Is money more valued than self-fulfillment?

Why does money take precedence in a better portion of society?

By Liam McDonough Opinion Editor

If given the choice between $100 million or the feeling of reaching your true potential, what would you take? If you are anything like the large majority of the eight billion people on this planet, you would take the money in an instant and walk away. Why is that objectively greedy decision so overwhelmingly accepted, though? Humanity has become so focused around gaining as much wealth as possible that any humanitarian achievement that has seldom to do with money is often overshadowed or ignored. And when that self-driven accomplishment or genuine act of kindness does get the recognition it deserves, it is viewed as remarkable not because it is impossible to do, but because nobody else is willing to do it without the incentive of currency.

One of the main reasons that money takes priority over fulfillment is because of the idea that money can buy happiness. And, in some sense, money can buy happiness. In a recent six-month experiment conducted by the University of British Columbia, 100 participants were given $10,000 to spend in three months, while another 100 were left out of the deal, receiving no money. Over six months, the participants were asked to rate their happiness on a scale, and those who had received the check reported significantly higher ratings. However, there was one exception: those who exceeded a yearly household income of $123,000 did not see an increase in happiness when receiving the check. The results of this minor study prove relatively significant in addressing the stigma that money can actually improve one’s well-being. When it is needed in order to improve a household’s quality of life, money serves a great purpose. In other cases, when it is no longer essential to the aspects of comfort and space, it provides little to no help in boosting one’s attitude.

The problem lies in the fact that most people fail to acknowledge that money has its limits, and they are left to believe that any increase in money will bring endless satisfaction. As a result, when adolescents are about to decide on a career path, they are being fed countless fraudulent pieces of advice by adults who say that money takes precedence over want and desire. This belief has stretched through generations upon generations, and has ultimately corrupted the human race into thinking with greed and selfishness.

If people actually made the choice to follow their passion and pursue the job that they find most interesting, then the better portion of society would become a lot happier. Someone chasing after an opportunity that excites them is extremely powerful as it provides plenty motivation and energy. And when someone actually reaches their dream job, they embrace their situation as they begin to take a more positive and grateful perspective on life. In order for this scenario to play out, though, it requires one thing: realism. People need to