In your estimation, what are some of the advantages of affluence today? Which advantages are okay and which aren’t? Do you believe that a person’s wealth and income are equal to a person’s ‘worth’ in society today? Why or why not?
In the present day, who would even argue about the importance of money and wealth; of course it is everything. This is especially true of the American society where affluence is the key to many facilities, benefits and privileges that simply cannot be attained by a life of mediocre earning or a restricted bank balance. Affluence measures the people one meets, the business or work one does and overall how a person lives their life. However, today, affluence serves the purpose of allowing a person and their family to live a life of comfort, leisure and peace. Although affluence does create some hurdles in a person’s life, it is also a means of removing them. Nevertheless, affluence is just as important as any other necessity of life.
There are many perks of being affluent and wealthy. The biggest one is financially free and independent. One measure of success often given is that a person is deemed successful when they can shop and buy things without looking at the price tag. Affluent people never need to worry about how much their shopping spree would cost them or what brands can they afford or not. Similarly, they can afford luxury cars, go on exotic vacations to places far off, afford the best hospitality available and do absolutely anything that money can allow them to. The rich can also meet the expenses of past time activities that the average or mediocre salary earning man will only see or hear of in movies or the TV. Thus, the rich get to live the ‘high life’ as they can experience what the rest of their not-so-wealthy brethren cannot. The rich can afford large homes with swimming pools, throw extravagant parties and when it comes to clothing and being suited, they can choose the best designers without any fuss.
Also, affluent people can get away with a lot of things as they can buy their way through everything. An example is bribing others to get things done one’s own way. Sometimes rich people, if angered too much, will buy a whole thing off just to show they are more powerful and esteemed than others take them to be. This is a way their affluence saves their face and also shows the world how powerful they are.
However, affluence does not really show a person’s worth as much as is shows how much a person is monetarily worth. A disadvantage associated with affluence is the amount of pretentiousness, materialism and love of wealth it inculcates. A person who is wealthy, especially one who has become rich overnight is always under scrutiny, and his wealth, and its origins will always be a controversial topic. The assets of that person will be observed and that how much he spends on it, where he spends it is also a matter of interest to others. Also, since money can buy a lot of things, people get the impression that the rich man takes undue advantage of others and can get what he wants anytime he desires. Children who are born wealthy are deemed as worthless and insignificant individuals because they are born with a silver spoon. Outwardly although the world might appreciate the affluent man, however, they never value him genuinely. Therefore, affluence does not determine the wealth of a man. An affluent man will always be criticized for not using his wealth for the good of society even if he may be doing so.
Therefore, although affluence does bring many advantages such as the liberty of possessing as many and as expensive things one can afford and living a life of luxury and peace and being able to fulfil all desires. However, affluence also means a person is not respected and considered a man of worth because the money does all the work for him, and such a person is not a self-made man, according to society. So while money can buy things that are worth a lot, it sometimes snatches away the real worth of men.
References
Advantages and Disadvantages of Being Rich. Molksai. 2015. Web. 11 July 2015.
Sandel, Michael J. What isn’t for sale? The Atlantic. 2012. Web. 11 July 2015.
The Investor. Pros and Cons of being Wealthy. Monevator. 2010. Web. 11 July 2015.
