We agree we need money and resources to survive. But, what do you think about the idea of money being the root of all evil?
My personal thoughts: It isn't a sin to be rich if it's genuinely earned, and there are times when money can reflect genuine value creation in business or other spheres. But, it's when we turn our fixations in life from the things that give us a more holistic sense of purpose and focus exclusively on the material that negative results come about. I wager this is the line of thinking most people have when they say or hear "Money is the root of all evil", but what do you guys think?
There is much to unpack here. First, we need to remember that money is just a medium, the middleman of economic value. We can't eat it, wear it, live in it, drive it around, or do anything with it directly. (OK - someone at work makes origami out of dollar bills, but you get the idea.) It's what money gets us that is useful and enjoyable. So, are the things money can get us evil? Some certainly are. We can use money for everything from substances to abuse, to bribing public officials, to ordering a hit on our ex's new boyfriend. Many more things are good, though, like the necessities of life, artwork, entertainment, experiences. Money is then a tool like any other, that can be used for good for for ill.
Perhaps a clearer question is whether wealth or simply material possessions is the root of all evil. I have heard it said that it's the
lack of money (read: resources) that leads to evil. Desperate people will often resort to desperate measures, but that seems closer to self-preservation than true evil, as the intent isn't to harm others but only to save oneself. Some focus on material goods and the money we need to obtain them is thus not only healthy but necessary. Without it, we perish, or live hopelessly barebones existences.
But what happens after all our basic needs and simplest wants are met? Some people want more than that, much more; more than they can use or enjoy in a lifetime. Is this evil or harmful? If it becomes wasteful, I consider that bad, if not exactly evil. I don't like to see things go to waste, especially when someone else might be able to use it. Then there is the question of how the person goes about obtaining this excess. Are they doing it at the expense of others? That would be bad also. You mention the notion of genuinely earning one's money/wealth, and that is certainly better than stealing or swindling to get it. But the opportunity to earn is also a value, and one that is not unrelated to preexisting wealth. People who start off wealthy, or at least in a wealthy family, have easier access to the resources (education, connections) that will lead to a high-paying job and the chance to earn that wealth.
How then if at all is evil connected to money or material wealth? I think greed is a big part of the answer. When people start wanting it for its own sake rather than for how it will enrich their daily lives,
and when they get it at the expense of other people, that may be close to evil. This ties into the notion that resources are finite, and getting things is to some degree a zero sum game. Most societies nowadays ration things based on ability to pay, i.e. how much money the recipient or "customer" has. This can lead to a competitive greediness, in which people want to have more than their neighbors just for the sake of it. It can also lead to resentment on the part of people of limited means, who are unable to obtain many of the same things that the wealthy can obtain readily.
I suppose this may all be leading to the notion that the true evil lies not in money, or wealth, or the desire for it, but in income inequality. I wasn't intending to make a political statement with all of this, and enforcing equal income/wealth would hardly solve the problem, for reasons stated above. Income inequality severe enough to leave many without the basics of life, while others pursue wealth as a self-serving game may not be evil, but it certainly is not good.
