Penury – this is a state of extreme lack of something that is needed for our living.
As much as we try to avoid this state in our lives, every one of us gets caught up in
it to our dismay.
As many would think, penury does not only have to do with a lack of finance. One could be said to be in a state of penury if he or
she lacks love, peace, friendship, companionship, ideas, or just anything that keeps the body or soul uneasy at any point in time.
Yet, others may argue that with money or good financial standing, no individual would be in a state of penury- they say, “Money answers all things.” But, over the years, my experiences and observations have shown that this assumption is not entirely true. Because even the richest man in the world still falls into the state of penury. Some rich people do not have partners or genuine friends that love them sincerely for themselves, thus, it can be said that they are in penury of such warm affections.
An inquiring mind may conclude that we as humans are all cursed by an unseen force to be perpetually in the state of penury, needing one thing after another to complement our earthly existence. Or as the economists have posited- our human
wants are not entirely satisfiable.
Arguably as it seems, money is a major reason why we get drawn into the state of penury. Sometimes we crave money for its own sake, that is, we just want to have money kept in our homes and bank accounts. Other times we need money to acquire other material needs and pleasures that only money can buy.
further, there are levels of financial penury, as we can see if we take a look at it from a global perspective. The country or state an individual belongs to is a major factor that determines the level of financial penury that individual would be faced
within the course of his or her life on earth.
In the united state of America, individuals are less likely to feel the pains caused by the state of financial penury
for the acquisition of goods or services, because the American society supports an enviable credit system less likely to be obtained in any other country of the world, especially in the countries in the African continent. In America, one can consume
goods and services today, and pay for them tomorrow. Yet, this is not to say that people living in America do not experience financial penury.
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Financial penury has been associated with human depression and desperation, leading to a high growth level in crime, unrest, and terrorism, in most especially the countries of Africa. It is very common to sponsor social unrest and community attacks in these countries because the majority of the overpopulated youths are
always in a state of financial penury, and lack other legitimate means of overcoming the uneasiness they experience being in this state. Most of these youths engage in global internet fraudulent activities, which at times involve using diabolical powers to defraud unsuspecting individuals. Human ritual practices, sex
selling, human trafficking, and other activities held to be abominable in the culture of the people are now commonly practiced, in their quest to overcome their financial penury.
Causes of financial penury in these countries have generally been attributed to bad governmental policies, corruption, nepotism, and resource mismanagement. Even though there are still some non-governmental causes. A good example would be the exploitation of workers by their employers. In an economic situation characterized by inflation, the majority of the employers pay their workers salaries that are not sufficient for their basic survival needs. A Nigerian friend tells me she is paid 8,000 Naira monthly as a salary, although she generates more than a million Naira monthly for her organization. The ease of accessing loans for a business startup remains difficult for a majority of the people.