Conscience/Money, Power, Fame Sat

Buying a car is an important decision to make life. Some might choose to get the more expensive and extravagant car which would put them in a financial disability but they don’t care because they want to be known and seen as having this car. But some might use ther conscience and know that the better decision is to buy the more normal and less extravagant car in order to make sure their financial disability is stable even though they want that other crazy expensive car. Many people in this world base their decisionson money, fame, and power over conscience. This causes people to make bad decisions which lead to bad situations. But there are many examples that show that there are people that live and had lived in the world that use conscience as their motivator for their decisions. This leads to smart and thought through decisions which lead to very beneficial outcomes. As seen through the examples of “The Iliad”, the historical event of Jacksonian Bank Wars of the late 1830s, and modern day famous people like Bill and Melinda Gates it’s clear that conscience and fame, money, and power are potent motivators for decision making.

The love of money, goes the old adage, is the root of all evil. Money, as well as desire for fame and power, is powerful catalysts that compel people from all walks of life to particular decisions, right of wrong. The love of money and the desire for fame and power are more powerful motivators than conscience itself. This principle, while cynical, is exemplified in both literature and history. The notion that power, money, and fame are more powerful motivators than conscience is illustrated in history, in the Jacksonian Bank Wars of the late 1830s. Andrew Jackson was a hot tempered man who would lash out against those who opposed him. Henry Clay encouraged the recharter of the Second National Bank of the United States. Clay knew that Jackson’s opposition to the charter would lose votes for Jackson. Had Jackson followed his conscience, he would have supported the recharter as a national bank provided national financial stability. However, his desire for power and his distrust of banks and bankers led him to veto the recharter, setting into motion a series of events that led to the Panic of 1837.

The literary example of the epic poem “The Iliad” by the ancient bard Homer is centered around the Achaeans’ attempts to retrieve the beautiful queen of King Menelaus, Helen, from the Trojans. The Trojan War, which recounts the Achaeans’ struggles, becomes much more than a fight over a mortal woman. It becomes a power struggle between two iron empires of the ancient world. Ultimately, each side (the Achaeans and the Trojans) fights not so much as to keep Queen Helen than to prove its superiority over the other side. At the Iliad’s conclusion, the Achaeans infiltrate the Trojan stronghold. Rather than simply retrieve Helen, the Achaeans burn and pillage the city, eliminating a powerful rival. This shows how power was a huge motivator of decision making. Conscience upholds a string of moral values in life. Without conscience, the world would be in havoc as everyone would be easily influenced by hatred and jealousy. Furthermore, in the contemporary world, where fame, money and power are regarded as the desires of life, strong conscience is definitely important to preclude people from these deceptive temptations.

Celebrities are often viewed as the rich and famous, only concerned with personal wellbeing. Some though, use their influence on popular culture in a positive way by following what their heart says to do. For instance, many famous people set up charities and donate time and money towards the wellbeing of others. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is an example of this generosity towards others that are in need. Also, Bill Gates chooses to give his entire fortune to charity instead of his children, so that many people could benefit instead of just his kids and family. As seen with these examples from literature and history, money, fame, and power can sometimes be more powerful motivators than conscience. The desire for “more” is an innate human inclination.

The desire for more for ourselves often clouds our conscience. Whether our actions lead to the worsening of others’ conditions, at the the time we make certain decisions, we are focused on the prospect of gaining money, power, or fame for ourselves. Conscience is also a big motivator over money, power, and fame. The choice between right and wrong can be difficult one to make in difficuly circumstances. However, many people will choose to follow their conscience, to do what is right, no matter what the materialistic incentive might be, which is very beneficial. These to motivators are shown in buying a car in which the person basing their decision on money and fame would choose the more expensive but nicer car, but the person using conscience as a motivator will choose the better chose and go with the less nice car but a more realistic choice for them.