Something about having

We must somehow see that worth and significance of life is beyond monetary and material.

Let me explain in my own words as to why the pursuit of wealth has been the dream of many for ages.

Take note that I am focusing mostly on the situation of my home country, the Philippines.

Due to different factors like socio-economic standings and scarcity of resources, it has become the goal of each and every potential employee to seek the best possible source of income. Poverty is seen as *the* hell of today’s society, and no one ever wants to experience not having money in their own pockets.

But that is pretty much natural for most people anyway. However, what is unnatural, in my opinion, is how this “need” is addressed.

People look beyond necessities nowadays and see their desires as the prime reason for getting jobs in the first place. They want to receive salary so that they can feed their addictions and fuel the temptation within themselves to buy what their hearts have been craving for. They already have food, clothing, shelter, and other basic necessities in life. The reason why they seek more is because of desire.

No one wants to suffer the fate of lacking what they want.

Wanting is a natural part of human nature, and this is not necessarily bad. It makes us reach for greater heights and pursue what can be the evolution of our lives. It leads to improvement and enrichment of one’s existence. That, in itself, is a good thing.

Of course, everything, including enrichment, is to be taken in moderation.

We are consumers; people who are stricken by a lifestyle obsession. We constantly pick up signals from different sources like the mass media and the people around us. All of a sudden, life is not about “have done” and “have not done” anymore, but “have” and “not have”. Today’s society is no longer focused on achievements but possessions. No one gives a damn anymore if they have contributed to their community anymore, as long as they have their posh mansions, sports cars, and Scandanavian furniture. If they do not have these though, it does not stop them from dreaming or trying to get as close as possible to that feeling of luxury.

Is this greed? Maybe.

But there always are reasons for greed. Most people would condemn greed as a crime without a second thought. They would declare politicians as corrupt and criminals as evil without looking into the roots of that evil itself. Money may be said as the root of all evil, but what really makes it so is the desire.

What can fuel greed? Desire.

To further examine this phenomenon, we must ask the question: “What fuels that desire?”

It seems that this is not just about “having” and “not having”. We are all guilty of having an inferiority complex whenever we see someone with something that we have been wanting, but do not have. This has got to be, I think, the biggest factor in this equation. Sometimes, we do turn green whenever we see someone who is better than us. It is within human instinct to feel a sense of jealousy whenever we feel as if we are being thrown off our high horse.

No doubt, Filipinos have this negative trait through and through. Do not deny it because you do know that it is within us all. We are familiar with statements within the lines of “Akala niya kung sino siya…”.

I therefore conclude that among the Seven Deadly Sins found within the tenets of Roman Catholicism, which is the main religion of the Philippines, the main sin of this country of ours is not Greed, but Envy.

We are so emotionally attached to the concept of “having” that “not having” is like torture to us. Each passing day of not having something we desire is like hell on earth, and we would rather be damned by the deepest levels of the abyss than spend another second of our lives deprived of that which we desire.

Okay, maybe that was exaggeration, but you get the idea…

Money is a resource, and that is that. It is something that is used to procure necessities and desirables. That is all you need to see it as. Such a resource can be gained as long as you have a job. The thing is that people do not know how to use this resource properly. Their desire to obtain their wants is so great that they fail to understand that it is that want that drives them closer to financial hardship in the first place.

No, you do not need a PSP because it is going to become a thing of the past anyway within a few years, and something will replace it. The same goes for every other material trend out there.

Get a job and do what is necessary, not for the immediate present, but for the future. Think of your families and your future endeavors before you give in to the temptation of purchasing that which you want.

I believe that most people laugh at those who pursue “less-demanded professions” because they seem to have dug themselves a hole within their materialism so far that they feel as if they are in a different league. The sad thing is that they feel as if they are more superior because they are within professions that are more in-demand in the market. Having such is not bad, but it is their cockiness that really stings.

I’m not saying that earning lots of money is bad though, so don’t get me wrong. I am just saying that we should use it more properly from now on because it really is finite. It does run out.

Also, we must watch our own actions, especially on how we treat others, because of this issue. Let us not belittle those who are going through the road less taken. “There is a reason why it is the road less taken” is not substantial enough of a statement for anyone to use as a reason to judge them.