Money: A Weird Heat Companion

In many ways, money is the backbone of society. It influences everything: where we live, why we work, how we relax. Money is also necessary to live. Without money, we cannot eat or drink, travel to and from work, or occupy a home, much less enjoy recreation. Nearly every decision we make eventually comes back to its financial worth. We make sacrifices--unwanted jobs, modest homes--simply because they are affordable. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Conversely, money is called “the root of all evil.” Because it influences so much in our daily lives, the desire for more can easily corrupt our decision-making abilities. When we get some, we only want more. This is greed. The very crux of the capitalist argument is to do what is right for oneself first and foremost. By achieving that security, we would theoretically hurt others to benefit ourselves. Money can also lead to jealousy when someone else earns more. This gap can sever relationships. So by definition, money is a necessary evil. Necessary because it allows us to live, evil because it can drive us apart.

When I was in college, I arrived at a sensible idea of using money through the advice of a friend. His thinking was to use money first to take care of necessities (of course), save emergency funds as needed (again, of course), but then to live comfortably and happily with the leftover. This sounds overtly obvious, and it is. If we make decisions on where to work based solely on the fact that we make more money, how happy can we expect to be? And if we opt to not attend a fun event because it costs money, how much happier is that extra $100 in our bank account? This attitude was new to me, but I grew to like it.

Making decisions following this method takes the importance out of money, not letting it run your life. I would never advocate spending the entirety of one’s paycheck on something frivolous or living outside of one’s means; rather, I would recommend people stop turning money into a priority. It should be the means to enjoying life, not the goal of it. Sure, money may be the root of all evil, but only if we let it.

I realize this sounds, at the very least, more than a little privileged. Not everyone has the luxury of having masses of extra money lying around. I certainly don’t. But I have come to realize money is no key to happiness. Instead, it is quite the opposite. If we can take money off its pedestal, by turning it into a tool rather than a goal, we can improve any facet of our lives.