Perhaps it's a sign of the times. Around the world, from Rio to Russia, money seems to be most important in people's lives. This was the consensus answer found by Epoch Times' global reporters who this week asked, "How much emphasis do you think people in your country place on money compared to other parts of their lives?"
Olga Pushkareva, 34, Landscape Architect
Money in Russia is not very important, but everybody wants it ... and yet would never say it.
Zowie Heywood, 26, Fashion Designer
I think our country in particular has a huge emphasis on money, and I think it’s a real shame. I don’t think that the world should revolve so dependently, as far as our happiness goes, on finances. I think that it’s so much more important that our well being is taken care of, and that we are happy within what we are doing with ourselves, as opposed to how much money we are making. If you're in a dead-end job that you don’t like–behind a reception answering phone calls for twenty years and you’ve always hated it—as opposed to someone like me who is earning barely enough to pay the rent, but I’m following my dreams, struggling to do it, but I’ve never been happier in my life. I think that it’s a shame that so many people in this country are so focused on having those material possessions. When you start to earn more money, you don’t save more, you buy more crap. When it gets to a certain stage you're compensating for your happiness because you’re using that money to buy yourself happiness, and I think that’s a real shame.
Dulcimar Ferreira Roriz, 55, Tourist Industry
I think they put the maximum emphasis in my country on money. People live for work and make money in order to feed the family and pay for necessities.
Bruce Rautmann, 43, Wine Wholesaler
Personally I look to buy more local and from independent places … Right now the trend in the USA is to save money and be more frugal.
Monique Rooney-Brown, 15, Student
You can’t really do much without money. Money isn’t the most important thing. No matter how wealthy you are you can’t take it with you like into wherever you are going after you’ve died, like the heaven. But with money comes also a lot of problems in the world, like greed and corruption. It is important to remember the things that you start off with, people who matter to you, family and friends and morals like respect and dignity and integrity.
Slavka Koscova, 35, Florist
Slovakian people lean towards money more than towards other values in their life, like health, etc. I know about cases when someone prefers to go to work with illness, rather than give up part of their earnings. I think, that Slovak people are rather well-known for this characteristic.
Rob Kwakkenbos, Private Stock Trader
I think I am not really representative of the Dutch people. Although I spend my working days dealing with money I think it is not so important compared with other things in my life. I think the average Dutchman puts a lot of emphasis on money. Money and more so, the status they can buy with it. I think the status is what drives the people. But when something happens in the personal sphere, like a health problem, people remember what is really important and the rest is not interesting anymore. When everything goes smoothly, money becomes important and people spend a lot of time on it.
Florance, Italy
Paola Landi, 43, Hospital Social Worker
I think in Italy, people are very interested in money—maybe 70 percent [put money first]. After money, we are very interested too in eating, ... . The emphasis on money I don't think is different from elsewhere in the world. Money I am sure is the top interest. Only if, for example, people don't have water in Africa or don't have something, they wouldn't put a lot of emphasis on money.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Erick Aeek, 25, Lawyer
Brazilians put much emphasis on money. You can see it just by taking a look at the lottery kiosks. They are always full of people. Everybody wants to achieve the prosperity of rich countries, and when one earns a lot of money, he usually travels abroad. Despite this desire for money, we don't place more emphasis on it than on enjoying our lives. We give more importance to leisure.
Stephanie Hutwalkn, Clerical Assistant
The importance of money is relatively high today because everybody worries about the future. Without money it is difficult to live. One has to economize oneself in daily life. Everybody has to calculate exactly, what he or she can afford or not. It is different from the way it was in the past.
Look for the Global Q&A column every week, when Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: "What gives you hope?"
