From Flesh and Nail to Numbers

From Flesh and Nail to Numbers

Author: Gouya Roshan 

(Güya Aydın) 

A Reflection on the Collapse of Human Bonds in the Age of Materialism

My words may sound bitter and thought-provoking. Yet I am speaking of a rift that has slowly and silently opened its mouth between people; a rift that has deepened not through conflict, but through numbers and prices. The very bonds that were once considered “natural” and inseparable are now bending under the weight of calculations. The tragedy lies not in money itself being inherently bad, but in the moment it becomes the measure of human value, because then, it destroys relationships.

Today, materialism is the dominant word. It has always been said that flesh and nail are inseparable, siblings, mother and child. Bonds that should be unbreakable are now gradually collapsing under the influence of economic standards and material values. It seems we have forgotten that money implicitly makes this separation possible. If only the world had developed differently.

In the past, human relationships were built on ethics, commitment, and empathy. Family and kinship were considered the safest foundations for emotional and social support, and separation among individuals appeared almost impossible and irrational. The image of “flesh and nail” symbolized this natural and inseparable bond, deeply rooted in various cultures and belief systems. However, the passage of time and the rise of materialism have altered this perspective. Money was no longer merely a means to meet basic needs; it became a criterion for human worth and a source of tension in relationships. Financial inequality, economic status, and lifestyle differences caused family members and friends to drift apart, and a gap, once unimaginable, gradually emerged.

This phenomenon is not limited to any single group or culture. Similar effects are visible in both affluent and impoverished societies. In industrialized societies, economic competition and extreme individualism strain relationships, while in developing countries, economic inequality and existential anxieties drive people apart. 

In both cases, human bonds weaken, and the resulting pain is sometimes shallow and fleeting, yet at other times so profound that it aches in the heart of every compassionate individual.

This pain is the feeling that human relationships have lost their meaning, the sense that a bond once built on love and loyalty has grown cold and distant because of money. Still, criticizing materialism does not mean denying the role of money in life. The problem arises when money, instead of being a means to an end, becomes the standard itself. Nurturing human bonds requires mindfulness, ethical choices, and resistance to reducing relationships to mere calculations.We may not be able to change the world entirely, but we can begin with ourselves and believe that some connections are still more valuable than any number.

This realization, however painful, can be the first step toward restoring meaning to human relationships in a world that has become more materialistic than ever.