Attitude towards 1,000 dong - attitude towards life

A video clip of a saleswoman “subtly scolding” a couple for waiting for 1,000 VND in change is attracting the attention of the online community. The saleswoman said bluntly: “If you eat 99,000 VND and pay 100,000 VND, you should give the restaurant 1,000 VND, that is generous. A boy going out with his girlfriend and asking for 1,000 VND is... not generous.”

The video quickly went viral, attracting tens of thousands of comments and shares. Many people commented harshly, saying that 1,000 VND is also money, no one has the right to judge others just because they want to get back the extra money that belongs to them. A seemingly small matter, but it touches on a very important issue: people's attitudes towards money, and more broadly, how we perceive the value of labor, fairness and respect in everyday life.

1,000 VND - small in value but not small in meaning, because behind that number is the sweat, the effort, the time that someone spent to earn it. Each coin has its own story. For those who have enough, 1,000 VND is not worth worrying about; but for those who are struggling to make a living, each piece of money is also a valuable achievement. When sellers easily criticize and look down on buyers just because they are "not open-minded", they have forgotten a basic principle in every transaction, respect must be the first priority.

In fact, this story is not simply about small change, but a mirror reflecting the concept of life. We are living in an era where many people are afraid of being criticized as stingy, tight-fisted, even willing to spend lavishly beyond their financial capacity just to prove that they are "luxurious" and "liberal". But true luxury does not lie in the amount of money spent, but in the way people treat money. There are people who spend sparingly but live decently, know how to appreciate the value of labor, know how to put money to worthy purposes; and there are also people who spend a lot of money but are cheap in attitude, in the way they evaluate others. So who is more luxurious?

Similarly, when “generous” is misinterpreted as a measure of morality, 1,000 VND is not the problem, the problem is that there are people who use money as a standard to judge the character of others. A “not generous” man is a coward, a frugal man is considered “stingy” - these invisible labels have gradually distorted the way we perceive each other. In a noisy society, it is difficult to tell what is truly generous and what is false pride.

If we look deeper, the 1,000 VND story is also a slice of behavioral culture in business and life. In a restaurant or a store, what makes customers remember is not how delicious the food is, but the feeling of being respected. A thank you, a smile, or simply giving the correct change, are all manifestations of civilization. On the contrary, when the seller takes it lightly, thinking that the customer is stingy because he asks for change, then trust and affection are also diminished. No one wants to return to a place where they are made fun of just because of 1,000 VND.

In Vietnamese culture, thrift has always been considered a precious virtue. “Little by little, it becomes a lot”, “Measure your coat according to your cloth” - these teachings have nurtured many generations who grew up in hardship, knowing how to appreciate every penny earned. Nowadays, when life is more prosperous, these values ​​are gradually being overlooked. Many young people consider thrift to be old-fashioned, “rustic”, backward, a sign of meanness. They spend money quickly, using large sums of money to shop to express themselves, to prove their “class”, forgetting that money does not create human value, only personality can do that.

The story of 1,000 coins shows the attitude towards money, which is also the attitude towards life. Whoever knows how to value money also knows how to value the effort, time and hard work of themselves and others. Such people, whether rich or poor, are worthy of respect.

There are also mixed opinions on social networks. “1,000 VND is not worth much, why make a big deal out of it!” But fairness and respect are never measured by material value. Sometimes, it is the little things that most clearly reveal a person’s character. A civilized society is not where people spend a lot of money, but where each coin is treated properly, given and received with respect.

The video has now been deleted, the female shop owner has publicly apologized under pressure from the online community, but the story of 1,000 VND leaves a lesson that never gets old for everyone. That is, always remind yourself, teach your children to love money, not to save every penny, but to understand that behind every coin is effort, is real value. When a child knows how to save 1,000 VND of spare money today, when he grows up, he will know how to preserve other precious things - such as self-respect, personality and kindness.