Money Can't Buy Happiness
In a world obsessed with materialism we often overlook the ideals and values that go beyond the banality of the dollar, writes Sadullah Khan
It is truly unfortunate that a person's worth in society is so often measured by wealth rather than his wealth measured by his worth to society. Such misplacement of human worth leads many to wrongfully assume that you are what you have. In actual fact, we are what we are, reflected in what we sincerely do. If we were to believe that we are what we have, what would we be if we do not have it anymore?
Money in Perspective
Despite negative aphorisms such as "money is the root of all evil"; money is still extremely popular. We should not disdain wealth but need to put its value in proper perspective. Money gets us lots of THINGS but is tremendously overrated. It would be wise to heed the wisdom of those who realize that... money may buy books but not knowledge, bed but not sleep, food but not appetite, house but not home, insurance but not safety, clock but not time, medicine but not health, bible but not salvation, luxury but not peace of mind, fame but not dignity, position but not respect, entertainment but not happiness.
The things money buys are the husk not the kernel, the trimming not the essence. Wealth can provide a source of ease and pleasure but happiness emerges from a far deeper sense of contentment.
Possessions and Happiness
Wealth is not a guarantee for happiness. If it were, all wealthy people would be happy. This does not imply that rich people who are unhappy are so because of their wealth; but does prove that the one is not necessarily dependent on the other. On the other hand, the road to happiness is hard to navigate when one is burdened with the weight of obligations owed or undischarged, the most difficult of which is debt. How true rings the words of our beloved Prophet (pbuh), "debt enslaves you".
Money and Happiness, Body and Soul
Many people pursue accumulation of wealth with such passion under the erroneous assumption - the more I make the happier I'll be. It is not how much you make that brings happiness but how much you do with what you make. Allowing the pursuit of wealth to be considered synonymous with the pursuit of happiness is part of the tragedy of many lives. There is no harm in owning the world, provided that the world does not own you. In the words of the philosopher Rousseau, "the money you have can give you a degree of freedom but the money you pursue enslaves you".
The body may hanker for wealth while the soul yearns for meaning. If we give in totally to the body we submit ourselves to the demands of the fleeting and the temporary; fooled by the mirage while ignoring the oasis.
Is it worth it?
Wealth certainly has its role, but its acquisition and retention should not be at the expense of that which goes beyond material value. If we are willing to pay for the acquisition of wealth at the expense of honor and integrity, then it costs too much. That certainly is not worth it.
Ultimately, real happiness is not found in our material possessions but in the valuables of life;
fond memories, cherished moments, selfless acts, dedication and service, love and affection, lasting
and meaningful relationships... all the things money can't buy.