The Cost of Living

Life is full of decisions, some can be hard, others don’t. No matter the age, decisions are part of our journey in this life. From kids to elderly, everyone at one point in their life has to make a decision. But here’s the catch, the problem is not making the judgement itself, rather what circumstances lead us to face those difficult moments when life is expecting us to choose. It’s up to us whether we go all in or dismiss a choice. The purpose of this essay is to point out some takeaways to avoid such difficult conclusions like the Whites’, or what to take into consideration when deciding. Whether we have a strong desire to get something we crave; a feeling is interfering in our decision-making; or a hard choice is holding us back.

In “The Monkey’s Paw,” Mr. White’s first wish was money. At first glance, it seems to be a harmless wish. However, it unleashes a series of unfortunate events where his decision-making is tested. As a consequence of his greed for money, his wish is granted, though taking the life of his son in exchange. Even though Mr. White’s reason to abruptly ask for money is understandable, as he just wanted to help his family out, greed led him to get it in an unexpected way. Likewise, humans are not too far from Mr. White. Money is an important part of our life nowadays. In consequence, people tend to bias their decisions guided by greed, when there’s money in between. Greed clouds judgement, prioritizing one’s benefit but potentially harming others in the long run.

Humans are emotional beings, so it’s normal that people tend to get emotional in difficult scenarios, especially when there’s money in between. Nonetheless, involving emotions where we should not can result in undesirable results, making a decision for instance. In “The Monkey’s Paw,” Mr. White’s wife is the perfect example for this matter. After losing her son and realizing that two wishes are left, she came up with the idea of getting her son back from death. In contrast to her husband who is afraid as a result of having witnessed how things turned out upon his last wish. Overall, decisions driven by emotions almost always ignore reality. While emotions are highly unstable and situational; facts remain constant and reliable.

When things take a wrong turn, hard choices show up, and that’s the moment where sitting down and cold thinking is necessary. The truth is that difficult choices usually require sacrifice. After having pleased his wife, Mr. White, doubtfully, faces a really difficult choice; whether to spend his last wish to get rid of the thing that is knocking at his door. Mr. White brings to light the hard truth, some choices are tough, yet he sighed with relief at the very end knowing he had taken the best choice. Difficult decisions indeed could be challenging, but undoubtedly they push growth, responsibility and thus bring long-term stability.

In “The Monkey’s Paw,” Jacobs explores how curiosity and greed can lead to tragedy. The Whites, guide for their unfortunate economical condition, take a series of wrongdoings leading them to a tragic ending, the cost of careless decisions can have a significant impact upon one’s life. Therefore, stories like Jacobs’ could serve as a warning. Due to the unpredictable and unstable nature of life, thoughtful decision-making must be a thing we pay attention to. Moreover, while some circumstances are out of our hands, before deciding: stop, cold think, and consider the possible outcomes and impact of our next decision, that can result in a turning point in our life, granting us the necessary wisdom and thus, helping us to navigate wisely throughout life. San Francisco de Macorís, 2025