Common Topics - Common Talk Weekly

Money talks

Money has existed for thousands of years. Since its first appearance, money has become indispensable to our life and a popular topic of discussion. People usually have split views on money, as we see it as a source of both happiness and sadness. In a world where money talks, we bring up this old topic again and invite three guests to share their views with us.

金钱似乎是个很俗气的字眼,但却又是个很现实的话题。其实,几乎所有的人都不是非常了解钱的力量,然而我们经常不好意思谈论钱。金钱并非万能,没有钱又万万不能。有时它甚至能将大人物,小人物乃至所有人类都玩弄于股掌之间!这一切都取决于我们如何看待金钱。

Gains from this money-driven time

Aggie Zhou, an English major in Xiamen University. She truly believes that the fulfillment of material needs and a clear insight into herself form the core of her happy life.

I used to think I was not a girl who would think of trading my priceless treasures such as time, personal goals, and hobbies for money. I thought living with sufficient money could make life much easier, but it could never bring in the true joy and satisfaction that life holds. However, I once betrayed myself.

During one semester, my friends recommended several part-time jobs to me. I took them all on at the same time in order to earn more money to pay for books, CDs, and many other luxuries. I also had a great deal of classes and took part in various extracurricular activities. The notion that I could get plenty of money blinded me. Even though I knew my priority as a college student was to make the best out of my time and learn as much as possible, I couldn't stick to it. Though I bought a number of good books and terrific CDs, I didn't have time to appreciate them. And those luxurious entertainment items were transient and made me emptier. I'd become a prisoner of myself and lived quite a stressful life. I lost freedom; I lost chances to communicate both with my inner self and my family as well as friends. I lost sight of aims, and I even lost myself.

What did I earn for my sacrifice?

Money, material enjoyment, a growing appetite for more money.

Anything else?

Yes. Anxiety about life and the future, a bad temper, an unstable state of mind, a contradictory personality and bitter regrets. Let's just say that I paid an even higher price to relearn the lesson I had already known: money is only a means in life, which can never determine whether or not I have a happy life.

Now I have quit all the higher paid jobs and have returned to a simpler, happier life. I am satisfied with all the things I have, for I truly believe that the gratification of material needs and a clear insight into myself form the core of my happy life.

Money, good or evil

By Samuel,a Xiamenese who has lived on this island for twenty-two years.

At first glance, I thought it was a question with no easy answer, as money brings us both joy and trouble. It seemed to be as tough as the famous "to be or not to be" dilemma posed by Shakespeare. But when I took out a one-hundred note from my wallet and looked at it, I laughed and immediately knew the answer. There it was, I saw Chairman Mao's smiling face on the note.

If money is evil, it is ridiculous for us to put Chairman Mao's face on it. And if you look globally, you will see faces of Abraham Lincoln, Queen Elizabeth, The King of Thailand and many other respected people on different currencies. We surely don't want to see the faces of the people we admire appear on something we call evil.

From a scientific point of view, money is not evil either. It is good. It was first invented as a medium for exchanging products. Barter quickly diminished and the exchange of things came to an unprecedented level of convenience. In other words, money is just a tool that makes things much easier for us. We should thank money for that because without it we might have to drag fat sheep to shopping centers in exchange for Nike sports-shoes.

So what is evil then? Human desire. We wish to have a lot of money because we want to trade it for things that can satisfy our swelling desire. If money one day ceases to function as a medium for exchange, it will no longer be needed and people will cease to discuss whether it is good or evil. However, evilness will continue to exist if we fail to learn how to curb our desire. The only difference is who will be our next victim that we label as evil.

It is interesting that humans invented so many lifeless things and then tried to figure out whether they were good or evil. Money is just one of them. Cars, televisions, the Internet, nuclear power are all included on the list. But no one really knows whether human beings themselves are good or evil.

Anyway, if you still consider money as evil, please do not hesitate to send your wallets to me. I would love to be the King of evil in this sense.

Money is everything?

Peng Jingting, a Xiamen native who works for a shipping company, enjoys reading and traveling. He is very fond of learning English and often attends various English salons in Xiamen, including Common Talk English Salon.

Is money evil? The answer is yes according to William Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens". According to the famous tragedy, money is the source of evil. Today many people still believe it's true.

Indeed, they have many reasons to think so. Money is always related to greed, violence and degeneration. People will chase money insanely. The rich bully the poor. Businessmen bribe corrupt government officials in order to earn more money.

Money also corrupts people's spirit and will. People who earn large amounts of money in a short period, such as successful sportsmen, singing stars and lottery winners, often end up going into bankruptcy, because they splurge their money stupidly.

But on the other hand, I can also state many good aspects of money. Money can help us realize our dreams. With it we can live a good life; we can receive a good education or travel a lot. With money or material property, our society becomes more civilized. Rich people found businesses, thus create wealth and provide job opportunities, as well as increase the revenue of the government. Furthermore, many rich people, such as Tan Kah Kee, Rockefeller and Bill Gates, donate or donated a great deal of money to help the poor, run educational projects and sponsor scientific research and cultural projects.

So I think the problem is not money itself. Money can be good; money can also be bad. The root of evil is the false idea in our minds; the wrong way in which we pursue and use money. What is important is to take an appropriate attitude towards money. As the saying goes in Chinese: money is not everything, but without money we can do nothing. We should strike a balance between our material and spiritual life.

Fools laugh last
(for those who enjoy April Fool'day)

On April Fool's Day, celebrated on the first of April, many people practice the art of playing practical jokes which can also be called pranks. There are wide ranges of possible pranks which include:

Prank phone calls: Annoying phone calls made with the sole intention of making fun of the person being called.

Frightening for fun: A prank in which one person hides behind a closed door, then when someone opens it, the hiding person screams and jumps out to frighten him or her.

Soaking wet: You fill a small bucket with water and open a door ever so slightly. Then balance the bucket on top of the partially open door so when the door is opened the water will spill all over the person below.