Values of Children Receiving Rewards - Essay Example

Values of Children Receiving RewardsDifferent people have different views towards money. Some consider it as a source of all evils while others considers it a source of prosperity. Moreover, the capitalistic minded society of the US has a direct connection with the existence of money. Every individual has the ability of controlling the power of money. This essay will therefore discuss the value of children receiving rewards with reference to A modest proposal to destroy western civilization as we know it: the $100 Christmas by Bill McKibben and Mary Arguelles" Money for Morality.

The first method of controlling the power of money is through giving or using money to do good to other people. Giving rewards to children has numerous advantages to both the giver and the child. However, Americans have been so consumed by monetary gains that they no longer have value for some simple things in life such as giving. I fully agree with McKibben’s article “A modest proposal to destroy western civilization as we know it” (McKibben 163). In this article, the author narrates how his church and family members have compromised with the idea of limiting their Christmas expenditure to $100.

The idea behind this budget is that people want more joy (McKibben 164). This indicates that people are yet to discover the joy of giving that comes with controlled use of money. I am of similar opinion with the author that American capitalism is killing its civilization.In the article “Money for Mortality” Mary Arguelles argues that the modern culture has deep-rooted expectations for incentives. Moreover, the society that we live in has little desire for success or achievement. I partially support Mary Arguelles’s argument concerning incentives and success.

It is evident that the modern society values incentive and thus children like receiving rewards. However, I consider the positive effects of receiving rewards than the negative effects of receiving rewards. By receiving rewards, children are compelled to up their efforts in all that they do in order to receive more rewards. The motivation that children receive from rewards enhances their chances of becoming successful. This contradicts Mary Arguelles’s argument that modern society has little desire for success.

Children are the future generation and therefore we have a role of influencing them with positive values if we look forward to the reality of the American dream. As said by Bosman, we should be ready to pay for what we value (Bosman Web). In his article titled “City will stop paying the poor for good behaviour. In this article, the author argues that people should stop rewarding children as a way of motivating them. The author argues from an economist perspective and thus he does not consider the long-term effects of rewarding children.

I disagree with his argument in the sense that it does not consider the moral and the psychological effect that rewards have on children.In conclusion, people are so inclined towards material gain that they do not see the positivity of giving. Receiving rewards has positive effects on the giver and the receiver of the reward. Giving does not prevent success as depicted on Mary Arguelles’s article. On the other hand, rewarding children compel them into becoming successful adults.Works CitedBosman, Julie.

“City Will Stop Paying the Poor for Good Behavior”. New York Times 30 March 2010. Web. < http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/nyregion/31cash.html?_r=1 >