“Fuel prices have reached a new high”. “Inflation is on the rise”. Pick up any newspaper from the past decade or more and you are bound to hit these headlines more often than not. We reached a point where we have started accepting it as a fact. Do we, as a group of “evolved” organisms, actually know what we really want from money/currency? Yes, we all know how it works…you need something you don’t have, you barter …and then you bring in this point system-like thing where you exchange tokens instead of items..and centuries of social evolution down the line, we have currency( and a whole world that is enslaved by it)!!!
We all hear the discussions by some or the other renowned economist, on popular forums and TV shows, talking about the future of money, finance, India/America/China, global market, etc. But the future implied here is in terms of next 5 years, or next decade or so. What about some crazy but eventual scenarios? Like what happens when the fuel resources in the world are completely depleted? Don’t tell me the powerful governments of the world wouldn’t have plans for reserving some for them before it all runs out? Don’t tell me that it wouldn’t then become a special indulgence for just the rich and powerful only? Don’t tell me there won’t be fuel mafia and overlords?
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| Treasure found in the Padmanabh temple, Kerala once again proving that He is richer than any human |
Let’s say by the time the conventional fuels resources run out, the smartest brains of the planet come up with some new resource that will meet all our power and fuel needs. Now picture another scenario: What will happen when inflation reaches its yielding point? Inflation only exists till there are some people who can still afford it. The day things go out of everyone’s reach; it’ll be complete breakdown and hopefully start over anew. Every year the rich get richer. The net worth of the richest men of the world is always an increasing function. Now, tell me, do you agree with me when I say that the total amount of money in the world, (money as in buying power/wealth and not currency) in the world remains constant? It’s a simple theory: For someone to get richer, someone else has to get poorer. That’s my plain and simple understanding. If I am getting richer, my company is paying me. My company gets richer by selling software to banks. Banks get richer by charging interest and processing fees on other people. These other people are getting poorer by some x amount that they pay to the bank. How do they get it? They similarly work somewhere, someone else pays them, so on and so forth.... all running in cycles where common rule is that someone has to get poorer for someone to be richer. As simple as that. Yes, different people get richer at different times and the rich may one day become poor and the poor will one day become rich, but the cycle remains the same. It’s like a wave. We all are working hard so that during our lifetimes, we are at least riding the crest of the wave and not the trough. We strive everyday; all our efforts are directed towards earning more, so that during our lifetimes at least, we are affluent. Affluent enough to at least meet our needs. But then our needs broaden and start consisting of “security” too? And then they broaden to start covering “luxuries”. And then our future....our kids’ future….our relatives’ future…Where do we end with this intoxication? Honestly let’s answer the following questions
· If I were given all the wealth in the world, could I possibly eat more than I already do? (given that probably you’d buy the most expensive dishes)
· If I could afford the finest clothes in the world, could I be in more than one dress at a time?
· If I could afford to build a 20 storey building with hundred rooms all for myself, could I be in more than one of those rooms at a time?
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| Shirdi Sai Baba, was a simple fakir. Ironically his shrine in Shirdi today is plated with gold from inside. |
Actually, people have really got used to excess. That is the root to all problems. I firmly believe we would’ve sustained with the resources we have in the world without problem. But, then if you are going to drive your all expensive sports bike that drives 5km per litre of petrol just so that you look “cool”, that is an excess. It is an excess that is going to turn around and bite you someday. If you drive all alone in a car to office although you could carpool and take your colleagues along, that’s an excess. If you order 5 dishes in a restaurant and you end up finishing only 70% of the food served on the table, that’s an excess. Wasting food is an excess that a country like ours cannot afford. I have always believed that the world has enough for our needs. Mother earth is bountiful. But there is no space for waste. Be resourceful. Make best use of what you have. It’s only a matter of attitude. And please, share. Share whatever big/little you can. I really don’t get it with people. You’d rather leave a hefty tip for a waiter in a posh restaurant for a meal that was already overpriced, but you see a beggar in the street, suddenly your pockets become too tight to reach into. Yes, I know, I have heard all of the arguments about why we shouldn’t give money to the poor. Queerly enough, the wealthier the person, the more reasons you get to hear about why one should not give the street beggar money.”They will never improve”, “they make our country look bad”, “they don’t want to work”, “they will use it for drinking and other bad purposes”, “They are bad people. They steal and pick pocketing too”..they blabber on and on similarly. Geez!! All this for a rupee or two?!!! Who is the real beggar?? All said and done, may that beggar improve or not, may he use it for food or gamble it away, may he use it, loose it, the fact of the matter is, its not too much of value to you either. Really how much difference would it make if you were poorer by a rupee? Would your bank balance suddenly drop if we subtracted one/two? The fact is even ten rupees or even more wouldn’t really change much in your life, it’s not going to be your bottom dollar, I’m sure. So share, don’t talk. Don’t profess, don’t advocate. Don’t be a snob. Give a little, not asking for much, just a little, and imagine that you did something good, imagine it really helped that beggar have a meal. I know in reality a lot of other worse things could occur to the beggar or by the beggar. But it’s important for you to only share and imagine that you did well. Rest is not your concern. Keep it simple. Someone asked you if you lend some extra rupees, you gave, end of story. You don’t need to know how it was spent.
Money is for serving us, not ruling all our actions and words in the world. The world is such a wonderful place. It has got so many aspects to it. And you are one truly gifted being. If earning money is your only talent, that is really sad.
