Money Is The Root Of All Evil

But not in the way you think.

We tend to look at money as the seed that sprouts evil into existence. A tool that is used as an excuse to commit horrendous crimes, or something that makes people evil. In fact, money itself is evil. While I do not think that an honest human would ever kill or do something to the extremes only for money, I do think that even good people get desperate, and unfortunately being desperate for something that only money makes possible, is the cause of most evil in our world.

We Mistake Money For Power

It is almost impossible to survive in our world today without some form of income. Whether it be government assistance, a job, or inheritance doesn't matter. That money makes our world spin and existence possible. Food, housing, transportation, and so much more can not only be mandatory to survive; but with the ever-rising cost of living skyrocketing, it can be extremely difficult to get.

Unfortunately, people see this as a sign of weakness and a place for potential gain. Employers, relationships, family, and so many more are generally willing to take advantage of a situation in which money is involved when they normally otherwise wouldn’t. So the sad fact can be, if you are in a tight spot and request help, you are more likely to be taken advantage of or offered less incentive than if you were in a different financial situation.

Even In The Workforce

It has been proven that everyone living in or below the national poverty level does more manual labor and works more hours than those who have a degree or higher-paying position.

Thinking about it logistically, this makes sense for the expectation of what the workforce was supposed to be; high schoolers should be able to work a more physical job from the safety of their parent's home until a college diploma is in hand or they work their way up in the company.

Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. Job and skill training has been left behind by most companies and transferred over to trade schools, meaning that almost any entry-level job you have to start at the bottom, and your only hope to move past that is hard work or extra schooling; something extremely difficult for people with chronic conditions or single parents, for example.

Evil Doesn't Grow On Its Own

That old quote “money doesn’t grow on trees”, is also true for evil. If you took someone that was a very good person and put them out in the cold and told them their family would starve if they didn’t come up with enough money to pay; desperate measures would not be far from their mind.

So how is this any different from our world today? essentially, it isn’t except for the fact that good people provide support. Unfortunately, with the rising cost of living and food, but the low minimum wage, it wouldn't be surprising to see a rise in crime.

The Intent Of Money Is Evil

It has become more than just a trade deal. Where money was once a universal trade item, it has become much more than that. It has become evil, ego, status, judgment, and pain. It is no longer a simple trade for services or skill, but instead a trade for looks or discrimination.

Politics Make It Worse

Like a teenager with a credit card, our government spends money without remorse or thinking of the future. We are already so far in debt that the world might end by the time America gets into the positive, but we keep spending.

Unfortunately, this leads to higher tax costs, budget cuts, and even more tension between our leaders. Putting more strain on an already stretched, too thin society results in higher poverty rates, more crime, and fewer opportunities for advancement.

But Then There Are Individuals

When you look at the evil of money in America, and everywhere (to a point), on a much smaller scale you will easily find evil around every corner. It's not the evil that steals your purse or the evil that robs your car, it's the lies to people that love each other. It's the addiction people have to finance.

The evil is the little girl who goes to bed hungry tonight.

Is There Hope?

In all honesty, I don’t know. Sometimes I think that an EMP big enough to wipe out all existing technology, including bank records, is the only thing that will save us. Hopefully, I am just a pessimist.

I would love to hear your ideas on how we, as a community, can remove the evil from money!

As always, thank you for being a part of my journey.