Have you ever seen a man on a train wearing a Rolex and wearing a expensive looking suit on his way to or from work? What thoughts ran through your head? Perhaps you thought, ‘Wow, that guy must be rich as!?’ you may go so far as to guess ‘Is he a business man or maybe a doctor?’ regardless we know he has one thing money.

“Money makes the world go round,” this phrase couldn’t be more prevalent or applicable to our generation than it currently is; this is also true when someone tries to change an aspect of their identity. We cannot fully develop our own identity without investing something into our identity, in most cases the easiest thing is money. If you are reading this you are likely to be in the midst of a capitalist society. Where the poor have a chance to climb up the social ladder to become rich, but let’s be honest little or few of us have had to forge our lives without the use of money. Money has allowed us to engage in activities that have made us better people, or shown us something we enjoy doing. In many cases these actions or experiences become part of what makes us, well, us

Music, of all things, is a major part of my identity, I live it, breath it and Love Music. I play it, Listen to it and sometimes even write it. I got asked, If I could pick one thing I bought, what is the thing you got the most value out of?

My $600 “Unique Melody Aero” Headphones came straight to mind, Custom made and equalised to the style of music I love, making every new mid to high tone sound euphoric. I selected almost everything about them and, as they are custom, they only fit me. I always thought how grateful I was to have these and also, amazed that in such a short space of time, these headphones changed my musically abilities and my sensitivity to tones. This ultimately changed my view on many ideas on music, changing my identity as I used them. Though aesthetically speaking, there will never be another exact copy of these created, thus making them a testament to my own identity, they also have changed and helped me find a new identity in the way I played, responded and identified with music. Obviously the only reason I have these, seemingly overpriced headphones, is because of a part-time job, would I still be the ‘me’ that I am in music without these headphones, without out the money to spend on them?

Look let’s be honest Money isn’t ALWAYS what makes us, us. But it has a massive effect on the ideas people carry about us. People hide behind money, even to pretend that they are rich, just to gain acceptance. Have you ever seen someone in a track suit go for a job at a bank?, I’d doubt it. Our society makes people buy things and wear clothes so people will think good of them. It’s true without money we are morally better off, but while money is still around it continues to influence the collective identity of society as well as the identity of the individual. In closing do you remember our friend on the train?

Target suit                                                                 $150                                                                          Rolex from EBay                                                        $20                                                                           people thinking you’re a successful business man…     Priceless