I always imagined what it would be like if I had all the money in the world. Growing up, I always thought I would spend my money on brand new, working things for my mom. A house with working air and heat, a car that didn’t break down every three months, and all the designer clothes she could ever want. I also imagined giving the money to people and programs. The fine arts department at my high school, my church, and all my friends. I’m sure you’ve noticed: my money would be out like a light within the first few hours of me having it. Aristotle captures this in Book IV. This is about to take a sharp turn, so hold on to your diplomas.
I have so many questions. Why is wealth, honor, and pride (predominantly wealth) the main focus of everything? “The poor man cannot be magnificent because he has not the means with which to spend large sums fittingly” (Book IV, paragraph 2). But if he spends all he has on the right things and refuses to take from the bad things, is he not magnificent? Why is wealth the measure of everything? If the poor man gives 75% of what he has, but the magnificent man gives 25%, why is the magnificent man still magnificent? People are out there breaking their backs at work just to get slightly ahead, and it’s infuriating.
The person who deserves riches the most doesn’t get it. Why? Oh, yeah. He gives it all away to help those who need it more. If you give away all your riches to help others you won't be rich. Yes, he donates his money and funds certain programs, but we don’t see Jeff Bezos offering to pay off student loan debt. It explains why the people who are the wealthiest alive are “the wealthiest.” You need education to get a good job, you need a job to pay for education, you need a car to get to the job and education, but you need money for the car, and it NEVER ENDS. This is the way of life, and has been for a long time. And it sucks. I vote we change the currency to something more significant than a something shiny, green, or decorative.
I have so many questions. Why is wealth, honor, and pride (predominantly wealth) the main focus of everything? “The poor man cannot be magnificent because he has not the means with which to spend large sums fittingly” (Book IV, paragraph 2). But if he spends all he has on the right things and refuses to take from the bad things, is he not magnificent? Why is wealth the measure of everything? If the poor man gives 75% of what he has, but the magnificent man gives 25%, why is the magnificent man still magnificent? People are out there breaking their backs at work just to get slightly ahead, and it’s infuriating.
The person who deserves riches the most doesn’t get it. Why? Oh, yeah. He gives it all away to help those who need it more. If you give away all your riches to help others you won't be rich. Yes, he donates his money and funds certain programs, but we don’t see Jeff Bezos offering to pay off student loan debt. It explains why the people who are the wealthiest alive are “the wealthiest.” You need education to get a good job, you need a job to pay for education, you need a car to get to the job and education, but you need money for the car, and it NEVER ENDS. This is the way of life, and has been for a long time. And it sucks. I vote we change the currency to something more significant than a something shiny, green, or decorative.
P.S. I commented on Lily Caswell's post and Jessef Leslie's post.
My business brain is crying for help... it is screaming NOOO!!! However, putting business aside, I can definitely see where you are coming from. I am constantly yelling “why does everything cost so much money?” It is like the saying “nothing is free”. And that is true. Everything costs something. Whether it is time or money. To get back on track, the big question we need to ask is, Is the wealthy man happy and content? I would assume and believe that the man who gives everything away is the happy and content man.
ReplyDeleteIt is what we give up to have an invisible hand in the free market. The market functions because of self-interest. The economy has to function off self-interest(off people working for money) because most individuals simply wouldn't do the work which needs to be done to create a product out of love for other people. Capitalism has its pros and cons.
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