouble. More one gives an importance to money more miserable one would be in their life. In fact, it plagues them like a devil. It makes one lose their thinking power. It makes them mentally incapacitated also. We find more hospitality at a poor man‘s cottage rather than at a rich man’s bungalow. A beggar is generally more content than moneyed. Money cannot buy peace of mind. It cannot heal ruptured relationships, or build meaning into a life that none. It is not everything .

No extraordinary skill or talent is really required to augment money. Money sometimes only would be with deserving. It is rarely found with needy. We notice in real life that many were happier and contented when they were poor rather than when they were rich. Even,one, who has sufficient money, when they try to add more to it, lose their peace of mind and become distressed. Whether one has money or whether one has no money both are troublesome. Money spoils relationship between kith and kin. In fact, we find that money is main cause of majority of problems that we come across in our life. Nothing vitiates an atmosphere more than what money does. Money creates mistrust. Many of the disputes in courts of law are on account of money only. Money cannot do many things. Many of such things could be got done easily through other means. Definitely, money cannot do what that we could get done through love and affection. Money often brings in only a temporary success. More than anything, we find that laziness raises its ugly head and talent gets blunted wherever there is excess money. Money even spoils sports and games through gambling. It is money that influences match fixing, betting etc in sports and games. There are a few sports and games these days where there is no match fixing and betting. These undesired and unwanted developments ruin many homes also. They affect one’s interest in sports and games too.

More than what good money does, it does always more bad to a society. Corruption, prostitution, gambling such other social ills are mainly as a result of one's thinking that money is everything only. Money causes fear psychosis to many people too. One with money is generally gripped with one or another kind of fear. Some are afraid that somebody may steal it and some are afraid that others may grab it. They do not have a sound sleep. Remember that money is only a material thing. It is created for our convenience, but it should be used for good. It is created for us to control; it is not made to control us. In short, neither one should never attach too much of importance to money nor one should neglect it too. One should understand what money is and treat it appropriately.

In the above context, it is better to remember what Arne Garborg says. He says that for money one thinks one can have everything, but one cannot have everything. One thinks one can buy food, but one cannot buy appetite; one can buy medicine, but one cannot buy health. Similarly he opines that one can buy knowledge but not wisdom; glitter, but not beauty; fun, but not joy; acquaintances, but not friends; servants, but not faithfulness; leisure, but not peace. He concludes that one can have the husk of everything for money, but not the kernel.

Money is not merely a medium of exchange to acquire any services or material things that one wants or needs to many people but money is everything. They believe that having a lot of money can bring them to the satisfaction of which they have dreamed. They sacrifice friendships, families, home life, sacrifice position, health, everything for money. That’s how powerful money is. It can control the mind of an individual. Their life is a failure although they may have accumulated money. Many people, because of their obsession to have more money will do anything, even if they have to transfigure people into objects to acquire what they really want. That is why in our economy today, the rich become richer, and the poor become poorer. How sad it is to know that kind of reality. Money is not at all fair. Some have to sweat and toil to have it whereas some have it without any sweat and toil at all.

More money in circulation than required causes inflation or price spiral. Price spiral is a vicious circle. Central Bank of a country controls money in circulation through various measures. Value of money or its purchasing power is seldom constant. Value of money always fluctuates. Now- a-days money is paper currency and has no intrinsic value at all. Ever since central banks stopped pegging their currencies to the price of gold, money has been a nebulous concept: a promise to pay the bearer, or cheque from central bank, rather than a permanent store of wealth.

Money creates numerous problems many a times than resolving the problems that are already there. Law of diminishing marginal utility does not hold good to money at all. Of course, there are people in this world who consider money as everything. It is lust for money develops that attitude in them. They give undue importance to money. They stoop to any level to accumulate it. They are generally a business minded. We find lack of love, affection etc in them. Those who think that money is everything do not value rest of the qualities that others would have. They are a different tribe. They are not humane. They view everything only from financial angle. They would always like to be benefited monetarily. They ill treat have –not. They are real Shylocks and King Midas of this world. Money creates void among people. The worst thing of all is that a person would risk his own life and dignity by doing a criminal act only to have money. How ironic it is. They think of money as everything to their lives, but they are wrong, absolutely wrong. Sometimes it is circumstances that lead one come to the conclusion that money is everything. It is also circumstances only that lead one to the conclusion that money is not everything.

In any profession if one thinks that money is everything, they would not do any justice to their profession. A doctor, who thinks that money is everything, would not have humanity; he would demand money first to attend to a person who is seriously ill and forgets the medical oath that he had taken.

One would not definitely does not concur with one who says that money is everything if they come to know what happened to that affluent man. Instead of leading a happy contented life he had landed himself behind bar. He tried to accumulate money by hook and crook and in the process he violated laws of the land. As a result, whatever honour that he had in the society that was lost. His family got disintegrated. His wife and children were not able to walk straight with their head above. Their plight was inexplicable. Considering money as every thing is always dangerous. It leads to corruption, greed and what not. One who is after money does not hesitate to stoop to any level purely for monetary gains. Money is everything is a wrong notion.

Money is nothing. Lavish R&D budgets don’t guarantee performance. There is no relationship between R&D spending and the primary measures of economic or corporate success, such as growth, enterprise profitability, and share holder return.

Money is not everything. It can influence one only temporarily. If it brings out any changes that change does not last long. Even a beggar can amass money. The other day I had been to Innova Securities & Investments Limited. It is where I trade in shares. It is a share broking firm. There many people who are interested in dealing in shares assemble. My friend Mr. Sushil who had come there to trade wanted to share with me what he had come to know about a deceased. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. Nariman Point in Mumbai is one where hundreds of corporate houses are situated. Hence innumerable sky scraping buildings are found there. It is a place where commercial activity is buzzing and costliest of cars roll over. In short it is an opulent area.

Mr. Sushil informed me that a woman had died at Nariman point in Mumbai. She was a beggar. Her body was lying on a mat. It was on that mat she was sitting and begging alms from people. Beneath that a sum of rupees eighteen thousand rupees was found along with a chit. She had requested in the chit to credit the amount to a bank nearby. The bank account revealed a sum exceeding rupees three and a half crores to her credit. Nominees for that huge sum were members of her family only. They were also beggars who begged in other parts of Mumbai. Further, it came to light that she owned a fleet of vehicles.

The above information reminded me of a man in Oliver Goldsmith’s novel who was a beggar in one part of London and a rich man in the other part of London. A chain of thoughts emerged in my mind. I started thinking why we find such a large sum of money in the hands of beggars. Is it because of depreciation of value of money for now –a-days beggars do not accept small coins in alms? Is begging a lucrative profession? Is this a success story? Are Indians very generous? How long it might have taken for her to accumulate this enormous amount. That is how many days, how many years and how many hours a day. Under what circumstances she started begging. What an amount of strain she might have put in to augment such a large amount. How many abuses scathing attacks, humiliations she might have undergone and borne in the process. Is she not patience personified? Whether she had enjoyed the fruits of her toil? Definitely, she would not have enjoyed even a part of that money. It is to somebody to enjoy that. Whether the amount saved would be shared amicably by the nominees. Whether there is any guarantee that there would be no disputes or quarrels among the nominees on account of large sum of money left behind by her? Why people did not come to know of her opulence until her demise? Is this not misuse of begging to augment wealth? Is not true that those who are really poor, handicapped and who do not have anybody to look after them can only beg for their livelihood? How this kind of instances could be avoided in future? Is it only enough if money is not put into a begging bowl? Is it not better if one offers a beggar food, clothes, etc in lieu of money? There was no end to my thinking. Such other thoughts occupied my mind.

Beggars are generally poor. They are known as have-not. Thus three and a half crores of rupees in a bank account of a beggar are really surprising. It proves the fact that through begging one can accumulate enormous wealth. It leads us to question -who does not make money? But money is not everything. Begging is never considered as a noble profession. Those who are lazy resort to begging for begging is an easy profession. Beggars generally do not command any respect at all. There are looked upon with contempt. When there is no other go only one begs. Some people even prefer death rather than begging. Leave alone begging, some even hesitate to seek any favour from others. Yet some people beg. Whether it is because they consider that money is everything.

Even the episode of a Bollywood actress who died recently reveals the fact that money is not everything. She had died of aids. She had become an untouchable woman during her last days. She was despised by everybody. Three days after her death, the door of her flat at Juhu was broke open. She had amassed and left behind enormous wealth. Many relatives of her came forward to claim her property but there was nobody at her bedside during her last days. She was alone. Numerous such instances we come across in our lives that enlighten us the fact that it is not everything.

The reality that we should embrace is that we need money, but it does not follow that it is the only reason of our existence here on earth. Money is important, but it is not everything. There are many factors that can create fulfilment here on earth, not money alone. They are our family, our friends, and even our new acquaintances. They can help us grow and reach our goals.

People say money makes many things but in reality it is poverty that does everything. Unable to bear the poverty, some commit even suicide. In fact money is a source of problems. Generally, wherever there is money, we come across one or another problem. Similarly, wherever there is no money also, we come across one or another problem too. Money is not everything. It is money that divides us into rich, middle and poor class. It is that causes indiscrimination many times. Money is everything is only an illusion. One gets this wrong notion when one has no money and somebody ill treats them.

Those who think that money is everything cannot think of anything else. They are caught in a web. They always think of it only. They cannot get out from that web easily. They cannot enjoy life at all. They cannot devote their time to any other activities at all. Money is addictive. It influences everyone tremendously. It may come or it may go one should never bother at all. One should never allow it to rule over them. It isn't everything.

Everybody wants to be fortunate. Nobody wants to be unfortunate in this world. Everybody strives in this world with these objectives only. One is fortunate only if they are blessed in every respect and are happy and contented. That is one should have wealth health, children, and all other requirements of a happy family. A good reputation is more valuable than money. There's nothing in the world as demoralizing as money. Lack of money is no obstacle. Lack of an idea is an obstacle. There is a lot more to life than just struggling to make money. Money is not everything at all. It shouldn't be given more importance than it deserves.