On Money (Philosocom's Directory of Articles on Money)
- Mr. Tomasio Rubinshtein
- Oct 26, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 22
(Here are more articles on money:
Small Introduction
While it is ambiguous as to whether money buys happiness or not, it is certainly crucial for one’s survival in a civilization that largely depends on monetary gain and monetary spending in order to sustain our needs and desires. We as a civilization have become more materialistic because money is the capacity of our regular functioning, almost more than anything else. And, it's also a way for us to value people more than others.
("Regular functioning" refers to be able to sustain oneself financially, through one or several incomes, without living in institutions such as psychiatric wards and hostels. Financial sustainability leads to other areas of life as well, such as many things revolving around prestige bias).
The more money we have, the more likely we will be able to function. Hence why there may be people that are more desperate for money than others — because they have a bigger need for money than other people. Of course, that is outside of greed, which is based on void-filling.
Problems With Money As a Powerful Presence
The problem that I find in financial materialism comes when it surpasses other values, which in turn becomes either greed or corruption. When the desire for it becomes stronger than respectable and appreciated values such as compassion, understanding, tolerance, patience and so forth — that is where one’s dignity in the eyes of others may decrease with time, should they prefer excessive monetary gain than the pursuit of said values.
Money is a necessity, but it can also be addictive. This is evident in cases of gambling, bribery, and the exploitation or deception of naïve people. In order to avoid letting our need for money become an addiction, we must strengthen our ability to resist the temptation of further monetary gain. That's especially if that gain is unnecessary, dangerous to our reputation, or could lead to imprisonment (When it comes to financial crimes).
If we can sometimes surpass the need or desire for monetary gain in the name of societal and personal decency, we will be able to preserve our discipline, strength, and self-respect in a world that is becoming increasingly materialistic.
Don't let the pursuit of money become counterproductive to your daily endeavors. By becoming more resilient to its unhealthy and/or illegal temptations, you may be able to become its master instead of its servant. You can use money for the sake of survival, rather than basing your life on the accumulation of maximum revenue at the expense of your values.
Remember that, in the case of Heisenberg, the drive of money is one that can cause unnecessary misery to others. One that can be reduced by love and feeling important to someone who is dear to you.
Mr. Nathan Lasher's Feedback
Money is nothing more than a tool we use to take care of our needs and wants. When you realize this and also realize you can always go make more money at a job, money loses its psychological power over us.
People freak out about anything that involves money. If you want to save money the best advice I can give is to find things of enjoyment that primarily involve a one time upfront costs and minimal upkeep costs.
When most of your focus is on something that doesn’t cost it then money will be easier not to spend. Isn’t that the whole key to money, act as a tool to get us the things which we want and need?
You want more money to go and find a job which will give you enough for all your needs and some of your wants. Perfect work/life balance. Always make sure you have time for a few of your wants. Otherwise what is the point of earning more money?
Money is an asset and it should also be substituted for additional assets as well. Not letting your life be controlled by the desire to increase them. Cars, houses, boats, collectables, computers, video game systems. These would be examples of assets people are driven by getting. Just remember that money is only a means to get what you actually want.
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