“How do you think money is everything?” My Asha Gomchen asked. “It’s nothing. Yet people work for money as if it’s everything.”
We have heard so many times people passing the similar comments. In this regard, I have real life experience.
One winter my father wanted to go on a pilgrimage to India. He was so interested. His close friend signed up for the package.
I was barely 3 months into my service and didn’t have money. As a filial son, I wanted to send him with his friend, but I couldn’t.
So, clearly I failed. There was hopelessness in his voice, ‘it’s okay’. I was so unhappy with it.
I started saving every month. Guess what, the following winter he could leave for the pilgrimage. I felt so happy!
The lack of money was a sad situation. The dream of someone special for me was killed.
Money is Capable of Solving many Human Needs
To people who say money doesn’t bring happiness or it is nothing, let us take a look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:
- Physiological needs – Food, water, sex, rest etc..
- Safety needs – House, job security, wellbeing etc..
- Social needs – Love, support, family, group etc..
- Esteem needs – Prestige, feeling successful…
- Self actualization – Creativity, development etc..
It is a known fact that we become happier when we can meet our needs. There is no way people in poverty are happier.
We need money in the first two levels. We can buy food and house. If we need sex, we hire a prostitute.
Level 2 onwards, money is not important. We can have companionships (escorts, guides) but that doesn’t guarantee love.
But see if your husband will love you the same after you finish his entire savings on a shopping spree.
Money can buy medicines but not our health. It can make us successful, financially but not the feelings of being successful.
Money is a vital tool – a means of exchange
To be frank, I think we are having the wrong debate. Money was invented as a means of exchange.
It was never meant to buy happiness or to be everything. This means it’s just an object. Something.
We can only derive utility out of an object and that also true when being used. We use it to transfer the value of one thing to another.
Therefore, money by itself is nothing. However, if we use it wisely, it can give us time, choices, freedom, convenience, and many opportunities.
I can afford to choose not to work if I don’t like the work. I can leave this 9-5 job and spend time on my passions like blogging.
I can take instead of public bus to reach home faster and rest more. If I want to be with my family, I can hire someone to do my work.
So money doesn’t give us happiness either. It gives us time and choices to discover our own happiness.
But freedom of time and choices influence many factors contributing to overall happiness of a person.
So, money is so important until it’s not. Just like that, Asha also needs some money for his retreat completion ritual.
