【英文 Essay】"Money is the root of all evil"

Money, or in its formal statements, the currency is a thing that was conceived long before the age of the technology. Tracing back to the prehistoric era, we humans invented currency as a means of replacing the bartering system. The creation of currency enabled humans to make transactions with dealers without any inconveniences whatsoever. As time passed, the evolution of currency also advanced greatly, inventing new ideas such as the ATM, credit cards, and even online transactions. What was before a method of convenience has now evolved into a basic necessity.

However, due to its importance in our daily lives, we humans have toiled restlessly to earn money. What was before a basic necessity has now risen to be our masters, or in other words, God. We let our lives be controlled by money, and we labor hard to our body's limits for more. Nevertheless, some unscrupulous miscreants who loathe the idea of work tend to use some devious methods for the sake of earning quick bucks, sometimes at the expense of others. Some are willing to turn their backs on good just for the sake of money. Such events have inspired the well-known quote: money is the root of all evil.

"Money is the root of all evil" is truly a realistic quote if we examine from a religious point of view. In Christianity, evil is formed by the seven cardinal sins, namely pride, envy, lust, gluttony, wrath, sloth, and greed. The sins are also connected with the Ouroboros, meaning the serpent who devours itself. Coincidentally, money 'inspires' all seven sins in mortals, which causes mortals to pit themselves against each other, about devouring itself. Therefore, I conclude that money causes humans to commit unredeemable sins. The question is, how?

First and foremost, money is the catalyst for greed or avarice inside the human soul. In the basics of economy, 'want' is an infinite hole that cannot be filled. When we have one wish fulfilled, another kind of 'want' appears, by the myth of the Hydra. Therefore, when one gets his hand on a sizeable amount of money, it is undeniable that he will not feel contented and will strive to obtain more. The more we get, the more we want, thus continuing the endless cycle of greed. As the list for getting money gets shorter and shorter, some individuals turn to the dark side. Some are even capable of betraying their companions for the sake of satisfying their own greed. As the never-ending cycle continues on, greed will eventually destroy the nation, the globe, and inevitably humanity itself.

Money is also the reason why we humans have become ever so prideful. In our current policy, money is equivalent to power and status. Without money, one is condemned to be lowly status, or crudely, from the gutter. However, humans tend to get drunk on their own power and money and start to consider themselves as elite or superior. This hubris often goads them to oppress those of the lower class in a flaunt display of their status. As the situation worsens, riots and strikes occur daily all around the globe due to oppressive employers, causing numerous causalities and death.

Money also inspires the sins, sloth, lust, and gluttony in the human psyche. As humans have an increasing rise in income, they tend to indulge in hedonistic cultures such as frequenting pubs, drinking, prostitution, etc. Rich individuals also abstain from plain and common 'swill' and stuff their mouths with caviar, abalone or lobsters. With this indulgent lifestyle, it's not a wonder why most rich people tend to get obese rather easily. As humans earn more, they start to work less, leaving their subordinates to shoulder the role of a coolie while they sit back and relax. As time passes by, they start to waste away.

As for the last two sins, envy and wrath, they are like twins and both complete each other due to the presence of money. As stated before, money is tantamount to the status and power of an individual. This causes those from the lower class to look high up, green with envy. As their jealousy accumulates, they start to be resentful at the unfairness of it all. This resentment is eventually manifested in domestic violence or cruelty to others, rebellions, riots, or even homicides, which always result in the same thing - death. It is all for the sake of money.

Money, which was once a tool of convenience has now risen to be God. The throne it sits upon is built from ashes, bones, and blood-borne from countless corpses. This dystopia will continue unless humanity realizes the sins they committed for the sake of money.

Written by Loh Jia Quan

Adapted on 18/03/2020