Argumentative Essay.

It happened the day before yesterday in XII Arts B. For the last few days the students have been asking me to revise Argumentative Essays, especially how to go about writing one correctly. Initially I thought of selecting the topic in consultation with the class, in the class itself. But during the planning, I realized that it might take a lot of time. As my intention was to get them to write the introduction and the first body paragraph, I decided to have a couple of topics to be introduced and discussed in the class. I thought of asking them to write their essays using the 3-CON Pattern. I also urged them not to forget the PEEL framework while writing the body paragraphs.

The experience, to tell you honestly, was not a pleasant one. Someone, I think it was Karma Dechen Pelden, who suggested the topic: Happiness is more important than money. Once the class agreed on the topic, I wasted no time in drawing a table on the board with two columns, one for the PRO Ideas and the other for the CON Ideas. But once they were past writing the introduction, some of them got utterly confused about the con or opposing ideas. Anyway, as there was not much time left, I promised to write on the topic. After the class, I went back to the staffroom and put pen to paper for the said purpose. The following is the outcome. I cannot say that I am pleased with my end product but the fact that I did not take more than 35 minutes to finish it gladdened my heart somewhat.

Happiness Vs. Money

We live in an out an out cut-throat, materialistic world. A world where everything has a price tag attached to it and is solely regarded on the basis of its monetary value. It is no surprise therefore, that in the 21^st century people the world over crave for things for their monetary value alone. The more valuable a thing is, be it a car, an apartment or a piece of jewellery, the more in demand it will be. There seems to be very little room in such a rat race for happiness or mental peace. It is sad to see people hankering after money and money alone at the cost of personal happiness. Happiness, as a result, is fast evaporating and eroding from their lives. Naturally, the question arises if money is the be all and end all of human existence in this world? If money has the last say in determining success, achievement and prosperity in all walks of life?  If so, can money be a good substitute for happiness? Can the mere possession of money guarantee a contented life? Truth to tell that though money can undoubtedly do wonders in today’s world, money can never be even remotely an adequate substitute for happiness.

They say that the 21^st century world is unimaginably controlled by money. The more money one has, the more powerful one is. People like Bill Gates, Rupert Murdock, the Australian media tycoon, etc, have become household names these days due mainly to their affluence and financial status. But the other side of the pasture may not be always as enticing as it is normally believed. In an article entitle: The Richest 100 Billionaires of the World, published in the Forbes magazine some years back, Bill Gates is quoted as saying that despite his success and riches, he was not really happy. Is it not surprising then that the world’s richest man craves for the kind of happiness that can be found in the simple demeanor of a daily wage labourer with an income of less than a dollar a day? The fact is, money has very little or nothing to do at all with mental peace or happiness as happiness gives meaning to life and makes life worthwhile.

The opponents of the proposition may claim, and to some extent quite rightly so, that money has taken the place of God in today’s world. One does not need to go to the temple, the mosque or the church any more if one is blessed with pots of money. All the cravings, desires, hopes and dreams can be easily gratified if one has money. All one has to do is to spend some money judiciously in a smart way and within no time, one will be in the limelight with literally a hundred to cater to his whims and wishes . For example, someone wants to be seen hobnobbing with the most celebrated of the hollywood or bollywood stars. All he has to do is to spend some money and his photographs taken at some exotic locales of the world with those rock stars would be adorning the cover pages of some glossy newspapers, magazines or some other channels of the social media within no time! But then money is after all a piece of paper and therefore ephemeral. The value of money is proportional to the economy of a country. What happened in Germany during the Second World War is known to many. Even stacks of the German currency were not enough to buy a loaf of bread. What will stay behind is a contented, happy life lived well. If the rich and wealthy could have it all with the help of their wealth or money, people would not remember great religious leaders like Jesus Christ, the Buddha and so on. These leaders were not rich by any stretch of imagination but they were a happy, contented lot having immensely contributed to the wellbeing and betterment of mankind. Happiness, after all, comes from within and from the realization of having bettered the world in one way or the other.

There are also critics who point out that happiness is an abstract idea and therefore, never comparable to something as concrete and real as money. They opine that happiness is a mental state of being and only the possession of wealth and money can be a true indicator of one’s earthly success, satisfaction and prosperity. Happiness, in their opinion, is entirely proportional to one’s financial status or position. They may have their say on the subject of happiness but what about the simple scenes and sights of nature that fill one with an untold amount of contentment and happiness? Like a child breaking into a run gleefully at the sight of the emerging rainbow across the sky after a light shower? Isn’t the happiness palpable for everyone to see for all intents and purposes? The fact is happiness is as much a reality as money and other materialistic pleasures and as such, measurable as well. The amount of happiness one derives in life is dependent to a large extent on the amount of one’s karma or good deeds. A person, who has selflessly contributed to ensuring happiness for others, is most likely to be the happiest. He is likely to be more happy and contented than the person who has spent the best part of his life, amassing wealth, criticising, deceiving and harming others with the sole intent of gratifying his own interests and gains.

All said and done, it is no exaggeration to state that despite the great utility of money in today’s world, there can be no denying the greater craving for the possession of happiness. What really makes life more cherishable and meaningful is Happiness alone and all the wealth of the world can at best, be a poor substitute for Happiness.