By KATE SANTILLAN, Contributing Writer
January 22, 2018
According to Merriam Webster, the word “poverty” means “the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions”. The word “perception” means “awareness of the elements of environment through physical sensation”. Many people believe that to be rich is to have an excess amount of money and materialistic things. Those with the hottest new shoes or the biggest house on the hillside are thought to be happy because they’re living lavishly and could essentially have anything they want. Keyword; “thought”.
Models, singers, actors, and other influential figures are some of the saddest and richest people on earth. In songs like “idontwannabeyouanymore” by Billie Eilish, artists talk about how celebrities basically sign their life away when they sign contracts to a company that puts them through literal labor. Eilish says “If teardrops could be bottled, there’d be swimming pools filled by models. Told a tight dress is what makes you a whore”. In movies like A Star Is Born (all four versions), it expresses the depressing truth on what it is like to have your life publicized. Yet these people have it all. They have fans to support them, fancy clothing, big houses, and even more. So what could possibly be making them sad? Well, the memory of once living a normal life (if they were not born into the fame of course), going to a public school and going to the mall with no problems haunts them.
Millions and/or billions of people on earth are living in poverty or close to living in poverty. They may have either made bad decisions in life, went down the wrong path, became friends with the wrong people, maybe even missed opportunities they were given or were just victims of unfortunate circumstances. The point is a lot of them can agree that they have done regretful things to get them to where they are today. However, some of them find a way to accept the life they live and still be happy with it. They don’t have fans, they don’t have fancy clothing, but they have their hearts and their minds. Bob Marley is a prime example of not having a poverty state of mind. In an interview posted by Marvin Mulenga on Youtube, Marley was asked, “are you a rich man?”, he answered with “when you mean rich, you mean..[reporter restates “you have a lot of possessions?”] ...money in the bank position, making rich, I know I don't have that type of richness. My richness is life forever”. He is one of the very few people who believe that money doesn’t make you rich, life and happiness do. Poverty is a state of mind.
Overall being poor or living in poverty does not necessarily mean to not have the money or materialistic things. It is a perspective each person has on it. Yes, you may not have enough money for specific things or be behind on rent but as long as you have happiness, you are rich.
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