On the Wrong Things in Society

Nowadays it is often alleged that money rules the world and that people would do anything to make as much money as possible. It is common knowledge that money gives power, certain privileges and confidence; yet, it imposes obligations and carries responsibilities which are often misunderstood and mishandled. For example, it is popularly believed that in societies with high living standards people with too much money start spending it on the wrong things, such as drugs, gambling, prostitution and other morally unacceptable hobbies.

I would suggest that few people can be called genuinely rich nowadays bearing in mind the fact that half of the population on the earth is constantly suffering from poverty and malnourishment. I am totally in favour of the fact that money can completely ruin one's life and make people lose their natural senses of decency and justice. To support my argument I would say that there are many celebrities who have started taking drugs and drinking alcohol simply because they cannot face the high public pressure they are put under. Although they can afford to spend large sums of money on expensive cars, houses and jewellery, they carry the emotional burden of being fabulously rich and famous. In addition, all those factors are linked to rising crime rates. Drug and weapon traffic is often subsidized by influential people whose only crave is to make as great fortunes as possible.

However, not all powerful and rich people can be accused of spending money on the wrong things. It is a fact that many celebrities take part in charity campaigns and promote safe sex, enforce bans on smoking and smuggling and do their best to quell acts of violence. Many highly influential people donate money to charity organizations to support the victims of violence, poverty, famine and discrimination. Their job is really admirable as they manage to save millions of lives every single year.

To sum up, I would like to say that quite a lot of money is spent on the wrong things in society. Some politicians, for example, buy the votes of their electorate which is not only punishable and surreptitious, but also pathetic and illegal. In my opinion, the only solution to this problem is to decrease the importance of money and its social meaning and impact on people. Thus, on the one hand, people would reconsider their attitude towards money and would concentrate on the important things in life, on the other. But, as I am totally aware how difficult it is to change and shape public opinions, I must admit that nothing would change for the better.