In his essay, the famous philosopher Russell firmly wrote, “It is the preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else that prevents us from living freely and nobly.” Some may refute that money is a necessity that people must possess to survive; however, for those constantly being lured by fortunes to the extent that the only thing they value in their life is gaining more possessions, they lose a vital part of life: that is, the noble freedom in terms of seeking and following an inner pursuit of life.
 
First, on occasions when people must choose between keeping their possessions and continuing their journey toward their dream life, those who are deeply attached to their possessions will give up chasing their dreams to save their possessions. Chris McCandless in the book Into the Wild demonstrates someone facing that dilemma. In high school, he buys a car: second-hand, old, probably with springs sticking out from the broken leather of the seats or a whining engine. It is, though, still a car. After he graduates from university, McCandless rolls his eyes towards his parents’ offer to get him a new car as a gift for his graduation. He even goes mad when his parents insist. As the relationship between him and his parents, or even the society, deteriorates, McCandless decides to escape from the modern world and immerse himself in nature. He still abandons his car without hesitation, however, as soon as he realizes he cannot venture any deeper into the wild with his car (Krakauer). Chris McCandless is stuck in a dilemma in this example. One side of the predicament McCandless faces in this example is the lure of keeping his car. Provided how brand-new vehicles are in the eclipse of the old car he gets in high school, it is reasonable to conclude that the old car is a possession that McCandless will not and cannot abandon randomly. The other side is the opportunity of trekking deep into the mysterious, secluded place of wonder that McCandless has longed for since a very young age. His pursuit is to get close to nature, not the crowd. It turns out that McCandless chooses the latter between the two sides, even without a second thought. Properties mean nothing to McCandless; that is why he can chase after his dream and value of not being confined to social norms. Thus, if people can discard what they have at one point, they can get other priceless values in return, such as the realization of their dream.
 
In addition to undermining the process of personal value fulfillment, the affection of money can also impact the family around people, costing intangible but vital aspects in life in exchange. In the story “The Monkey’s Paw,” Mr. White receives an ancient Egyptian mummy of a monkey’s paw from Major Morris. As he presents the monkey paw to the Whites, Morris states in brave fear that it can realize any wishes its holder makes. Meanwhile, he seriously warns that the potential consequences may be unimaginably devastating. Mr. White uses the paw to wish for two hundred pounds, still doubting the effectiveness but neglecting all the warnings. The other day, Mr. White heard a knock on the door. He opens the door and sees a client from the company where his son, Herbert White, is working. The client, after minutes of hesitation, reveals to Mr. White that Herbert lost his life in a fatal accident, and offers two hundred pounds to compensate for the loss. Desperate and traumatized, Mrs. White begs for her son to return as she forces her husband to make this wish to the monkey's paw. She ultimately gives up on this thought when she hears a series of loud, urging, ghostly knocks on their front door late at night (Jacobs). Herbert White does not die from the absurd magic powers granted to the monkey’s paw; it is the poison of greed that killed him.  For Mr. White, the monkey’s paw lures him to ask for more; he starts to see the possibility of satisfying his desire that he cannot even imagine before. In reality, when people try to satisfy their greed, they most likely will not be killed by ancient Egyptian magic. What is likely, however, is them being devoured by their greed. People might choose any means that they see has the potential to help them achieve their goals. Thus, either by accident or on purpose, they may hurt their family. If people cannot control their desires, the tragedy of Herbert White may happen to any family.  Hence, when people are driven by the endless temptation for material comforts, they risk their family’s well-being and give up an important pursuit in life.
 
Moreover, if people engage in risky financial activities, they will lose the opportunity to generate value for society. Take gambling as an example. According to The North American Foundation for Gambling Addiction Help, 2.6% of US citizens more or less obsess in gambling (“Gambling Addiction Statistics”). For those people, their average debt is $55,00, and 34% of them suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as reported by the University of Nevada (University of Nevada, 2019). In addition, the UK government reveals that “The highest rates of gambling participation are among people who have higher academic qualifications, people who are employed, and among relatively less deprived groups.” (“Gambling-Related Harms Evidence Review: Summary”, 2023) Gambling is an activity directly related to the exchange of money. At casinos, red and green chips lie. Cash pile. Adrenalin and dopamine rush. People exhaust their strength to calculate the change in height for their money. The unfortunate fact is, however, that there are always losers in the game of gambling. As the gamblers witness their pile of money transferred to the other side, they will put their stake to the next round, dreaming of an “only if” situation that wins them every piece of green paper on the table back. Then the cycle begins. In addition, given that the majority of gamblers come from less deprived groups, they are spending their money and wisdom in a way that cannot generate any new knowledge or skills for society. Those who graduate from the best computer science programs in the world who could be working in a small office in Silicon Valley to start the next Google or Apple are now merely thinking about how to improve their gambling skills so they can put more bucks in their pocket. As a result, if people decide to chase after notes in such risky ways, they will stop orientating their lives toward the path that can benefit society, a noble way to realize personal value.
 
In conclusion, the unstop chase for cash can replace the yearning for other values in life, negatively impacting personal lives, families, and even society. Thus, it is vital to prevent being confined by the monetary value of anything seen in the world and look at the other beauties in life.