Human beings are being judged according to their social status and material possession. Old-fashioned values such as kindness and trust seem no longer important. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Evaluation of individuals based on their wealth or social hierarchy is prevalent these days whereas time-honored attributes namely affection and reliability have faded into insignificance. I entirely agree with this statement. What to some extent justifies people’s willingness to base their judgment on such superficial elements is that they are allured by power. More specifically, since opulence is automatically associated with leverage, people nowadays are inclined to believe that the rich are most likely to be either powerful or influential. This is amply illustrated by politicians who happen to be among the most privileged few. That is why almost everyone admires wealthy politicians regardless of their personality characteristics. Moreover, while a virtue such as being approachable can hardly help people accomplish something, one’s social class is a determining factor in this respect. There is no denying the fact that people from high social stratum are blessed with certain opportunities that are exclusively or mainly available for them. Unlimited access to top-notch tertiary education, for example, epitomizes achievements of this kind. Another major justification which accounts for people’s propensity to value such factors is raised materialistic expectations in modern world which motivate many to look for connections in high places. Though ethically wrong, this attitude is growing in popularity which is why most youngsters tend to forge friendships with well-known peers from well-off families particularly those which have a promising business. To conclude, although I acknowledge that it is morally unjustifiable to assess individuals according to such elements, one cannot deny the fact that this is common practice nowadays. The tendency is attributable to the power and influence that prominent figures can easily exert.