The Octopus Grip of Materialism

From the top notch erudite intellectuals in the sanctum sanctorum of learning to the ordinary groundlings in the public spheres, both keen and casual discussions on the importance of money have been dominating the canvas of life with a variegated spectrum of perspectives in which one but very large strata of participants clings to the maxim that money is the oxygen of life. They opine that it is the axis mundi of the world around which all other forces revolve thereby determining the quality and strength of worldly relationships that we humans establish with fellow beings. This matrix of wealth being the centre of existence has terribly devastated the fabric of kindred emotions and finest virtues like love, compassion, here, aptly reminded of a poem Money Madness by DH Lawrence which is a stinging exposition of the modern consumerist world that is based on material wealth and money. People today are so invested in the race to aggregate money that they are willing to sacrifice their morals and even sanity. Modern day Man is really faced with a challenge of moral bankruptcy.

Unfortunately the present day society in which we are residing has become really materialistic in all manners, so have become its ways of judging a man. The yard stick of money with which we measure the worth of an individual has done a great damage to all of us and in fact it has rendered us morally bankrupt. Of course, money is an essential part of our life but it should not be the only criterion to measures someone’s merits. It is certainly the power of love that cements a bond. Mere materialistic considerations in taking life’s vital decisions are the serious blunders a modern man is committing.
When riches turns hands (which it eventually turns as per its inherent nature) only real love sustains and survives the tests of time. Thus, a man with meagre means but sublime and lofty mind can be an ideal choice. Had pelf retained the power to fetch us happiness, King Alexander would have definitely be the happiest man on this earth. But If we dig deep in the history, we will be quite despondent to know that the king was in sooth the most unfortunate man despite accumulating mind-boggling stores of wealth. Throughout his life he remained on his lustful money and power hungry sojourns, marched from pillar to post, conquer a nation over a nation. Hence, It would not be a fallacy to state that he was in fact the most destitute face on this earth because his mind was void of peace and tranquillity. In all of us resides an ambitious Alexander who is always on prowl to usurp more and more but sadly this quest for materialism lands a man in the deep bottomless quagmire of frustration and he is just reduced to hapless victim of his own circumstances. This is a catch 22 situation in which all of us are abysmally trapped and there is no escape out of this snare unless true realisation dawns upon a man. Man has to knock some sense into himself and come to terms with the fact that like the king in the context, we all are preordained to depart from this world bare handed.
It is pertinent to remark that we should believe in parting with whatever we have. The undue accumulation of material goods and chattles merely contributes to our agony. That is why, we must muse over the reality of life which is death and annihilation of this physical body. Realising that inevitable truth, one must abandon the maddening lust for material possessions.