Lineage vs. materialism: Why bloodlines triumph over net worth

Royal Patron Yang Berhormat Mulia Tengku Tan Sri Razaleigh Hamzah at The Knights Award Season 1 at the St. Regis Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

Photo credit: The Knights Award.

The Roots of Identity: Why Lineage Matters

Imagine you are in a room full of titans of industry. One boasts about his multi-million-dollar startup, another about his fleet of yachts. But then, a man enters the room, whose family has been shaping the course of history for generations. He speaks with a quiet confidence, knowing he carries the weight of his ancestors' achievements. Who holds more class? The man with the money or the man with the legacy?

Lineage is the true currency of greatness. It offers something beyond material wealth—it provides a sense of belonging, a personal mythology that ties one to a grander narrative. It reminds a man that he is not merely an individual but a continuation of something much greater. To dismiss one’s ancestry in favor of material gain is to sever oneself from the roots of one’s existence. It is akin to a mighty oak cutting off its own roots and wondering why it cannot stand tall in the storm.

A Nation Without Myth is a Nation Without Greatness

The historical carvings of Indonesia surrounding the National Monument in Jakarta. In the northeast corner, depicting the ancient Indonesian empire, on the right side is Gajah Mada, the Grand Vizier of the Majapahit Kingdom. (Wikimedia Commons/Gunawan Kartapranata)

The mythology of a nation is not just bedtime stories or exaggerated tales of heroism. It is the very foundation upon which its people build their identity and aspirations. If a man without lineage is a wanderer, a nation without mythology is a soulless husk, vulnerable to cultural erosion.

Take Indonesia, for instance, where the legend of Gajah Mada and the Majapahit Empire still fuels the idea of national unity. Gajah Mada’s vow—Sumpah Palapa—where he refused to enjoy worldly pleasures until he united the archipelago, serves as a reminder that greatness comes from duty and perseverance, not fleeting indulgences.

Photo credit: Hello Future Me.

Or consider Britain’s legendary King Arthur, a ruler whose tales of chivalry, honor, his acquisition of "Excalibur", and the pursuit of the Holy Grail have shaped the very fabric of British values. Arthurian legend is not just a medieval bedtime story—it has influenced monarchs, inspired literature, and defined the ethos of a kingdom that prides itself on nobility over mere wealth.

Closer to home, Malaysia boasts a lineage tied to Iskandar Dzulkarnain and Bukit Siguntang, the ancestral claim of the Malay royals tracing back to Alexander the Great himself. This mythos provides a narrative of divine rule and noble destiny, a legacy that has guided Malay leadership and cultural identity for centuries. When people believe their rulers descend from a lineage of greatness, they see themselves as part of a grand historical tapestry, rather than just citizens of a random modern state.

The Tragic Pursuit of Materialism

Yet, despite these deep wells of tradition, modern society seems fixated on material validation. The man who wears a bespoke suit is deemed successful, while the one who carries his family’s legacy with grace is often overlooked. We have replaced ancestral homes with penthouse suites, inherited wisdom with influencer soundbites, and dynastic pride with designer bags.

But here’s the catch: wealth, no matter how vast, can be lost in a bad investment, a market crash, or sheer misfortune. Lineage, however, is immune to economic downturns. It provides a lifelong source of pride and identity that cannot be liquidated or foreclosed.

A Final Thought: What Will You Leave Behind?

Ask yourself this: When you turn to bone and dust, what will remain of you? Will people remember the cars you drove, the watches you collected, or the designer suits you wore? Or will they recall the weight of your name, the principles you upheld, and the legacy you passed on?

In a world obsessed with the ephemeral, let us strive to be men who stand for something eternal. Material wealth may buy admiration for a season, but lineage commands respect for generations.

So, gentlemen, I leave you with this question:
Are you building a legacy that will outlive you, or just an empire that will crumble the moment you are gone?