A leaflet of papers, coins serendipitously determine the purchasing power of people and it increasingly engulfs our societies with a misfit maneuvering exercise of interest. This reality has transient the sense of human faculty. Money as commonly called has been erroneously perceived by many people in the context of thoughts, engagements and values. Nowadays, the worth of a society is hugely hinged on society’s affluence and this is visibly manifested at individual levels, where one commands honor, respect and other virtues base on his wealth. Financial institutions too are complicit in this vicious cycle that creates the widened social division. Their exorbitant interest rates charged underpin the perpetual societal inequities and inequalities; the gap between the haves and haves-not continues to swell.
The 1976 empirical economics proposition that available resources are scanty to meet the escalating demands of the people still holds some water. These material resources of the world are unevenly dispersed, and thus the tussle between the rich and the poor. Observably the latter continues to be disadvantaged at the hands of the former. Therefore, the scramble for the limited available resources becomes intense, giving the rich leverage to amass more and more at the expense of the poor. This act of societal imbalance is what Herbert Spencer, social psychologist in 1864 referred to as “survival of the fittest.” Obviously in such society, the poor would never attain dignity.
Meanwhile, because societies are now deeply engrossed in idolizing money, this has given emergence to new unimaginable ways of wealth acquisition globally. To get instant success in the brink of an eye becomes the new normal irrespective of how money is obtained. That’s what societies value; and the people too. This new phenomenon has immensely added to societal decadence. Vices such as cyber-attack, cyber bullying, rape, willful killings, daylight gun-point robbery among others where unheard of in my impoverished society many years ago. But why the sudden emergence and perpetual proliferation of these horrible crimes most of which go unpunished. Well, the answers not far-fetched. It is largely attributed to money in order for one to belong in that social class of repute. This cat and mouse game of wealth acquisition has inflicted pandemonium and apprehension in the society. Even the rich square up to this reality; in fact, they have become more vulnerable in this new normal. What else could be feasibly done in such an eyesore in a society that battle to level up the inequality gap…. It has therefore befallen on every Tom, Dick and Harry to join efforts and strategize ways to exterminate this societal cancer of illicit wealth acquisition being poor or rich.
However, scale of preference is no more holistic and incisive because money has trampled over consternation and left mindsets visionless with greed. The circumstances in acquiring decency in running a healthy height sights society, can be through rage against mendaciousness in wealth acquisition, and making upright stance in safeguarding the natural laws. Money is not equal to everything, but rather creates an opportunity for beholders to transform their status quo without bragging and transiting into narcissist frame of mind. It looks resplendent to be rich but blissfulness is in conformity with kind-heartedness, regardless of one’s financial status.
In this stance, the societal idiosyncratic state of money, should be digested by the poor as a beacon of hope, that someday, the strive for an improve life would be attained; while it should be seen in the eyes of the rich, as a privilege position towards the attainment of life’s most innocuous gifts, and this may vacate in extemporaneous moments. It is paramount to note, and admit that, money and its conceptualization falls below the ranks of morality, ethics, decency, and societal cohesion. Without this perspective in our mindsets, the wedge in societies still anchored on money.
