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I was practicing this morning when I started pondering about life and money. The question I’m posing is: Does a view of money as the root of everything imply pessimism? That was my understanding at first, because I thought that committing oneself solely for the purpose of gaining wealth, consciously or unconsciously, was materialistic, and that riches doesn’t necessarily lead to happiness (unless you’re a hedonist). That was until I figured that almost everything I do sooner or later leads to monetary gains, mainly for myself or my parents. For example, I work hard on music so that I can hopefully do well in my lessons (to make lavish music fees worthwhile), procure scholarships (to save money), and eventually land a job in the recession-battered field of music (and provide money for elderly parents). Like my parents, I’m constantly thinking of ways to save money, to earn money, and to invest in projects that will hopefully bring about- you guessed it- MOARE MONIES. (However, there is a combination, one that plagues timeless literature and tragedies, which I’ll hopefully never tamper with- love and money. E.g., my vln teacher encouraged me to find a “rich husband,” as he thinks that women should not be the main provider of income in a household. Although that can be seen as sexist and somewhat demeaning to me musically, from a purely logical standpoint it is reasonable, and that is where I clash and disagree with others the most. I tend to appeal to pathos and ethos. I know that many women out there wed for material gain, and that can be seen as reasonable because if one lacks money-making skills, why not marry someone who has money, and thus live a more comfortable life? But that’s something I cannot associate with at all, simply because I like to think with my heart rather than my mind. This tendency has shaped many of my views, from abortion to religion, as well as part of who I am.)

Digression aside, my point is that if you think about it a certain way, the root of anything significant in the world could be exploited by material gain! I used to have this very idealistic mindset that the meaning of life was love and peace (again, neglecting logos), and as long as you have pure goodwill in your heart and exploit that for the good of others, you will live and die happy. I’m not saying that viewpoint is now void, but it is immature to think that’s the single solution to living. After all, the source of things we take for granted like food, shelter, and health care is provided by money, which can lead to saying that money brings about contentedness, if not happiness (with the exception of vagrants who are satisfied with their lifestyle). However, limiting your life purpose to that can also turn out terribly wrong, but I think that it takes a level of maturity to be frank about money and realize that without blowing it out of proportion. (Balance is key!) I suppose there is no definitive answer to my question, as it depends on how each individual views life.