Introduction
It is an undeniable fact that the quest for wealth has characterized man’s existence in the world. This fact prompts the question, what is the meaning of “wealth”? The English Oxford dictionary defines wealth as “an abundance of valuable possessions or money” (oxforddictionaries.com). Many people in almost all societies define wealth in terms of money and riches. However, in this essay I shall follow a Toulmin model of argumentative essays to give more meaning to the word “wealth”. Whether peers or businesspeople read the essay, its purpose is to open up the readers’ minds to the many forms of wealth that supersede money and riches. While money is an important factor in wealth, people should not focus their efforts to working for money but rather into looking for other areas that bring about happiness and wholesome living. Wealth is the wholesome presence of social, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellbeing in a person’s life.
The dictionary defines wealth as large quantities of money, valuable possessions, property, or other riches. The advent of capitalism has pushed people to view the wealth in terms of the dictionary definitions. Wealth is more than money and riches. Wealth comprises of happiness with family and friends, good health, sound emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing alongside some adequate money and property to support comfortable living.
Human beings ought not to be living life to work. Our nation and the rest of the capitalist world are fast-paced. Money is at the centre of life and all things. The society in which the current generation is growing up has put up with the stigma that in order for one to be considered wealthy, they must have a lot of money. This stigma causes many people to focus their energies on work while neglecting life with family and friends. Having a lot of material wealth without there being a healthy social standing equates to discomfort and lack of contentment, which should be the hallmark of wealth.
Money should not be the central focus of defining wealth. It beats logic for one to spend all their time working for money, which they cannot enjoy spending because they do have any time to do so! Time in itself is a factor in the definition of wealth in that one should have time to spend and enjoy the things that money can buy. If one has to spend all time working to get more money, then they starve their social lives, spirits, and physical health by lacking time to exercise, meditate, show love to a deserving family member among other things central to absolute wealth.
When thinking about wealth, people ought to shift their focus considerably away from money. The world is ridden with people who work so hard for money –workaholics. This group of people lacks time to spend with their families and worse still ignore their health because they have to work. By so doing these people accumulate monetary and material wealth in an unhealthy manner. They have poor social skills and are in constant quarrels with their spouses, children, parents among other members of their families. Unhealthy social ties water down the enjoyment of money and material possessions since man is inherently a social being.
The negligence of one’s health at the expense of working for money is very counterproductive to the working and accumulation of money. The money one often accumulates goes into settling medical bills of diseases that could never have been issues had the person looked after his/her health. In the worst scenario, a workaholic dies prematurely and leaves behind loads of money. As such, money should never be the central focus to working rather one should work to obtain money and the things that promote physical, social, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
In as much as people may put forward definitions of money that water down its importance to good living, money plays a crucial role in life. Capitalists rightly view money as the most important thing, and they are justified to do so. Money buys both goods and services without which someone may cease to exist. Money buys food, pays for healthcare and good accommodation that secures one from dangerous animals and harsh weather among other things. One has to use some money to finance a vacation with family of friends. When someone is involved in an accident, s/he needs money to obtain treatment without which his or her enjoyment of the social, emotional, spiritual and health wealth is severely curtailed. As such, money and material possessions seems to be at the centre of the enjoyment of wealth.
In as much as money seems to play a central role in the definition of wealth, it falls short of being the central focus. This is so because the things that money can buy are not as important or as valuable as the money itself. For instance, someone suffering from cancer is guaranteed neither the elimination of the disease nor the restoration of good health after paying a certain amount of money. Many a times, no quantity of money or material possessions can eliminate the condition that disrupts emotional, social, physical, or spiritual wellbeing. Money in itself ought to play a complementary rather than a supplementary role in the definition of wealth.
Conclusion
The word “wealth” dominates talk in many settings. However, for a long time the definition has centered on money and material possessions as stated in the English dictionary. Since it is factual and undeniable that money and materials can only buy so much, and then money and materials cease to be the central focus in the definition of wealth. In essence, the definition of wealth should be the “wholesome presence of social, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellbeing in a person’s life”.
Works Cited
"Definition of wealth in English:." wealth: definition of wealth in Oxford dictionary (British & World English). N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2014. <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/wealth>.
