Poverty is an evil. It is a curse for an ordinary man. It compels him to do any mean thing. It makes his life dull and charmless. It lead him to desperation.
Character is very important in life. In its formation,habits and environment play an important role. It is the sum total of man's behaviour. It is the greatest force on our ideas. Professor Verma has called it the "greatest motivating force". According to Plutarch, "character is merely a habit long continued". Charles Reade rightly remarked, "sow an act and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character, and you reap a destiny" such is the importance of character in human life.
It is generally seen that men of strong character have often sprung from the masses. Poverty is not an obstacle in the path of progress and prosperity for those who have strong will power. It is a blessing in disguise for them. As gold is tested by fire, so poverty tests the latent qualities and capacity of a man. Abraham Lincoln, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Lal Bahadur Shastri and others had to face many difficulties in life. But poverty could not crush their spirits. In the long run, they became famous and influenced the masses. So we see that Shakespeare was right when he said," sweet are the uses of adversity".
But if a man is weak and his will power is not strong, poverty has an adverse effect on him. He surrenders before the circumstances and leads an ignoble life. His days are passed in sorrow and disappointment. He becomes tasteless. His life becomes a burden to him. He is never happy. He quarrels with everybody. He is unable to make both ends meet. He is insulted and hooted down everywhere. For his failure, he blames fate. He becomes a prey to superstitions. His family becomes a curse to him. Sometimes he runs away from his house or puts an end to his life or the lives of those who are dear to him. This happens when a man feels that he is unable to meet the challenges of fate. He becomes a coward.
Thus we have seen that poverty is a curse for those who are weak and lazy. But it is a blessing for those who are sincere in their work and who have a will to do. As Jagdish Chandra Bose said," it is not for men to complain of circumstances but bravely to accept, to confront and dominate them."
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