A Riddle with a life lesson
Like most of the ’80s and ’90s kids in India — my default place of vacation was our grandparent village where I use to spend almost entire summer and winter vacations. All my uncles and their family stayed together. All I could remember was that life was fun. Staying in a joint family keeps us humble and helps us learn to adjust. We get to interact and coordinate with more people on daily basis, do the work together as a family, and of course, we kids get exposed to a lot of life lessons through stories, riddles, and experiences from everyone.
One such riddle I heard a long time ago that blew my mind — goes something like this.
Rich people need it. Poor people have it. If you eat it, you die. And when you die, you take it with you. What is it?
Feel free to sit with the riddle for a moment and try applying some brains.
Okay. Ready?
The answer is… “NOTHING”
That’s a ridiculously funny answer. Go back to the riddle to understand it better.
Back then, I enjoyed the riddle for its cleverness. But today, I enjoy it for its simple profundity.
The claim that “rich people need nothing” is not a literal one, but it points to how the pursuit of money is the unifying struggle of the modern era. We can opt out of the stories of religion or politics, but we cannot opt out of the story of money. This is a reality for 99% of people.
At the same time, however, the riddle states another truth: Now, this is a little serious, so try to go slow and understand it. “Nothing” passes through the great wall of death — “You take it with you when you die”. Whether one is a billionaire or a homeless — one day we are going to face death.
Wisdom is the co-existence of contradictory truths, and money is the clearest example of this. We must internalize its importance while also recognizing its pointlessness. We must operate within the story of money while also understanding that it’s a fairy tale.
Let’s take steps to do something beautiful.
We can choose fulfilling work over mind-numbing jobs.
We can set aside our portfolios and be present with our loved ones.
Get away from social media and practice self-awareness.
Observe nature.
Observe the little kid with a smile on their face.
Hug your partner and say “I love you”.
Pick up your phone and call up your parents and tell them how much you care for them.
And the list goes on….
I hope the lesson that I learned after reflecting on the riddle, triggered some thoughts in you. Do share your thoughts in the comments and shower your love for the article by liking and sharing it. You can follow me to get updates on my upcoming stories.
Have a fabulous day !!
