Though it doesn't bother me most of the time, I do get tired of people basically telling me that money doesn't matter, or worse, money is somehow evil. Yes, it matters. No, it's not inherently evil. But what really sizzles my bacon is when people somehow accuse me of worshiping money or that I am too obsessed with money.
Not so! There are indeed things that are much more important to me than money. In order, they are:
#1 is my beliefs. I believe that, without some kind of belief or values, Nothing Else Matters. It is our belief in family, friendship, love, or even loyalty that binds us as a social animal. Without it, you're not really a contributor. You're just... at best, someone out there, and at worst, a parasite.
It is also my belief in my values that gives me a sense of purpose. Without my belief, I am simply a person taking up space in the world, living a meaningless life.
Without getting too wordy, and extreme exceptions notwithstanding, my two basic beliefs are to never lie or break a promise. There are more, but those are the two main ones that always apply.
#2 is life itself. My life, my health, and the lives and health of those I care about. But as important as this is, without my beliefs to begin with, even life itself would not matter. And that's why this is ranked at #2.
#3 is family and friends. I think this should be obvious, but here, I am speaking more along the lines of general bonding rather than health as mentioned in #2.
So, now that we've come down to #4, care to guess what it is? That's right, it's money! It's certainly not be the first, the second, or even the third most important thing in my life, but its importance should not be dismissed either. Money is often necessary to make #1 through #3 actually possible in real life!
It's very strange to me that some people would dismiss money so easily, and at the same time, accuse me of worshiping money. I know I'm just venting here and I highly doubt these people in question are ever going to read and understand this entry here. Still, it'd be nice if these sort of people would just understand money in its proper context, or at least keep their incorrect assumptions about me to themselves.
Taking care of #4
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I am not willing to lend them anything.
You see, if I were to lend most of my family and friends, they would have learned nothing more than who to go to the next time they need another handout.
On the other hand, if I were to not lend them anything, but instead, offer to share with them my personal financial skills, then they would learn the importance of money, and learn to work for it on their own.
Sort of a cross between "tough love" and the adage, "Give a man to fish, and he would only be full for one day. Teach a man to fish, and he would be full for the rest of his life."
So, I'm always ready to help out with financial matters... so long as it doesn't involve any of my money. Taking care of #4 doesn't mean you have to stop taking care of #1.