Band 6.5 essay sample | A person’s worth and material possessions

The following is an essay submitted by one of our readers.

“A person´s worth nowadays seem to be judged according to social status and material possessions. Old fashioned values such as honor, kindness, and trust no longer seem important. To what extent do you agree or disagree”?

Band 6.5 essay sample

It is believed that social status and the amount of material goods that a person owns are crucial elements determining his value, whereas the importance of morals such as honor, kindness and trust has faded away. This essay completely agrees with this statement and it will elaborate on the reasons below.

Firstly, people belonging to high social status and having a significant number of material possessions are regarded as powerful and admirable by the vast majority of people. This is because, in the present time, being wealthy is directly associated with happiness and success, which are considered universal goals by the general population. For instance, passengers who fly in business class are exceptionally and exclusively treated by the crew, compared to those who fly in economy class, which perfectly illustrates how people are viewed in relation to their wealth.

Secondly, moral values are not currently appreciated as much as they were in the past, because they are not considered essential features of success. Nowadays, following convictions such as honor, kindness and trust is not proven to provide any benefit but personal satisfaction, which is less important to most individuals. For example, all the opportunities that I have today are because of my income and not my character.

In conclusion, social status and owning material goods have a greater impact on how a person´s worth is judged than being loyal, kind and trustworthy. I totally agree with this view because in the current society, success and power are associated with being wealthy; however, having moral values do not seem to provide real benefits other than personal satisfaction