I've had many internal conflicts surrounding money. It is the driving motivation towards innovation and entrepreneurship. It can also contribute to human suffering corruption and trafficking. On the surface, money represents the exchanging of goods in a physical form but if you look deeper, you'll see that it can represent the source of corruption and greed in many circumstances. People can get too consumed in the idea of money and the material world.
Money can represent power and humans can exploit that power to do bad things.
Money can create jealousy, greed, gluttony, it can ruin partnerships, friendships, marriages, and even ruin close family bonds. It can also be used to feed the poor, nurse the sick back to health, get an education, create new inventions, improve life experiences, and everything in between.
We must recognize that money has this power, “money talks" as the saying goes, and make sure we are using our money in an ethical manner where we are not letting our desire to be wealthy cloud our judgment. When money is used productively, it can create a powerfully positive impact. Money can be used to create positive changes in the world if used in the right ways. Money has shown the good and the evil that is inside of all of us. It has caused people to kill, rob, steal, and look the other way during heinous crimes.
There is a lot of power in money. You can reclaim your power by not letting your greed get in the way of your better judgment and moral compass.
In addition, you should try to support companies that are being socially responsible. Be more aware of what this company is feeding you and their overall intentions. If we hold companies accountable for their social responsibility, then more will follow the way. The hope is that eventually, this positive view of money will inspire more companies and individuals to be more socially aware and participate in charitable events. If we spark this change, eventually it will be natural to be altruistic. You can also find where your products and food are coming from and if they are sustainably sourced. The hope is this awareness will force companies to be aware that we are paying attention to the goods that we consume and improve the methods used to cut costs. Capitalism can be more ethical and money can lose its negative stigma, but it won't unless we demand the change that we would like to see. I would suggest doing research on the goods you consume on a daily basis. The companies you buy from may not be as nice as you previously thought. Some examples of unethical sourcing would be animal testing, use of prison labor, or the use of offshoring sweatshops. Another example would be companies that lobby and support cause against your interests.
