The Want of Money

In the very first line of his essay, "On the Want of Money," William Hazlitt makes the bold statement that "Literally and truly, one cannot get on well in the world without money." As soon as I read this line I was taken aback.  It was hard for me to focus on the rest of the essay because I couldn't help but let my mind wander thinking about that very first line.

What impacted me most about this statement was how it summarized everything that life could possibly ever be about: the need for money.  Although it's kind of a sad realization, the truth is that no one could possibly ever be happy without money.  Even if someone were to say that they don't need a fancy house or a nice car to be happy, they still need at least some money in order to just stay alive. Someone who showers the with themselves with material things most likely does it because they feel empty inside but, on the other side of the coin, being starving, broke, and homeless is an even worse way to live out your life.

When I think I about the future, I constantly worry about how I'm going to balance going to a good college, starting a family, and having a career I actually care about while still making enough money to survive. I would love more than anything to become a professional musician and tour around the world but I know that even if that dream did somehow come true I wouldn't have the time to start a family and I probably wouldn't even make that much money.  The harsh reality of becoming a musician is that I will probably never make enough money to be happy if do nothing else but that. The only way to make a sufficient amount of money is to compromise in some way, most likely by getting a job I don't really like just stay afloat and support my family. In reality, money doesn't create happiness, but rather the need for money limits it.