Are We Born Poor???

Does the word poverty arouse in you the image of a human or a society who fails to meet their basic needs without the acquisition of money? Of course, poverty means the deficiency of money and is natural to think so. But do you think that poverty is not just a lack of money? Yes, it is! We know that money can’t buy everything in this world. So there are more factors whose lack make a man poor.  

Let’s consider Health as a major element in a man's life. When a child is born, his survival is mainly based on his health and not on his wealth. We might have seen millionaires begging for the life of their beloved one’s when their health deteriorates. Old people struggle to stay healthy and fit through various means. So it is evident that Health is always a Wealth. 

Does it mean if you have the health, you are out of poverty? No, so poverty is not just a lack of health and wealth. We are familiar with the Emperor Muhammad-bin-Tuglaq, who was called the Wise-Fool. He had enough money and much health, but lacked Wisdom. We label those people who behave stupidly and idiotically as Tuglaq. We live in a society which demands everyone’s equal participation. If we lack adequate wisdom and the knowledge we will be unable to contribute to our nation’s progress. So the lack of wisdom is an indication of poverty.  

Intelligence, wisdom and knowledge don’t always equal success. It is our Character and personality which helps us to attain greater heights. More than anything else our politeness and down to earth nature impresses everyone. Everything lies in our behavior and how we consider our fellow beings. So who lacks these abilities, not more or less than a poor man.  

We all have heard the story of the bird which was kept in a golden cage, right? Even though it had a luxurious life, it was denied the Freedom to conquer the vast blue sky. More than the elegance, our independence is more important to us. A person devoid of freedom is just like a body without a soul. A freedom restricted person is always equal to a person who is going through poverty.   

Can you imagine what would have happened if God had placed each human being in an isolated habitat? Can’t imagine, right? Yes, the great Lord knows that we can’t withstand loneliness, that’s why he had created Eve for Adam. So whatever we achieve, if we don’t have anyone to share our feelings and emotions, it will be a living hell. Introverts boast that they are comfortable when they are alone. But if they never meet a human for at least a week, I swear, they will be not be able to withstand suffocation. Our mind always wants to be cared for and loved by someone. So a person is poor if he is bound by Loneliness. 

Happiness is what we all want to long for throughout our life. It can’t be bought from a mall or a market, it is to be developed within ourselves. Everyone enjoys life in their own ways. As we all are different, our likes and happiness also depend on us. We can easily find happiness in front of us, but as life is a journey and sometimes we may lose our paths. When we miss our direction we go away from happiness and reaches the shores of poverty.  

Thus it is clear that why the Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen quoted that ‘Poverty is not just a lack of money; it is not having the capability to realize one’s full potential as a human being'. We are gifted with numerous innate abilities, it is our responsibility to unearth it and enjoy our life to the fullest.