Money…. who doesn’t want it?

Growing up, I always had the idea that if you had a lot of money, you would live a happy life. It was crazy to think that people with money weren’t happy… how can having a big house and luxury items not make someone happy, right?

As I grew up, reality set into my mind. There are definitely several obstacles and sacrifices you’ll have to make if you want to succeed and be wealthy, whether it’s facing a personal conflict or making a business decision. I realized that there’s a big difference between having money and being alone versus being surrounded by family and friends that you love and can share the wealth with. Personally, I don’t think being alone but rich, is worth it. Obviously money can buy a lot of materialistic items, but can it buy genuine relationships with people? The answer is no.

“And time after time, his smile became more similar to the ferryman’s, became almost just as bright, almost just as thoroughly glowing with bliss, just as shining out of thousand small wrinkles, just as alike to a child’s, just as alike to an old man’s.” 

Chapter 9: The Ferryman

Near the end of the novel, Siddhartha abandoned his luxurious lifestyle to live with the Ferryman, even though it meant that he would live in a small shack. After reading Chapter 9: The Ferryman, I learned that being rich and having materialistic items does not ensure happiness. When Siddhartha was rich and had expensive clothing, he wasn’t happy because he was living his life out of greed. It was only when he stripped himself of his wealth and became the ferryman’s apprentice when he achieved true happiness. Obviously, we dream of being rich because we can afford whatever we desire. What we don’t realize is that money can buy everything but happiness. You could be rich but not have a family, just a huge house with multiple bedrooms for yourself. On the other hand, you could be making just enough money to survive, but with a loving family that brings you happiness. Money can only give you short-term enjoyment. When you’re older, materialistic items most likely will not provide you the same happiness, compared to family, relationships, and friendships.

My artistic representation is an image of my dog that I edited. As you can see, my dog has all the riches in the world… but he’s still dreaming of one thing: a loving family! That’s the one thing he can’t buy. He could buy all the toys and treats in the world, but not a family.