Does money mean power?
Money in today's world is life. The lack of money is the lack of life - this is where our reality stands. We need money for absolutely everything, from affording the basic necessities of food, water, clothing and shelter, to being able to afford things that we want, things that will add to our quality of life and certain 'luxuries'. We need money to spoil ourselves - is it even 'spoiling' yourself or just doing more for yourself than continuing to breathe alone. It's funny how much effort goes into that when we know that life is much more than just breathing. We need money for experiences - there's barely anything you can do without it. You can go on walks, sit in the park, play in the playground. Sure there are some places where you can go at no cost - free museums, art exhibitions and the likes - well they all come at a cost to someone anyway.
Now I know we need this system of trade, because how could anything possibly function without it? But the power that comes with money is a whole different ball game. It's undoubtedly scary the things that people can get away with because of the amount of money they have. Of course money doesn't always mean power, but when it does it often means a whole lot of it. And as that power grows for some, more often than not it means power is being snatched from some who have less power and less money; the rich get richer and the poor get poorer - we've all heard that before.
Money does a lot for us. When we have it, it allows us the choice to have things that make us happy, experiences that bring us joy (or not), but the point is that money gives us that choice - a choice which in itself may be enough to make us happy. The power of making a choice; multiple choices; the freedom of that is really something.
The reality for some is a struggle everyday; a struggle to ensure that we have even just a single choice, to ensure that we can afford what we need. Is this powerlessness? When this choice does not exist what do we then do? How do we feel? How should we feel and how are we expected to react?
Does money wash away morals?
The morals we stand by can be said to guide the way that we live our lives. One would assume that people would make an effort to do whatever they believe is right and would avoid actions they deem wrong. But human beings are complex.
We see all the time how people go against their own best judgement when put in certain situations. Studies have been conducted on the relationship between money and morality time and time again, and whilst these studies always seem to yield results which show that thinking about money makes people more selfish, competitive or greedy, there is rarely an accompanying explanation as to why this may be the case. So we are left to think about that.
Money and the pursuit of money can be very consuming because of just how vital money is to life. We strive to make money so that we can have the power to make choices; to be able to live comfortably. So it's not surprising how something which holds such value could corrupt our minds. The obsession with making money leaves little to no room for consideration. After all, we're just thinking of how much we can take; so hung up on it that we forget about the needs of others and the ways in which we should treat one another.
Money isn't everything
As people who are just trying to get by each day, it's important to remember that there things which money can't buy. Even with all the money in the world there would be other things which we worry about. We can be content just by having good people around us and sharing our experiences with others. In fact for many of us, morals are what bring us together and create this shared sense of community between us. If we were to lose all of that, would the money be worth it? Would we necessarily feel happy?