From religion to moral values, everything now revolves around wealth. A person without money finds that their wisdom, philosophy, and moral values amount to nothing but a losing bargain. This vile struggle has plunged countless people into depression. The greatest oppression of our time is not poverty; it is the reduction of human beings to commodities. A person has no price; they have an identity.
Syed Mustafa Ahmad
In today’s world, life has become synonymous with materialism and money. From religion to moral values, everything now revolves around wealth. A person devoid of intellect and appearance, if blessed with mounds of money, finds the world at their feet. Conversely, a person without money finds that their wisdom, moral values, and philosophy amount to nothing but a losing bargain. This vile struggle has plunged countless people into a state of depression. Humans fail to grasp that materialism has so thoroughly overtaken our minds and lives that the sole purpose of living has become the accumulation of material possessions.
It is a bitter truth that human beings are now being assigned a price tag. This is the greatest oppression of our time—the worst form of slavery. The reality, however, is that a person has no price; they have an identity. An identity that distinguishes them from others. But today, even identity is determined by piles of wealth. Our thinking has been narrowed to such an extent that it accommodates nothing beyond “mine” and “for me.” There is a frantic race everywhere, yet no one knows where this race ends or what the prize is. A person thinks, “If others are running, how can I fall behind?” In this relentless pursuit, they eventually tire, sink beneath thick layers of depression, and leave this world in humiliation.
Moreover, happiness is now measured by the eyes of others. This mindset is the very opposite of human excellence. Whatever people approve of is considered good—an unalterable decree. People themselves have become the standard. Intelligence has been redefined as the number of zeros one can add to their bank account, even if their inner existence remains devoid of light. It does not matter if the inner world is hollow; what matters is whether one can command respect and walk with the same pomp as others. The yardstick of progress has also changed: progress is only that which is visible, regardless of how hollow one is within. Accepting depression while going with the flow is tolerable, but appearing weak and contemptible in the eyes of others has become unacceptable to most.
Humans have fallen so low that every new mobile phone, every new car, every new house, every commodity becomes a new cage—willingly purchased, then confined within. People say times have changed, but in reality, it is humans who have changed, turning time into a measure of wealth. The dreams in one’s eyes are now written in terms of bank balances. In the marketplace of money, today’s human is bought and sold. Without money, even one’s own neighbour and relatives are not truly one’s own. A person without money is presumed to lack exposure, to be unfamiliar with the principles of this new world, and to show no signs of being cultured. Society thus fragments, individual behaviour changes, and then labels are affixed, claiming that people have simply changed.
There was a time when humans lived among humans. They found happiness among those like themselves. Human empathy deeply affected one another’s lives. Seeing each other through human eyes was common. But today, humans have become mere buildings. In the frenzy of constructing structures everywhere, they themselves have become frenzied. Relationships appear as concrete forms; even religion has transformed, disguised as magnificent buildings that seem to converse with the sky. Relationships are measured in business terms: who can give how much, and what benefit can be derived from whom. Wealth has bestowed a freedom that has made humans slaves to everything. The result is a state of depression in which people find themselves lost.
In the race for economic prosperity, health, relationships, and sleep have all been put at stake. Desires have been amplified to such an extent that a lifetime is insufficient to fulfil them, and the failure to do so only deepens depression. The concept of “enough” has vanished. Even after having everything, there is always a craving for something more. This insatiable desire for “more” has fanned the flames of depression everywhere. Chasing endless wants, today’s human has become something else entirely but has failed to become a true human being. They have assumed myriad forms but have not inhabited the essence of humanity, and despite being deserving of mercy, they have become victims of disgrace.
Instead of connecting themselves to soil, humans have tethered themselves to concrete. There is peace in soil; there is depression in concrete. A depression whose end seems impossible. Materialism has kept humans so occupied that no time remains for parents, for children, or even for oneself. And when no time remains, children learn only what is displayed: that money is everything. Then, more people join this queue, and eventually, the entire society becomes enthralled by base instincts, causing the fabric of society to unravel.
This state of depression is of our own making. People have created it themselves, and they alone can cure it. What is needed is a return to oneself, a return to the values that keep humans truly human. Until it is established that money is subordinate—not that humans are subordinate to money—this state of depression will persist all around. Humans must pause in their heedlessness, look within, and ask: what ill wind has blighted my garden? Asking a sage will not help. Just one meeting with oneself will reveal the truth, and this state of depression will vanish on its own.
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