What Constitutes the Shady Side of Wealth?

When a majority of the world remains in a constant struggle to achieve the wealthier status, it is important to understand the mind-wealth connection deeply. Is there a limit to being wealthy or do people stop somewhere from further accumulation of money? Let’s start by knowing how money impacts the brain, which is also the reason why most individuals keep playing with their physical and mental health to only focus on working hard to earn.

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Ego satisfaction: Firstly, ego is of several types, from serving oneself in a narcissistic manner to satisfying one’s need to be recognized as powerful. Wealth is one of the best ways that many people use to serve different types of ego. There are those who believe that rich rule this world and money can buy everything for them. Then, there are those who think that they can gain the control over others’ opinions and lives if they can achieve a wealthier status. This is because our society has been programmed in a way to worship the rich and believe that rich individuals are mostly the result of hard work. Using such mind programming, a few higher strata individuals also flaunt their ability to work hard to earn money, which is another type of ego that they are serving unconsciously. Although it is not harmful at the initial stages of wealth accumulation when it is done with the purpose of meeting basic needs of life, this behavior can go to dangerous levels when that ego about the ability to hard work starts reflecting in an individual’s deteriorating bodily, mental or soul health. This is a good reason to keep introspecting in order to keep a check on one’s deep attachment to monetary things and the level of richness one desires to achieve for internal satisfaction and life’s stability and security.

Power: It is true that money offers stability and security to everybody. However, it is also true that it centers the power in the middle of the palm of its owner. The good side of this power is that it delivers the required confidence and control over life to the owner, as they get more to spend towards living comfortably. The shady side, on the other hand, shows up at a stage when the person forgets where to stop or slow the process of accumulating wealth and start enjoying the real life for which they have earned or have been earning. Just a few people recognize this to stay grounded and balanced while hiding under the bundles of notes; the rest realize the importance of living life happily when their final breaths begin snatching their money power. Well, money can surely deliver power in a world of illusions, but it cannot buy healthy emotions, true love, peace, tranquility, or a set of new breaths for anybody!

Status and identity: Reaching the top is a dream for many, but do many understand the identity differences and social distances wealth creates? There are again two sides of the coin. It is great to build oneself up and rise to the peak of success positively. Money then becomes a part of the natural career progression process. Sharing such wealth with the loved ones and other people in need definitely carves a great identity for a high-status individual. The other side is much darker. When somebody rich has no concern with social welfare, the same wealth can make them arrogant through their status and unconcerned about the emotions and problems of the unprivileged. According to many studies, a higher socioeconomic class makes a large bunch of people feel special and worthy of what they have earned. Class privilege then defeats the teachings to the world that there are fair opportunities available to all. It oppresses lower-status individuals and demands them to work harder to gain their fair share of success, even without a concern for their survival conditions. Rich by default become the ignorant judges of poor in such cases, neglecting the differences between the skills and abilities at both ends. Still, this behavior is limited to a portion of wealthy population, and perceptions of higher strata individuals are also changing with times.

Addictions: Another shady side of wealth is its addictive nature. One earns and then earns more and then some more as their lifestyle alters along with this behavior. After the basic and luxury needs are met, one may move towards exploring more ways to spend their earnings. Alcohol, drugs, gaming, gambling, eating – these become causal activities. The individual may thus start moving up from the grounded reality and the roots from which they have risen. However, their brain chemistry may become so exhilarating that in no time, the coin may flip to the other side where anxiety and depression stay in the lack of grounding ability.

How to Avoid the Shady Side of Wealth?

While rising through the ladder of success, it is critical to keep a watch on one’s ego and hunger for power and control. It is also important to see whether you are managing your wealth right and serving the society you want to lead. Spending unnecessarily and unreasonably can waste the precious wealth you may have built through actual hard work. Avoid the waste and use it to heal others who do not have the opportunities available to be like you. Be sensitive to the emotions of those who are not bestowed with a rich destiny in this lifetime. Spend on some luxury but don’t go addictive and overboard. Nobody will ever reward you for owning 100 cars and 10 houses! Nobody can even help you to carry all that stuff to the metaphysical world…!

Can Some Food Pictures Make You Obese?

After a long break, let’s just talk about something engrossing today, which is the kind of ‘food’ we all crave for. I’m not too sure about you, but I crave for interesting foodstuff when I see it well presented on display counters in cafes. However, does it happen because I feel hungry at that moment? As far as I’ve observed my eating behavior, it is not always the case. Sometimes, I crave for certain food items even when I am not hungry. It might have happened to you as well!

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However, did you know that we crave for some junk foods suddenly after looking at their pictures only? It’s true that food pictures can make us feel hungry and eat at odd timings. When we are stimulated by food images, we forget our limits and continue eating even when we really do not need those extra calories. This craving behavior is bound to make someone obese over a period of time. Do you want to know how such pictorial content on food affects our eating behavior and how we can avoid it? If yes, simply read on.

The main reason we get attracted to appealing food images is the presence of certain chemicals in our brain. Yes, it is actually our brain that remains hungry, rather than our stomach. When we see fresh, interestingly presented, and colorful food items in pictures, the brain chemicals like dopamine get released and trigger some types of sensations in our brain. These sensations are mostly pleasurable and are caused due to a combined action of dopamine and a few other chemicals.

The resulting sensations force us to repeat our behavior, and that is why we continue eating junk foods repeatedly, even when we do not feel hungry. However, it is helpful to know that only specific food items cause such pleasurable sensations in our brain. What we crave for and what we do not crave for, depends on the looks of the food item, which we also like in taste. Thus, craving for it offers us satisfaction. In addition, our brain programming from prehistoric times drives us towards certain foods more than others.

I think a combination of all these factors leads to my craving for those items on counter display. Research suggests that we cannot simply resist such cravings. Does that mean I’d get obese one day? No, I take an oath that I won’t keep staring at those yummy food pictures and would actually avoid giving them a glance. However, is that really possible in this advertising world where most of the food advertising uses our taste buds to sell foodstuff?

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Did you know that a lot of advertising research is conducted to understand the kinds of tastes and smells that we all like? Based on such research, pictorial content is developed on appealing foods that trigger our brain to feel pleasurable sensations. This is how we get trapped by appealing food pictures.

Is there a way out? Yes, maintaining a strict fitness regime and keeping our cravings as controlled as possible can help to avoid taking an overdose of food and to move towards obesity. Does that work for you? Share your thoughts.

I think I am going to shift myself to a ‘veggies-only street.’ Think about what you will do! Until I get back with another thought-speak, enjoy your meal!