1.0 Introduction:
\tThe word \u201cMoney\u201d has always been a controversial word. Money itself has caused many wars. In the article, \u201c3 of the biggest historical wars fought over trade\u201d Pamela Hyatt states that \u201cThe Opium wars were all about Britain\u2019s access to trade with China”(Hyatt 2016). Hyatt concludes that the influence of money is so powerful that wars are fought over it. By definition, money is \u201csomething generally accepted as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment: such as’ ‘(Money, 2022). The question asked in my later report is should something like that be really considered the root of evil? Emily Crane recently stated in an article that \u201cAn Oklahoma woman and her 1-year-old daughter were shot dead by her husband in a murder-suicide just nine months after she won $2 million in the lottery\u201d(Crane 2021). Was this simply a coincidence, or was it a happy family corrupted by money? Most people when they hear the word \u201cMoney\u201d things like this don\u2019t come to mind. It\u2019s typically Fast sports cars, lavish lifestyles, enormous mansions, and overall great things. \u201cMoney\u201d is considered to be a variety of things, but it really comes down to if you use it for good or bad reasons.
\t1.1 Thesis Statement
\tA study was conducted to find out how 5 individuals feel about the word \u201cMoney\u201d.
2.0 Literature Review
In the article \u201c Top 12 Words That Make Us Cringe\u201d(Ali 2020) Ali states, \u201cThe feeling of cringe we experience when certain words are said or written is down to a psychological curiosity known as word aversion.\u201d (Ali, 2020). In another article \u201c20 Expressions That Make People Cringe\u201d Illuminati states \u201cJust because people use a phrase or term, that doesn’t mean they’re using it correctly, or even pronouncing it correctly. Everyday, people use or overuse idioms, expressions and slang that makes other people\u2019s skin crawl.\u201d(Illuminati 2017). Together these articles describe what cringe is, and provide examples of where it originates. Cringe is not the only emotion that can arise from a Taboo word. Occasionally, \u201cMoney\u201d sometimes isn\u2019t mentioned due to the sole reason it can make people feel awful based on their income. Other times, it\u2019s mentioned to brag or boast about how much money someone makes. There is no single characteristic that can be pinned to the word. Some feel disturbed by it, and others tend to love it. Some people hate or feel malice towards it. To find out if \u201cMoney\u201d is truly the root of all evil, five individuals were interviewed giving their thoughts.
3.0 Methods
\t3.1 Description of Research Tools
To conduct this research phone calls were scheduled with each of the participants. These were the following questions provided to them: \u201cHow does the word \u201cMoney” make you feel, and why does it make you feel like that?\u201d and \u201cDo you think \u201cMoney\u201d is the root of all evil? Why or why not?\u201d
3.2 Description of Participants
All the participants were 18-year-old African American Male Old Dominion University, freshman students.
3.3 Description of Data Collection
The data was collected through separate phone calls with each participant. Each participant was asked: \u201cHow does the word \u201cMoney” make you feel, and why does it make you feel like that?\u201d Each participant was also asked \u201cDo you think \u201cMoney\u201d is the root of all evil? Why or why not?\u201d During the interviews, the participant\u2019s responses were documented in a notepad.
4.0 Results
Participant(s)
Feelings about the word money
Participants 1,3,5
Good
Participant4
Stable
Participant 2
Fantastic
Figure 1. The number of participants and how they feel about the word money.
Participant(s)
Is money evil and why?
Participant 1
\u201cYes money can get to your mind and do crazy things\u201d
Participant 2
\u201cYes people can’t live without it\u201d
Participant 3
\u201cNo, because money isn’t evil it’s what you do with it\u201d
Participant 4
\u201cNo, but people can do evil things with it\u201d
Participant 5
\u201cNah but, if it gets in the wrongs hands it can be evil\u201d
Figure 2. The number of participants and do they think money is evil and why.
The results of the interviews are surprisingly similar. For the question \u201cHow does the word \u201cMoney\u201d make you feel?\u201d Participants 1, 3, and 5 all said the word \u201cMoney\u201d \u201cmakes them feel good\u201d. Participants 4 said it makes them feel stable, and Participant 2 stated\u201c It makes them feel fantastic.\u201d Based on the responses the word \u201cMoney\u201d gives a completely positive response. Their reasoning was different for almost each person. Participants 4 and 5 both explained \u201cIt is because they can buy things.\u201d Participants 1 said \u201cWithout money you can\u2019t do a lot of things.\u201d Participants 2 and 3 said \u201cThey like having their pockets full of money\u201d. Based on the response of Participants 4 and 5, people that have more versatility in income or desires can get more in life. For the final question, the responses were split. Participants 1 and 2 said, yes \u201cMoney\u201d is the root of evil. However 3,4 and 5 said no. Participant 1 said \u201cPeople will do crazy things for it\u201d. Participant 2 said \u201cSome people can\u2019t live without money and that’s not a good thing\u201d. 3, 4, and 5 all had a similar view that: \u201cMoney is not evil, but people can do evil things with it\u201d.
5.0 Discussion
Subsequently, after collecting the data, everyone had positive feelings toward the word \u201cMoney\u201d. Whether it\u2019s the feeling of their pockets being full or the opportunities they can make with it, hearing the word \u201cMoney\u201d invoked positive feelings for everyone in the interviews. In conclusion, the answer to the question of \u201cIs Money the Root of Evil?\u201d is based truly on how an individual experiences life. During the interviews, some participants felt that it is the root of evil, others felt it isn’t, so there really isn\u2019t one true definite answer. Gathering everything from the research we can conclude money is not the root of all evil, but it can be. Everyone has a different view\/opinion on the matter.
6.0 Works Cited:
Pamela, Hyatt. \u201c3 of the biggest historical wars fought over trade\u201d April 15, 2016, https:\/\/www.tradeready.ca\/2016\/global_trade_tales\/3-biggest-historical-wars-fought-over-trade\/
Dictionary https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/money
Emily, Crane.\u201dMom, daughter killed by husband in murder-suicide months after winning $2M lottery\u201d August 10 2021 https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/08\/10\/man-kills-wife-daughter-in-murder-suicide-after-lotto-win\/
Ali. \u201cTop 12 words that make us cringe (and why they give us the ick)\u201d July 15, 2020
https:\/\/wordsbyali.com\/top-12-words-that-make-us-cringe\/
Chris, Illuminati. \u201c20 Expressions that make people cringe\u201d September 19, 2017
https:\/\/www.oddee.com\/list\/20-expressions-make-people-cringe\/
7.0 Reflection
I did well with the 3.3 Data Collection. My method for gathering the opinions of the participants went smoothly. Each participant was able to answer the questions quickly and precisely. I was able to collect all the information accurately and organized it into tables. In the 4.0 Results section. I definitely can work on my Introduction. I feel like my 1.0 Introduction was a little rushed and I could have done much better with it. I also think I could have improved my thesis statement some more. For the thesis statement, I could have got something with more impact. There are definitely spots around the essay where I can add more detail to. In the works cited section I think I could have done better with the dictionary citation. I tried looking up how to cite the dictionary, but I couldn’t find anything helpful. Overall I have a lot of fun doing this essay.
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1.0 Introduction: The word \u201cMoney\u201d has always been a controversial word. Money itself has caused many wars. In the article, \u201c3 of the biggest historical wars fought over trade\u201d Pamela Hyatt states that \u201cThe Opium wars were all about Britain\u2019s access to trade with China”(Hyatt 2016). Hyatt concludes that the influence of money is so… <\/p>\n