They say "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This statement can also be true for money. Money has power, and that power changes people either for good for bad. But the truth is that money doesn't create character; it reveals it.
I have saw this play out in many instances over the years as an adult and a family man. When some men has little money, they are disciplined. They eat at home, they don't go out unnecessarily, especially to events or hanging out with friends on weekends at restaurants over bottles of beer.
They are not doing it because they don't like enjoyment, but they do so because limited resources force structure. But give that same man money, and see what he will become. Nights at bars quickly replace quiet nights at home. Weekends that used to be a time with kids and family become a charade for owambe (expensive events).
You will see someone who never touched alcohol before is now drinking every week. Weight gain, pot belly, tiredness and lost focus follow in no time. It's not money that destroys him in this case, it's the lack of discipline which was buried previously when he had little of that money exposed.
You can also see this happening in relationships, especially here in Africa. When a man has money in a marriage the home is sweet. The woman is loyal, respectful and kind to the man. But let that man go broke for just a few weeks or months, the story changes. The loyal woman became arrogant, respect died. "You are the best thing that happened to me" became "I regret ever knowing you". This is a reality that most people can attest to.
The truth here is that it was not the lack of money that suddenly destroyed the relationship, it revealed who the partners actually were, their true characters.
Money can separate friends. The moment one person makes it, classism sets in. You will begin to hear statements like "we are not inMoney the same class anymore." They called it upgrading. But this simply revealed that such friendship was never genuine and the guy who made it never valued the other person.
It takes a lot of discipline for people to remain the same when money comes. We all love good things, and money can help us fill up our lives with all good things. But it takes a person with strong and good character to use money to build wiser. But a person who was only discipline because he was broke will use money to chase pleasure, upgrade status for public validation.
So, my conclusion for this contest post is that money doesn't change people, but instead it reveals people.
This my submission for indian united community weekly contest.
The image used is AI generated.