Raghav Week 9: Society of Happiness
It is said that money cannot buy happiness. And while that is true, an unsaid clause that comes with a capitalist economy is that economic power gives you the power to purchase the happiness of those below you. In any society with limited resources, any edge that one can hold to gain a greater access to resources provides them with a share of control over the lives of others. For the past millennia, since the development of commercial activity, a single aspect continues to separate society in a way of classes: wealth.
It is difficult to understand the power money gives one over their life until you experience both sides of the coin. While I have not myself, I have seen this experience through the stories of my father, who came from a small village in southern India, growing up at a time where his 4 older siblings were making it to secondary school and college as his father was laid off from his job as a chemist in the local paper factory. Being the youngest in a family now on the downturn, he joined in the odd jobs they undertook to make an income. He sold popcorn, yeast, bread—anything that could make a quick profit. This situation was all of a creation of a wealthy man who employed all residents in his factory, which he decided to pack up and move as this venture of his failed to make a sufficient profit. There is no way to confirm if he was happy with his wealth, but his wealth gave him the power to change the course of the lives of thousands who worked under him.
Even as the economic divide and poverty are at an admirable low in the US, we still live in a world run by the wealthy. Society is always a competition of everyone attempting to pull the favor and luxury to themselves, a game of tug war where muscle is decided by wealth. The power that wealth plays itself out in the largest of scales in the US, as exemplified by the collaboration of businessmen Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Elon Musk, who stands to benefit greatly by a low taxation high-tariff economy that Trump seeks to create, has won the favor of the president in countless endorsements. Similarly, Trump gains influence through a partnership with one of the richest men in the world. The platform for our leadership comes from wealth, and the goal of our leadership is to grow economically.
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| Trump and Musk shaking hands |
Hi Raghav! I agree with your view on how money can change the course of life for anyone, and one with greater access to that resource, can alter the lives of others too. Your story about your father and how he did became a wealthy man perfectly resonated with the view of how money can change the lives of others just like he did with the workers under him. Your example of Elon Musk's partnership with Donald Trump also illustrates how wealth shapes lives and prioritizes the elite over societal well-being. This is, overall, a great representation of wealth divisions and how money controls others and is similar to what I wrote about. I hope to read from your blogs more this semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Raghav! Something funny is that in my own blog I actually originally started with the same phrase, "money cannot buy happiness" but then changed it upon seeing your blog because that would look weird. I think your take on buying the happiness of the less wealthy is very accurate. For a lot of people, their lives are controlled by the employers. I like how you connected your thoughts with current events like the presidential election. Despite America being portrayed as equal and democratic, the wealthy have far more power than anyone else, undermining the system.
ReplyDeleteHey Raghav! I think your blog poses a really good question as to how wealth shapes the lives of many. My dad, similar to yours, came from a small village in China, and built himself up through opportunity and hard work to be able to afford to live in the Bay Area, so much like you, my perception of poverty is based on these small anecdotes from my dad’s childhood. While I can confidently say that my family is in a much better place because of my dad’s success, I don’t believe that wealth is correlated to happiness. Rather, I see happiness as a fleeting feeling, and, yes, wealth can often give us advantages to experiencing happiness more often, but I believe people are much better off searching for contentness. Being able to be comfortable with where you are in life. That, I believe is best done with money, someone who is able to comfortably pay rent or the mortgage, put food on the table versus not being able to, or even being able to go on a nice vacation once in a while are all attributed to wealth in this current day and age. So, yes money allows us to experience happiness more often, but money is not necessarily a prerequisite to being happy. Money, rather, allows us to live comfortably, and that in itself should be considered a blessing.
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