Money Money Money

I and my friends had a debate a few days back, on the topic “Is money the only objective of working?” We had quite a passionate discussion on this topic, with some saying its the only reason to work, whereas some saying achievements and satisfaction matter as much as remuneration. After coming back home, i started thinking about our discussion, and how much of what we spoke we shall be able to follow in our own lives.

Money definitely is a big big reason to work. We may talk of achievements and satisfaction, but first and foremost, the basic needs of a human being need to be fulfilled, without which talking of happiness is a farce. When one is on an empty stomach, it doesnt matter how one earns money, what matters to most is how much you earn. There are notable exceptions, like athletes and musicians who toiled away on their professions for years without caring two hoots for money. But for lesser mortals money definitely is the primary motivating factor in life. Now assuming that a person’s basic needs are all fulfilled, and he has more to spare. Will money have the same meaning for him? An essay by Bertrand Russell-”Machines and Emotions” delves into exactly this situation. He says that for people whose basic needs are unfulfilled, an increase in money directly translates into increased happiness, no doubt about it. But for those who are reasonable satisfied and well-off, more money doesn’t necessarily mean they are happier. Then social and psychological factors in the person’s life too come into play.

Coming back to our question, does an increase in salary have the same importance to a reasonably well-off professional, as it would to someone who is not so well-off? Well, there is no single answer to this question that would apply to all people, its their priorities that determine their respective actions. Now if money had the same relevance for all people, then everyone would flock to lucrative careers, in terms of remuneration. No one would invest their time and energy in less paying professions like teaching and research. But that is not so. Intellectual stimulation and satisfaction are criteria that many vouch for in a job, irrespective of how much they are paid. But such people are hard to find these days. And in this age of widespread consumerism, everyone wants to earn loads and loads of money. And this is the reason why thousands of bright engineers flock to the US every year, since research there is both stimulating, challenging and at the same time, highly lucrative. This doesn’t imply that there is no research being carried out in India. Just that the government is finding it increasingly difficult to hire teachers, professors and researchers, who are willing to slug it out for meagre remuneration, when they can earn much more in a job in a company that befits their educational background.

All said and done, if there is no money involved in a job, nobody would work for it. Its only when there is sufficient money to keep the employee in his comfort zone that questions about satisfaction and stimulation come up. No matter how satisfying a job is, there is no happiness involved if a person’s basic needs aren’t satisfied.

To conclude, money is definitely a big motivating factor in a job, but it is not the only reason to work. And there are very few amongst us who would chuck a satisfying job in search of more money.

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