Dear Editor,
I refer to The Independent Singapore’s forum: ‘Does Money Buy Happiness?’ — Dr Siok Tambyah will be speaking on how to master the art of happiness” (May 29).
As we all know, anyone who wants to survive in this cruel, realistic society cannot live without money, and without money, many things cannot be done. But if you have a lot of money, you can certainly do many things.
So what does a lot of money mean? Its definition varies from person to person.
Some people think that as long as they can earn and save one million dollars, they already have a lot of money, which is enough for retirement.
However, some people always feel dissatisfied even if they earn or own tens of millions of dollars. Therefore, the issue of quantity is very subjective or argumentable in terms of money.
There’s a Chinese saying, “A gentleman loves money, and he gets it the right way.” This means a gentleman only wants the property he can acquire legally and does not want ill-gotten wealth.
We should always be mindful of the above useful advice.
As long as each one puts in his/her efforts and time to make an income (regardless of its amount), whether it comes from employment, self-employment, or any business engagement/entity, one should feel satisfied and have peace of mind.
One should always keep in mind that while engaging in illegal and high-risk activities may make easy money, one also risks the loss of freedom or even one’s life once one is caught/arrested.
Moreover, one should always remember that each individual is born exclusively (or individually) with different family backgrounds, abilities, talents, and skills.
Hence, we just need to make use of our academic qualifications, knowledge, inherent intelligence, and ability to earn a decent living. Despite all this, we should not envy, admire, or compare ourselves with others as each individual is unique and special.
Teo Kueh Liang (Mr)
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Independent Singapore
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