The concept of societal happiness is defined by bridging the gap between financial income of the richest and poorest citizens has become increasingly popular beliefs. This essay will discuss both dimensions before concluding that I am much more of an opponent against this view.
On the one hand, proponents of income equality highlight the detrimental effects of vast wealth gaps. First and foremost, extreme poverty can lead to feelings of hopelessness, social unrest, and a decline in overall well-being as the penniless with significantly low income cannot have access to superior services both physically and mentally. Furthermore, a large gap between affluence and impoverishment can erode social cohesion and crease a sense of unfairness, hindering societal happiness. Imagine a society where the well-heeled status dominates luxurious lives while many struggle to afford basic necessities, including educational pursuits or occupation prospects; this solely meets the demands of those on the top of social hierarchy, but vice versa, influences negatively on the poor’s future careers and livelihoods.
However, this viewpoint overlooks the fact that focusing merely on income equality presents limitations, since happiness is a complex concept influenced by various factors beyond material wealth. Access to education, for instance, can be cited as a strong catalyst to bring our society in to a harmony setting because knowledge taught by schools or experience gained from training will not only offer people of all positions better life prospects but also enhance positive moral values among members within a society. Additionally, it will create the same results when it comes to other elements such as access to medical care system, social connections, economic growth, etc. As a result, I firmly believe that distributing affluence without addressing these other aspects might not lead to a substantial increase in overall happiness.
In conclusion, I do suggest that the gap between poverty and affluence is not the solely factor contributing to overall happiness. Consequently, the positive outcomes may come from the incorporation of fair investments in social programs, affordable healthcare, accessible public services, etc to bring opening opportunities for people in all walks of life.