Money is arguably the most important thing when it comes to humans and their everyday lives. Without money, you wouldn’t have access to basic necessities: such as food, water, and shelter. There’s also the matter of needing money for living expenses, required appliances, insurance or healthcare, education, etc. Money is being used every moment of the day, and it’s an essential tool. Money, however, might have a more significant impact on a person than you’d expect beyond material possessions. It can heavily influence our mental health and our perspective of life, as well as our relationships with other people and our personalities. 

First of all, money can affect your mental health to a great extent and causes people to act out illegally for the sake of possessing it. It’s why robbers are driven to rob banks or establishments, or why people attempt to print fake money. It’s also why some people go to dangerous lengths to sell everything they can, going as far as selling drugs, organs, weapons, or even themselves. 

Many adults end up extremely stressed or worried about financial affairs and sometimes may resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms to distract themselves, including obsessing over money, drinking, gambling, and more.

Financial stress can also greatly alter the state of your physical health in addition to your mental health. According to a guide on dealing with financial stress, “Money can greatly adversely impact your sleep, self-esteem, and energy levels. It can leave you feeling angry, ashamed, or fearful, fuel tension and arguments with those closest to you, exacerbate pain and mood swings, and even increase your risk of depression and anxiety.”

In addition, your perspective on life and how you go about every day could change for the worse. The people who live their everyday lives attempting to achieve happiness and do what’s right don’t let money control them. Those who live constantly thinking about how to make more money despite having more than they need or spend their time obsessing over self-beneficial business ventures are letting money get in the way of more genuine happiness. Money can’t buy genuine relationships, kindness, or a sense of fulfillment that comes after hard work.

Furthermore, human beings are inherently selfish. They constantly try their best to further their success and power regardless of how it affects other people. This can be seen in people of higher class or wealth and their decisions despite how the one regarding the country could negatively impact the less fortunate. For example, higher-class people generally have more control over the country’s politics. 

According to Paul Krugman, an opinion columnist for The New York Times, “Wealthy donors have access to politicians in a way ordinary Americans don’t and play a disproportionate role in shaping policymaker’s worldview.”

In conclusion, money affects us in many negative ways including large influences on self-worth, mental health, relationships, and so on. But there are many opportunities where we can change the impact it has on us as people. Instead of focusing all our attention on making more money even when some of us have more than we can use or fathom, we should support people in need and give back to the people who deserve money the most, such as local businesses, charities, and educational institutions.

We can use the money to support our local community and families that are barely scraping by, struggling to make enough money to support themselves. We should show that we, as a society, aren’t defined by money and we can use it for the greater good.

Photo courtesy of UNSPLASH.COM