Essay, Paragraph or Speech on “Man does not Live by Bread Alone” Complete Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Man does not Live by Bread Alone

Survival is the basic instinct among all living things, including man. Therefore, means of survival is the first and foremost concern of all human beings.

Man goes about arranging for his bread or food which can make him live. If he does not get food, he will starve, suffer from diseases and finally die. So, the most important activity in man’s life is that of earning his bread. A hungry man is not able to do anything. An underfed man does not have the required strength and stamina to undertake any work.

Human relationships degenerate in the absence of food. Man turns into a cruel animal, if there is shortage of food. He uses all his might to procure the scarce food. A hungry man may even fight with animals to snatch his food. Does a hungry man want freedom of speech and expression? Does he want the political right to vote? Does he want great works of literature to read? His answer will be an emphatic ‘No’ to all these questions. The answer is clear! he wants bread.

However, it is not a complete truth that man lives by bread alone. No doubt, bread is the most important need of man. But he needs much more besides. As far as procuring, eating and digesting food is concerned, animals too do all this. But then animals are not gifted with the power of thinking. Therefore they do not need anything else besides food.

It is man alone who has been bestowed with the thinking faculty. This faculty fills him with certain cravings which are equally strong and need fulfilment. If these cravings are not fulfilled, human beings may develop certain serious complications in their personality. Also, certain mental maladies may set in which may turn him into a living dead. He may be alive but in reality worse than dead.

There is art innate sense of beauty in man. He appreciates beauty in all forms. Beauty of architecture which motivated man to create a wonder of the world, that is, the Taj. The Taj continues to enthrall the onlookers from all over the world ‘even today. Beauty of flowers is a universal phenomenon, as people anywhere in the world enjoy the tender beauty of the flowers. Beauty in performing arts, such as in music concerts and dance programmes thrill the audiences to no end. Abstract arts, too, are a source of pleasure as the beautiful things by the world masters move the onlookers. Aesthetic sense in man makes him continuously hanker after some form of beauty or the other. Beautiful objects have therapeutic value, too. A patient who is convalescing is presented a beautiful bunch of flowers which gladdens his heart. A particular type of music is used to cheer up the depressive patients. Also, music is known to calm the frayed nerves and release stress.

Man has also been endowed with the innate quality of love. He wants to love and be loved in return. There exists love between mother and son/daughter, father and son/daughter, brother and brother/sister. Love also binds friends to enter into a long relationship. Love between lover and beloved has been celebrated from ancient times. Laila-Majnu. Heer-Ranjha. Romeo-Juliet, Sassi-Punnu are some of the examples where the lovers became immortal because of their intense love. Apart from all this, there is in man love of God. Many a time, a man’s love of God has turned him into a saint who in turn loved humanity at large.

All religions tell their followers to practice love because love has an uplifting quality about it. It motivates people to be generous kind and selfless. It blesses both the giver and the receiver. History is a proof of the fact that much of the cruelty has been committed by loveless men. These were the men who in their childhood, did not receive the love of their parents, in their adult lives, were deprived of the love of a beloved. Hitler’s life provides the most relevant example. Studies of the crimes in Western, countries have revealed that a large number of criminals in their lives never received any kind of love.

Another faculty of man is curiosity or the desire to probe into things. Man in the ancient times knew little about natural phenomena. He was scared of the mysterious occurrences. But then, along with search for food, he also conducted search for knowledge. Knowledge made him aware of the processes of the natural phenomena. He was, therefore, released from the fear of the unknown. Not only that, gradually, he has acquired power over nature. Today, man is the master of the ocean, earth and space, simply because the urge to know led him to the bottom of the mysterious. Search for food and search for knowledge went on hand in hand in the history of mankind.

Another driving force which can match the intensity of hunger is the urge for creativity. Man wishes to create new forms, new objects, new works of literature, sculpture and paintings. The urge for creativity comes into play even in the lowest of jobs. A potter is forever imagining and creating new designs. A carpenter is forever busy in creating more comfortable and more beautiful furniture. The artists, of course spend their whole lives in trying to create masterpieces in literature sculpture and painting. There are countless instances of the writers and poets who willingly opted for a life of poverty and often had to go without bread (food) in order to create their works of art. It is, thus, obvious that here is a tribe of individuals who would forgo food, if they have to, but continue to satisfy their creative urge.

Need for entertainment is also a secondary desire. Food no doubt, is essential but after one’s stomach is full, one thinks of entertaining oneself. Without means of recreation, life would become dull, heavy and unbearable. Recreation keeps the mind and body in a sound and fit condition. Theatre, cinema, television, sports and games provide means of recreation. The usefulness of sports has been realised the world over.

Olympic Games, Asians, World Cups, Wimbledon Championship and Commonwealth Games are the proof of man’s need of sports. Even in schools and colleges now a lot of emphasis is being laid on sports.

 Last but not least, man’s spiritual needs cannot’ be denied. Physical existence and spiritual existence are the two parts of man’s life. While physical existence requires food, the spiritual existence makes him seek answers to the fundamental questions like “Who am I?”, where from have I come?”, “Where shall I go after death?” and so on. Meditation, prayer group singing of religious songs, etc. are some of the ways by which man fulfils his spiritual need and seeks God. Hence, it is clear that apart from bread (food), there is much more that man needs in order to live in the true sense of the word.