Dated: 16 August 2011

Essay on:

By

Akash SinghClass 11th

Spring Dale CollegeIndira Nagar Lucknow

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CONTENTS

1.0 How far do We feel that Money is Root cause of all unhappiness in Life...................3

2.1 Money brings Comfort and security............................................................................................4

2.2 Can money bring happiness (or is money absolutely needed for happiness)?........4

2.3 Happiness is not necessarily related to money, material or wealth.............................4

2.4 We may have lots of money, still unhappy...............................................................................4

2.5 Money neither makes We happy nor unhappy......................................................................5

3.0. Can Money brings We unhappiness............................................................................................5

3.1. Pursuit of Money must be balanced............................................................................................5

3.2. Problem is attachment to money.................................................................................................6

3.3. Money has certain purpose.............................................................................................................6

4.0. If We are pursuing the material goals we must enjoy it with others............................7

4.1. Happiness does not reside in poverty but in process of eliminating it.......................7

5.0. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................................8

5.1. Money attracts evil.............................................................................................................................8

5.2. Money helps life...................................................................................................................................8

5.3. I dis agree that money is most important thing of life........................................................8

6.0 Money Quotes ( What great people say about the money................................................9

8HOW FAR DO YOU FEEL THAT “MONEY IS ROOT CAUSE OF ALL UNHAPPINESS IN LIFE”

1.1 Origin of phrase

The origin of the phrase comes from the Bible. (New Testament, Timothy, 6:10)

However, it's not "money is the root cause of all evil." The phrase is "The LOVE of

money is the root of all evil."

According to the Random House Dictionary of Proverbs and Sayings, the phrase first

appeared in English circa 1000 A.D.

It’s obviously one of those sayings that have as great deal of staying power, having been

around for one thousand years and still going strong. But how fair is it to blame all evil,

or even any evil, on a medium of exchange?

1.2 What is money?

Money is the instrument of exchange, helping in buying and selling and also in fixing a

value on things and commodities. It may be in metal or in paper. Money gives purchasing

power but this power is not absolute as it is on various factors. In such a case it is termed

currency and according to their purchasing power they are termed hard, soft and weak.

Money is a tool of exchange, which cannot exist unless there are goods and men to

produce them. It is based on the principle that men who wish to deal with one another

must do so via trade and gives value for value. So is the love for it what we call evil?

2.1 Money brings comfort and security

At the outset, let me be very clear. I am not saying that money will bring our total

happiness. May be it does not. However, I am quite convinced that money does not bring

us unhappiness either. I think money just brings our comfort and security, the very

least.

 

82.2 Can money bring “HAPPINESS”

That money can bring neither happiness nor unhappiness can be understood very

easily even if we are not a rocket scientist.

According to a well known and oft repeated saying, “Happiness is a State of Mind. If we

think we are happy, we are; if we think we are not, we are not.”

2.3 HAPPINESS IS NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO MONEY, MATERIAL OR WEALTH

Many things make people happy and not all of them are related to material comfort.

A nice piece of music, the news of a new-born in the family, chirping of birds in a

garden, beautiful scenery of sun-rise/sun-set etc. may all bring happiness without costing

us anything. Money, on the other hand, brings certain basic necessities within our reach,

thus providing a sort of peace of mind in a material world in which we have to survive. 

In that respect, money may be able to bring ‘happiness’ to an extent.

2.4   We may have lots of money, still unhappy

Similarly, even when we have a lot of money, we can still be unhappy.  This

unhappiness may stem from self pity, a harsh word or an insult from someone or simply a

mere imagination that we are unhappy!

2.5   Money neither makes us happy nor unhappy

Hence, money can neither make us totally happy nor can stop us from being unhappy. In

fact, money is not related directly to happiness or unhappiness, but it is our mind that

decides if we are happy or not!

 

83.1. Can money brings us “UNHAPPINESS”

For argument’s sake, let us assume that money does indeed bring unhappiness. What

happens when we are short of money for an expected expense like our regular bills, or

unexpected ones? We are very stressed and unhappy.  Similarly, if we happen to lose

money due to robbery etc, we become unhappy. So, lack (or loss) of money can also

bring us unhappiness! In other words, lack of money does not really seem to bring us

happiness either.

 

Thus, money or the lack (or the loss) of it will not necessarily make us happy.  Money

is then probably unrelated to happiness or unhappiness.

3.2.   Pursuit of money must be balanced

Therefore we have been relating money to our happiness and unhappiness and thereby

confusing people that their pursuit of money is really wrong! However, the pursuit of

money must be balanced with other important aspects/activities like our family, sports,

music, health, meditation, social service etc. in order to achieve and increase our

happiness.

 

Professor Richard Easterlin considered being the father of Economics of Happiness, does

not say money cannot buy us any happiness. However, his research does indicate that the

hot pursuit of money does not lead to happiness. He also believes that the pursuit of

money must be balanced with other activities that also include family, health etc. in order

to achieve happiness.

3.3.   Problem is attachment to money

It is not the money (or material wealth) that is the problem; it is the attachment to money

that creates all the problems. Go ahead and make money as long as we are not

8controlled by it, but we are the controller. ‘Money is a good servant, but a bad master’

as an old saying goes.

 

A wealthy person can be happy or unhappy. Similarly, one can be poor and still be happy

or unhappy.  Money or wealth has nothing to do with one being happy or unhappy. While

money does not guarantee our happiness, the lack of money does not guarantee it

either!

4.1. If we are pursuing the material goals we must enjoy it with others

When we are pursuing the material goals, pause regularly to enjoy the fruits of it. Enjoy

the special moments with our family, friends and people near and dear to us.  As

someone said, “The joy of success does not lie in the ultimate success itself, but in the

very process of achieving it”. While destination is the ultimate goal, the journey itself

can and must be enjoyed!

4.2.   Happiness does not reside in poverty but in process of eliminating it

Happiness does not reside in poverty, but in the very process of eliminating it

(poverty) wherever we see it.  Lots of rich people, from the Tata family in India (their

business motto: Social cause above profit) to Bill Gates knew it well and have been

practicing it successfully around the globe. Thus, utilizing our money to work towards

alleviating human sufferings is one sure way to creating happiness within We and also in

other people’s lives. In this manner, we convert money into happiness!

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5.0. CONCLUSION

I think it would be a much more accurate statement to say that the root of most evil is

man’s desire for status; either greed to increase one’s status, or jealousy over losing in the

status game to others, certainly it is not the money which is root cause of all unhappiness

and evils

Money attracts evil

I believe that money is the root to all evil in the sense that when we have money it either

changes us or everyone around us. People who have a lot of money they tend to think that

they’re some kind of god, just because others possess a little money. No one should let

money shape them to being how they are. So, when people see that we are all about

money, everyone wants to be our friend. Even the ones that barely talk to us or even the

ones that walks right past us.

Money helps life

As for people being happy or otherwise with money or without it, well, that's simple,

money helps in life, but we do not need it to be a happy person or have a happy life. I

firmly believe this. Of course we all know that we can have a wonderful life if we have

plenty of money to do what you want or, to make all those lovely purchases, vacations

etc., but without the money to do those things, would that mean we were going to have an

unhappy life - I don't think so.

I dis agree that money is most important thing of life

I disagree that money is the most important thing in life. Everything in life requires

money, but little did people know there are many other things that should come before it.

To some people money means everything to them, to me money is important but it’s not

the most important. we need money to survive, to meet our basic needs, to provide for

ourselves and our families. Other than that, money is only able to buy you materialistic

things, but when it comes to love, happiness, etc. Money is useless.

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6.0 Money quotes: what great people say about the money

Swami Vivekananda: If money helps a man to do good to others, it is of some value; but if not, it is simply a mass of evil, and the sooner it is got rid of, the better. Neither money pays, nor name pays, nor fame, nor learning; it is CHARACTER that cleave through adamantine walls of difference.”

Walter Winchell: Money sometimes makes fools of important persons, but it may also make important persons of fools.

Money is the root of all evil, and yet it is such a useful root that we cannot get on without it any more than we can without potatoes.”Louisa May Alcott quotes (American Author known for her children's books, especially the classic Little Women. 1832-1888)

Nica Clark "Money isn't everything. It's just most everything."

Herbert Spencer:"In societies of low civilization, there is no money." "Money for me has only one sound: liberty." Gabrielle Chanel

George Bernard Shaw :"Lack of money is the root of all evil."

"For the folk-community does not exist on the fictitious value of money but on the results of productive labour, which is what gives money its value." --Adolf Hitler to Reichstag,

"God gave me my money. I believe the power to make money is a gift from God .I believe it is my duty to make money & still more money & to use the money I make for the good of my fellow man according to the dictates of my conscience." --John D. Rockefeller, 1905

"Money is like muck, not good except it be spread." --Francis Bacon, The Essays or Counsels

"It has beeen said that the love of money is the root of all evil. The want of money is so quite as truly." --Samuel Butler

"Money can't buy friends. But you can afford a better class of enemy." --Lord Mancroft

"All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.""While money can't buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery." "Money's only important when you don't have any." --Sting

Swedish proverb;"There are too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” Translation: "Happiness can't be bought for money." "Lyckan står den djärve bi.”...

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