“IT’s” not all about money. Life has much more to it than net worth. I know wealthy people who are miserable and poor people who are very happy. Money makes it possible to do the things you want to do. If that’s drink more and wallow in hedonism, well, that won’t end well. If money makes it possible to contribute to society by starting businesses or foundations or non-profit organizations, etc., well then money is useful. Money won’t make you a happy person.
A certain base level of income that insures food, shelter, clean water, and health care we could argue is essential. Whether one uses a base level to ensure those things is a question. I know a person who would rather live in a car with a ne-er-do-well partner than live in basic comfort without. Go figure.
Education helps to teach one to become a responsible citizen that knows how to vote, that knows how to manage money, that knows how to respect the “commons” the world that we all share (not littering, etc.), that understand where our current condition came from and that knows how human behavior is affecting how we all live. History, language, science, politics, economics—these are all essential understandings for responsible citizenship. Art, music, poetry, and the arts bring beauty to our world.
Humans are driven by four basic instincts (See Driven by Lawrence and Nohria) 1. the drive to acquire more, 2. the drive to protect what we have, 3. the drive to pro-create and 4. the drive to create. Money is only the first one. A balanced life will include awareness of and management of all four drives.
I also assert that we all should seek to be net-contributors to the world rather than net-extractors—taking as much as we can from the body economic. The latter show little compassion for the human condition. One can be profitable AND do so in sustainable (no toxic trash) and compassionate (how do we care for the homeless?) ways.
Finally, those who seek money by preying on their fellow humans (selling drugs, toxic substances, lying, cheating, stealing) are parasites on society. Don’t be a parasite. Learn to live on the fruits of your own honest labors rather than stealing from the honest labors of others.
Many others have commented on “manners.” For me, it’s more than manners—education helps us develop morals, values about what’s good and what’s despicable. In the end, you will decide who you want to be. If you decide it’s just about money, you will be tempted to do things that the rest of the world would cry “FOUL!” Corruption in governments, businesses, in any walk of life is a cancer on human kind.
Learn to be your own person who understands that it’s NOT all about money, rather about becoming self-reliant, responsible citizen, and net contributor to society around you.
A certain base level of income that insures food, shelter, clean water, and health care we could argue is essential. Whether one uses a base level to ensure those things is a question. I know a person who would rather live in a car with a ne-er-do-well partner than live in basic comfort without. Go figure.
Education helps to teach one to become a responsible citizen that knows how to vote, that knows how to manage money, that knows how to respect the “commons” the world that we all share (not littering, etc.), that understand where our current condition came from and that knows how human behavior is affecting how we all live. History, language, science, politics, economics—these are all essential understandings for responsible citizenship. Art, music, poetry, and the arts bring beauty to our world.
Humans are driven by four basic instincts (See Driven by Lawrence and Nohria) 1. the drive to acquire more, 2. the drive to protect what we have, 3. the drive to pro-create and 4. the drive to create. Money is only the first one. A balanced life will include awareness of and management of all four drives.
I also assert that we all should seek to be net-contributors to the world rather than net-extractors—taking as much as we can from the body economic. The latter show little compassion for the human condition. One can be profitable AND do so in sustainable (no toxic trash) and compassionate (how do we care for the homeless?) ways.
Finally, those who seek money by preying on their fellow humans (selling drugs, toxic substances, lying, cheating, stealing) are parasites on society. Don’t be a parasite. Learn to live on the fruits of your own honest labors rather than stealing from the honest labors of others.
Many others have commented on “manners.” For me, it’s more than manners—education helps us develop morals, values about what’s good and what’s despicable. In the end, you will decide who you want to be. If you decide it’s just about money, you will be tempted to do things that the rest of the world would cry “FOUL!” Corruption in governments, businesses, in any walk of life is a cancer on human kind.
Learn to be your own person who understands that it’s NOT all about money, rather about becoming self-reliant, responsible citizen, and net contributor to society around you.
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