Does money really change people or just reveal who they already are?

Pixabay

"Does money really change people or just reveal who they already are?"

This is a deep question because I have seen both sides play out, and sometimes it's difficult to really point out the cause of the sudden behaviour of someone who suddenly becomes rich. But from what I have observed very well, I can conclude that money changes people, and not the other way round of bringing out the true nature of the person.

There was a man who used to be a staff member in my organisation, a man in his 50s (I'm not sure if he's up to 50 but he looks like it) and has two children—a boy in SS3, while the other one is a girl in primary school. This man, during his time working with us, was very calm and very committed to his work. He was very mature but stooped low to relate with every one of us as if we were age mates. We had never seen him quarrel or take offense unnecessarily.

A week came, and we started noticing some changes in the way he did things, especially in how he started coming to work very late and being sluggish with the work he did. Not long after, we heard that his son in SS3, who is into the now common internet fraud, hit a jackpot and got a huge amount of money. After giving everyone attitude for one week, he quit the job and went on to establish his own business (a provision supermarket).

Let’s skip the fraud and his son, let's talk about the money and how it changed him. Was that a revelation of his true character? I would say no! The money changed him; it made his eyes begin to see the environment he was in as no longer suitable for him, and he had to finally stop and go do something else with his life. That’s the force of money, when it comes in a huge form, it’s hard to maintain one’s personality except for those who have really been trained at home on how to be disciplined. The idea of quitting the job and going into his own business is very good, but the manner in which he acted before leaving us was so bad of him and gave him a name.

Thanks!