Monday, September 21, 2009

Money money money!!

There's somethin' wrong with the world today
I don't know what it is
Something's wrong with our eyes
We're seeing things in a different way
And God knows it ain't His
It sure ain't no surprise
We're livin' on the edge
We're livin' on the edge
We're livin' on the edge
We're livin' on the edge

Steve Taylor’s classic is running through my mind. Don’t know what the great Aerosmith’s vocalist had in his mind when he penned down the above rhythmic but since I gained conscience about this crazy little world, I have been thoroughly impressed by the aptness of the same.

Nowadays, the only thing left that is most sacred to human beings is ‘Money’. It’s above everything now. And I don’t want to question its potency. I guess everyone reading is well aware of that. But what baffles me is that how money has become a reason for ‘confession’ in these days. Yah, I am talking about confessing truth, ‘The moment of Truth (aka Sach ka Samna)’. Contestants come in front of the whole world, they face the cameras, they face the polite host of the show sitting in the front and their families on the left as they try to answer 21 throat cutting, heart breaking and mind boggling questions committing that they are gonna speak up the truth today. Well, now that’s courageous.

But they aren’t born-courageous, are they?? The kind of truths they reveal suggest - negative. All the confessions made are just for one reason – ‘Money’. They come to this show and embarrass themselves and their families in front of the whole world for all the wrong doings in their lives and get a little wealthy. But they won’t agree with my last statement. I don’t know whether it’s their perception or their greed that brings them on that stage. But what I will say is that their perception has been corrupted with ‘The Omnipotent Money’. I mean come on, why at first you want the world audience to be staring at you in disgust when you confess the ugliest truths of your lives? What has the world got to do with you? I wonder is it money or the guilt that drives them to reveal the unspoken and the unspeakable truths of their lives. Surely it’s money. Ask them if they will like to come to this show and bring out their true selves in front of the public if they are not granted any money to do so. Well, they need a reason as to why to risk their lives, right?? Money is the best reason.

The most hypocritical thing about claiming truth in front of the world is the fact that you never really cared what the world thinks or may think of you. If you would have really cared you wouldn't have been on the hot seat at first. People are well aware of the fact that how they will degrade themselves in the eyes of the society and their family if they reveal things that they have done in their past life, for most of them ‘money’ was the reason. So, they think that by accepting the truth (at the exchange of money) will bring their family some kinda pride?? No. So, why do they want to devour their family’s reputation in front of the world? If they really want redemption, why don’t they bring out the confessions in their own house where their family can actually hear them with much more pleasure rather than pain? Somethings are so personal that people can’t really understand them and by revealing them in public will only help society in making a negative impression of you. And guess what, society is smart. Anyways, It won’t buy your faithfulness and sincerity in claiming the truths because you are exchanging them for money. Confession in the form of redemption must be unconditional.

So, that brings us to this question!! People lie for money and now people are speaking the truth for the same? Yah and this is the interpretation I drew from the show ‘Sach ka Samna’. Their souls have been tainted with the greed for money. So, even in the process of redemption they want to earn money through some or the other way. If there were no shows like ‘Sach ka Samna’, so many people wouldn’t have confessed their truths and would have continued living with the lies that they sold to others. Strange it is. They feel alleviated after answering all those questions. And I just wonder that how they again create an illusion of doing something right by committing another grave mistake in their lives – ‘The mistake of selling their family’s reputation for some million rupees’. Their fathers never did the same. Cause for them reputation and self-respect was more important than money. They never took a wrong path even when they were living in penury. They were better humans. Money wasn’t everything for them.

But people have changed now. They view things differently. Respect is a secondary word for the most. Money is first. They come to Mumbai to find a job. And when they fail, they lose their souls there. And who is the rapist? Money.

Why don’t this new generation go home and tell everything to their families if they are overwhelmed with guilt?? Why now people are speaking truth only because someone’s paying them for it!! Why don’t they realize that even this money is not coming free of cost to them!! It takes all the reputation and respect out of them. Do they think their families will ever be proud of whatever amount they earned from ‘Sach ka Samna’??? I think no family will like to answer this.

5 comments:

Sandy said...

It seems the unquestionable power of money is getting you frustrated, dear friend.
The depths to which people will sink to obtain but a morsel of this powerful commodity are astounding indeed.
For some reason though, I don't find anything wrong with it. If certain people choose to cast away their 'respectability' so as to acquire some money, it just shows that they prefer money more. Isn't that their choice to make? Who are we to question their priorities? Isn't this what freedom is all about?
Well, perhaps I am of this opinion because I would probably do the same too. ;)
All the same, a very thought provoking post, do keep writing.
Cheers!

Jen said...

Sandy does have a point with priorities. Money is not one of mine and I too get frustrated at people who chose money over relationships, family and the truth. What really astounds me is that people still haven't figured out that money doesn't buy you happiness...if we ever learn that truth and stop seeing money through greedy eyes, the desire to achieve ungodly amounts of money will evaporate, but until that day, we'll just be doing whatever is easiest for us to get money despite others feelings towards what we are doing. Great post!

Ashish said...

@Sandy: We can't stop people from setting priorities. But for people who have money as their highest priority, i really feel sorry for them. The expression of liberty should come with responsibilities. All I am saying is that even if money was everything then just ask your parents if they would allow you to forfeit your dignity for it (they actually know tht money ain't everything which the youngsters don't understand)?? Thanks for liking the post :).

@Jennee: I am glad that you too liked the post. I cant comment on the poor (poverty is a curse). But when a middle class or a rich man loses his soul for money then tht really pisses me off.

Bharathi said...

nice post. I echoed similar thoughts in my post Money fetish - a character to watch. Hope you would like that. http://clickbharathi.blogspot.com/2009/08/money-fetish-character-to-watch.html

^RoOhAnI^ said...

I felt like the contents of my mind were pulled out and stated into words while reading this post.
Lol, I was recently thinking of the very same subject and was going to write one such post in a couple of days, but I couldn't have put it better than u did. :)

Money may not buy love or happiness, but its power cannot be denied, and this power is what leads people to drastically alter their viewpoints about family and friends and put them second to this power.

It's a sad reality.