Money Ideas and Beliefs

My money ideas and beliefs, like all of my thinking, are evolving. Call it inconsistency if you like, but it seems clear as day that total consistency of belief over long periods of time just demonstrates an unwillingness to learn. When we honestly explore and investigate our world and our selves, we necessarily change and grow as a result. Here are some of the things I currently believe about money and related subjects.

The Value Of Money

The value of money is in what it can be traded for and how it is used. It is often over-valued and chased after for without regard to what's really important - in which case it becomes a "negative value" that tempts us away from what we need. It's worth almost nothing intrinsically (though it can be used to help start a fire). If money buys us time and health and other things of value, it is used well. If we trade too much time and health and other things of real value for money, then we are throwing away things that matter for paper or numbers in an account.

The Importance of Money

Despite being commonly over-valued, at the same time most people underestimate the importance of money in their lives. They even say such silly things as "money doesn't matter to me," while working jobs they hate just for a paycheck and giving up on dreams just because they don;t want to learn how to manage their money. A monk who wants to meditate in a monastery needs someone's money to build it. A mother who cares about her child's health needs some way to pay the doctor. A charity that wants to eliminate illiteracy needs cash to buy books. Money is very important.

The Moral Significance of Money

Money is neither good nor evil, but is a powerful tool that can be used for either. In an entirely honest and healthy society making money would be a universally good thing, since making it requires serving the needs of others, and the wealthiest individuals would by definition be those who provided the most service.

More Money Ideas and Beliefs

Jobs and businesses should contribute real value to the world.

Profiting honestly and in accordance with true values is right and good.

Wealth is wonderful if honestly created, but more is lost than gained when we get rich in inappropriate ways.

This site covers jobs, businesses, investments and related areas, in case you are looking for more than philosophical ideas. But the questions of why we want it and how to make it and what holds us back internally matter tremendously even to wealth-seekers. After all, if "betting rich" was only a function of having good knowledge and techniques there would be a lot more rich folk out there, right?

Other Relevant Pages:

A Look at Money and Happiness

Think Money Can't Buy Happiness?

No Money?

Do What You Love?

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