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 Huehuecoyotl
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 The Root of all Evil 
#7309003 - 08/19/07 12:49 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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This is an often heard saying in reference to money. it seems to imply that money has a mind and volition of it's own...that it's influence is independent of human nature. When some guy starts behaving like a shit head because he managed to accumulate some money, people often blame it on the money. They say that it went to his head. You rarely hear that the guy was already a shit head, but required some cash to fully express himself.
In our society the poor and the middle classes have been programmed to see money as corrupt. I often hear rich people maligned for being rich. On this board I often see it expressed that money is not spiritual, and that one must lead a sparse and spare existence to be "spiritual". I am starting to see that this is nonsense. It is based in the programming invented by those with a vested interest in keeping a certain portion of the population poor. I am starting to feel that when one leads a full life physically, mentally, and spiritually that one must be well rounded. One must have as good a state of physical health as they can, they must be psychologically well adjusted, and possess adequate resources to support them. An abundance of wealth would be a boon to anyone on a spiritual path. If one looks at Maslow's hierarchy of needs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy_of_needs
one sees that Maslow thought that adequate physical resources were mandatory for self actualization. It is very clear to me that possessing negative, self defeating attitudes about wealth makes it quite impossible to truly accumulate it. So, now I propose that a spiritual person must have access to wealth to fully actualize their life in a balanced manner.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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 Chubba
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I'm missing 90% of that pyramid.
No wonder I'm not happy 
The thing about wealth is, that the majority of it comes at the expense of others wealth... that's how the system works and that's my main problem with it.
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LateForTheFuture
Old Hand
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Quote:
Huehuecoyotl said:
This is an often heard saying in reference to money. it seems to imply that money has a mind and volition of it's own...that it's influence is independent of human nature. When some guy starts behaving like a shit head because he managed to accumulate some money, people often blame it on the money. They say that it went to his head. You rarely hear that the guy was already a shit head, but required some cash to fully express himself.
In our society the poor and the middle classes have been programmed to see money as corrupt. I often hear rich people maligned for being rich. On this board I often see it expressed that money is not spiritual, and that one must lead a sparse and spare existence to be "spiritual". I am starting to see that this is nonsense. It is based in the programming invented by those with a vested interest in keeping a certain portion of the population poor. I am starting to feel that when one leads a full life physically, mentally, and spiritually that one must be well rounded. One must have as good a state of physical health as they can, they must be psychologically well adjusted, and possess adequate resources to support them. An abundance of wealth would be a boon to anyone on a spiritual path. If one looks at Maslow's hierarchy of needs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy_of_needs
one sees that Maslow thought that adequate physical resources were mandatory for self actualization. It is very clear to me that possessing negative, self defeating attitudes about wealth makes it quite impossible to truly accumulate it. So, now I propose that a spiritual person must have access to wealth to fully actualize their life in a balanced manner.
Interesting... your point is well taken. Thanks :]
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elbisivni
Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 2,839
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Talk about being a step ahead of the game, kudos man.
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From dust you are made and to dust you shall return.
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MushroomTrip
Dr. Teasy Thighs
 
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All I can do is agree with you.
Yes, the idea that money are evil is a social imprint and it serves it's purposes.
It's convenient to make a belief based on that attitude because it abolishes one of personal responsibility and who wants that? 
It's so much easier to blame the money for the bad choices we make, blame the preacher for the decisions we make, blame statistics on violence for buying a gun.
It's all the same... I strongly suspect that deep inside nobody really falls for this bull shit and that nobody feels like being helpless in all that but they choose to proliferate and support this kind of attitude because life is "easier" that way.
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All this time I've loved you
And never known your face
All this time I've missed you
And searched this human race
Here is true peace
Here my heart knows calm
Safe in your soul
Bathed in your sighs
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Rev. Morton
Registered: 07/12/99
Posts: 6,708
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Money is not the root of all evil, The LOVE of money is...
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MushroomTrip
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 Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Rev. Morton]
#7309117 - 08/19/07 01:39 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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It's funny to see how hating or resenting rich people generates love of money (for the same person). 
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All this time I've loved you
And never known your face
All this time I've missed you
And searched this human race
Here is true peace
Here my heart knows calm
Safe in your soul
Bathed in your sighs
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Huehuecoyotl
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309124 - 08/19/07 01:41 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
The thing about wealth is, that the majority of it comes at the expense of others wealth... that's how the system works and that's my main problem with it.
I think you have misconceptions about this subject. This was the point of my post.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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Chubba
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Quote:
I think you have misconceptions about this subject. This was the point of my post.
You don't need money to be physically healthy, that's for sure.
Though beyond simple shelter and some form of transport, I don't see how wealth helps the spiritual quest at all?
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MushroomTrip
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309203 - 08/19/07 02:14 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
You don't need money to be physically healthy, that's for sure.
This is like saying you don't need to think to live life.
Of course on can live and be an ignorant moron, but when one starts to think, that quality of his life grows.
Quote:
Though beyond simple shelter and some form of transport, I don't see how wealth helps the spiritual quest at all?
I'll give you an example (or of many) on how money can make one become more "spiritual", more aware.
They help you travel, get to know different cultures, people life styles and as a result to all that you grow in understanding. Like everything else that gives you a multitude of points of view.
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All this time I've loved you
And never known your face
All this time I've missed you
And searched this human race
Here is true peace
Here my heart knows calm
Safe in your soul
Bathed in your sighs
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Rev. Morton
Registered: 07/12/99
Posts: 6,708
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Yes, money is nothing more than a MEASUREMENT of energy.
It's all on us how we use it...
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shakercee
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309236 - 08/19/07 02:24 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
You don't need money to be physically healthy, that's for sure.
Are you kidding? Those days are gone when people used to live, simply by breathing prana. 
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Pray, v.: To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy - Ambrose Bierce
Medical science has confirmed what the male world has known intuitively for millenia: that scratching your ass is a great aid to complex thinking.
Its God's responsibility to forgive the terrorist organizations such as Jaish, Lashkar etc.
Its our responsibility to arrange the meeting between them and god."
- Indian Armed Forces
"Hey Monkey!! Get Funky" - Tarzan and Jane
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Chubba
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Rev. Morton]
#7309248 - 08/19/07 02:28 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
This is like saying you don't need to think to live life.
Of course on can live and be an ignorant moron, but when one starts to think, that quality of his life grows.
I'm confused? I said you don't need money to be physically healthy. I'm a student on a below poverty line budget... yet I'm perfectly healthy, a great athlete and eat a good diet. Are we on different wavelengths here?
Quote:
I'll give you an example (or of many) on how money can make one become more "spiritual", more aware.
They help you travel, get to know different cultures, people life styles and as a result to all that you grow in understanding. Like everything else that gives you a multitude of points of view.
No doubt money can provide opportunities, I can't argue against that. Though a lot of people to gain the money sacrifice certain lifestyles, free time and other factors that can negate their spiritual journey.
Here's an example.
I choose not to work as a student, a lot of others work part time. They can afford to go on holidays oversea's (as per your example), but they have absolutely not free time ever during there semesters. Me, I can't afford anything, but I got all the free time in the world to read texts, go out and meet different people, write music, do art.
Choosing the path of little wealth benefits me greatly in that regard?
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Huehuecoyotl
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309268 - 08/19/07 02:38 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
I'm a student on a below poverty line budget.
The fact that you are a student means that a certain amount of wealth has been put aside to house, feed, and educate you that you apparently would not appreciate unless it vanished. A college student is not poverty stricken by virtue of the fact that they can afford to attend college. There are many who cannot afford this. Your understanding of wealth is from the view of one who takes it for granted...not one bereft of it. I...in my life...HAVE lived in a poverty stricken condition hanging out there by the seat of my ass supporting a family with no help from anyone, and no possibility of having the time or money for an education. I certainly appreciate what I have earned. Another attitude that I feel prevents the accumulation of wealth is the attitude of non appreciation for what we DO have.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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MushroomTrip
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309275 - 08/19/07 02:39 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
I'm confused? I said you don't need money to be physically healthy. I'm a student on a below poverty line budget... yet I'm perfectly healthy, a great athlete and eat a good diet. Are we on different wavelengths here?
"You" are an isolated case. Meaning... you can't generally speak that one can remain healthy even if one doesn't have money. Therefore the point your you were trying to make with your example is null.
Quote:
No doubt money can provide opportunities, I can't argue against that. Though a lot of people to gain the money sacrifice certain lifestyles, free time and other factors that can negate their spiritual journey.
Here's an example.
I choose not to work as a student, a lot of others work part time. They can afford to go on holidays oversea's (as per your example), but they have absolutely not free time ever during there semesters. Me, I can't afford anything, but I got all the free time in the world to read texts, go out and meet different people, write music, do art.
Choosing the path of little wealth benefits me greatly in that regard?
You example doesn't apply to everybody. 
You were wondering about how could having money bring awareness into one's life and I gave you an example.
Simple as that.
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All this time I've loved you
And never known your face
All this time I've missed you
And searched this human race
Here is true peace
Here my heart knows calm
Safe in your soul
Bathed in your sighs
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Huehuecoyotl
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Rev. Morton]
#7309277 - 08/19/07 02:39 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Isn't spirituality the manipulation of energy when one sees it's core?
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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Huehuecoyotl
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I agree. Money is another form of personal power. The ways that it can bring awareness are myriad.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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Chubba
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Quote:
The fact that you are a student means that a certain amount of wealth has been put aside to house, feed, and educate you that you apparently would not appreciate unless it vanished. A college student is not poverty stricken by virtue of the fact that they can afford to attend college. There are many who cannot afford this.
Might be different in Australia, we don't pay to attend University... if you got intelligence they let you study, there's a fair few students that are homeless. Me, nothing has been put aside, I play my guitar on the street to support my degree.Quote:
"You" are an isolated case. Meaning... you can't generally speak that one can remain healthy even if one doesn't have money. Therefore the point your you were trying to make with your example is null.
I am again confused? All you need to be healthy is food. Minimum wage over here is around $12/hr or so and I live more then fine on $50 a week food budget... I don't get why you need "wealth" to be physically healthy.
If you're that poor you're starving, I think spirituality is the last thing on your mind.Quote:
You were wondering about how could having money bring awareness into one's life and I gave you an example.
Simple as that.
Yep, and I gave an example to show you that money can hinder it.
The lesson here, thinking in absolutes is dangerous.
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Huehuecoyotl
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309308 - 08/19/07 02:59 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Bullshit. You think no one pays for your college. The government uses taxes to pay for it. Just because your doing it on someone else's dime doesn't mean the money is not there. Open your eyes.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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Chubba
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Should I feel guilty that the government supports tertiary education?
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Huehuecoyotl
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309326 - 08/19/07 03:06 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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No. I am not trying to tell you how to feel...thats your deal. I am only pointing out that wealth supports this...that you have wealth available in this manner and you are not in fact in poverty. This shows that my original thesis is correct. You are NOT an exception. You are lucky to have a government that affords such opportunity.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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shakercee
Atheistic Mystic
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309334 - 08/19/07 03:09 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
The thing about wealth is, that the majority of it comes at the expense of others wealth... that's how the system works and that's my main problem with it.
You receive your education at the expense of someone's wealth. You don't have a problem with that.
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Pray, v.: To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy - Ambrose Bierce
Medical science has confirmed what the male world has known intuitively for millenia: that scratching your ass is a great aid to complex thinking.
Its God's responsibility to forgive the terrorist organizations such as Jaish, Lashkar etc.
Its our responsibility to arrange the meeting between them and god."
- Indian Armed Forces
"Hey Monkey!! Get Funky" - Tarzan and Jane
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Huehuecoyotl
Stranger
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Posts: 10,178
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: shakercee]
#7309337 - 08/19/07 03:12 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Your very perceptive.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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Chubba
Vape hungry
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I put tax money in another category.
Just like I don't have a problem with accepting free medical care, I don't think that makes me a hypocrite.
Anyway, I'm stunting this discussion, I'm out
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shakercee
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309353 - 08/19/07 03:21 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Now you are starting to rationalize..
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Pray, v.: To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy - Ambrose Bierce
Medical science has confirmed what the male world has known intuitively for millenia: that scratching your ass is a great aid to complex thinking.
Its God's responsibility to forgive the terrorist organizations such as Jaish, Lashkar etc.
Its our responsibility to arrange the meeting between them and god."
- Indian Armed Forces
"Hey Monkey!! Get Funky" - Tarzan and Jane
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Huehuecoyotl
Stranger
Registered: 06/14/04
Posts: 10,178
Loc: On the Border
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309785 - 08/19/07 09:34 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Money is money. It doesn't matter where it comes from. The attitudes that you are expressing are a classic example of the self limiting beliefs many low and middle class possess about money. They used to be the very attitudes that I supported.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
Edited by Huehuecoyotl (08/19/07 09:37 AM)
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Chubba
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So what are you suggesting, that I place more value on money? Do you think I would be better off if I aimed for a higher level of wealth?
In 12 months I'll be graduating with my degree that starts me on $90k/pa, but I'll instead choose to work a 15 hour (2 day) week and live modestly... is this "self limiting" behaviour?
The saying always went "money can't buy your happiness/money won't make you happy" and I think it's true. I believe there's a certain level where you attain shelter, car, food and live without stress from expenses... beyond that I don't think it makes a MASSIVE difference. Why anyone would want to keep building wealth beyond that point, I just don't understand.
Everybody is different though... do whatever makes you happy and what works best for you, if that's gaining lots of money to further your life, so be it.
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Redstorm
Prince of Bugs
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309850 - 08/19/07 10:16 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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It's not the money you should value, but the work you do well to earn that money. Money, praise, and self-respect are all outcomes of a job well-done (most of the time) and should be valued. Money for the sake of money shouldn't be valued as money that was well-earned should be.
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elbisivni
Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 2,839
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309856 - 08/19/07 10:21 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Sounds like you take your situation for granted. When I graduate in 1 month I will owe more money for education than I am projected to make in an exploding industry in 3-4 years. But that's my fault for being born in America I guess
And btw, people living below the poverty line I imagine would rarely have good diets. On top of that they probably work their asses off just to make ends meet so they don't have the time or means to enjoy such things as athletics, art, music, etc.
Be thankful. I order you. Or at least don't make slight complaints about living in a state of poverty while you remain blissfully unemployed. I'm a student too, I've made the complaint, it's just kind of immature.
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From dust you are made and to dust you shall return.
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gnrm23
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Rev. Morton]
#7309881 - 08/19/07 10:31 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Middleman said:
Money is not the root of all evil, The LOVE of money is...
that's what the son of the carpenter said, yup...
money is just a tool... use the tool wisely & no problem, eh?
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old enough to know better
not old enough to care
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Huehuecoyotl
Stranger
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7309984 - 08/19/07 11:26 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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I am not prescribing behavior, but pointing out common patterns. What you do with that info is for you to decide. I am just suggesting that money is beneficial to spiritual growth, and that any serious seeker should seek to maintain a certain level of wealth to support this. I also feel that money comes naturally to one fully on a path of wholeness, and is there to support that individual, but our attitudes determine the effectiveness of that path.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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Viveka
Architecturer
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Excellent topic, especially the commentary about self-limiting attitudes. I'm so tired of hearing my peers say they don't really like money, they don't want a lot of it. What's the use in an attitude like that? Why sustain any belief or thought that potentially limits you? Just because you might have money doesn't mean you live for having money. And for those who say money doesn't buy happiness, well, you're right, but it can bring you a lot closer in certain situation. If you are able to access the best health care and afford certain therapies that you couldn't without monetary resources for instance, this can facilitate your wellbeing.
And to the poster who said that to be wealthy, you have to exploit others: think long and hard about that one. You have bought into a major lie and I guarantee you this belief will limit your potential in certain ways. This scarcity mentality is a major obstacle and I hope more people will see beyond it.
As far as the "spiritual path" thing goes, adjusting attitudes about money and learning to manage resources well is a great way to develop spiritually. It will also teach you a lot about yourself. And since we are obligated to live in this world of economy (unless you choose to live in the wild) why not use money as a means of practicing awareness?
Something I experienced a few years back involving this subject, I went to this seminar, at my mom's invitation, called the millionare mind. It was a three day course all about how to generate passive income streams. They had us doing all sorts of wacky stuff like making us think we were going to burn money and breaking boards and stuff but the most important thing I learned was one thing that stuck with me. It was the concept of adjusting your expectation of personal income, kind of like adjusting a thermostat in your house. There's two parts to it, one has to do with leaving yourself a good buffer zone. For instance, i never use my check book register or anything but when I calculate my finances in my head, at the end, I always operate as ifI had $300-500 less than I calculated I have, that way I have that $300-500 as a buffer zone I don't een consider. The buffer zone can be bigger or smaller depending on your finances. The other part of the technique has to do with adjusting your attitude about receiving and also what your are worth.
The whole thing is about attitudes and beliefs and i learned in a big way how those thought affect your position in life.
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Throw out your gold teeth and see how they roll
The answer they reveal - life is unreal
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Huehuecoyotl
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Viveka]
#7311322 - 08/19/07 06:48 PM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Why not live with abundant resources and do whatever you find aesthetically pleasing? It is mostly a question of attitudes, not luck or birth situation. Why not adjust your attitudes to ensure that you have what you need to LIVE?
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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Chubba
Vape hungry
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Quote:
It's not the money you should value, but the work you do well to earn that money. Money, praise, and self-respect are all outcomes of a job well-done (most of the time) and should be valued. Money for the sake of money shouldn't be valued as money that was well-earned should be.
The job is merely a hindrance, I don't feel any satisfaction from working a "standard" job. It seems like from this post, that if you had the opportunity NOT to work but still have wealth, you would somehow be less happy?
I know that is the case with a lot of people when they retire and have abundant free time, but it's not like that for everyone.
Quote:
I am just suggesting that money is beneficial to spiritual growth, and that any serious seeker should seek to maintain a certain level of wealth to support this.
Definitely, we are agreeing on something.
The "certain level" is different for everybody, but my only counter argument is not to try gain wealth at the expense of the other factors. My brother works in the finance industry, he recently just got a promotion which puts another $40k/pa onto his salary... but I tell you, he's miserable as hell now. He was coping fine before, had a house/car/everything paid and plenty of time to write music and gig on the weekend... now he has no time, deadlines, targets and a hostile environment.
So attain that certain level where you're comfortable and not inhibited financially to pursue your life's goals, that's all I say.
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Veritas
Registered: 04/15/05
Posts: 11,088
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7311553 - 08/19/07 08:01 PM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Wealth is about having more than you need.
Being rich is about having a lot of money.
If we set wealth as a goal, we can reach it in many ways besides the accumulation of $$.
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Huehuecoyotl
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Veritas]
#7311570 - 08/19/07 08:09 PM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Your definition is correct, but I AM referring to money. I guess I am not saying that I want MORE than I need, but that I intend to have what I need to do what I find aesthetically pleasing. This means not just surviving, but using my financial resources to express my freedom.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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Huehuecoyotl
Stranger
Registered: 06/14/04
Posts: 10,178
Loc: On the Border
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7311572 - 08/19/07 08:10 PM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Collecting financial wealth is not necessarily as stressful as the situation you described. Wealth can be accumulated without that kind of selling out.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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Chubba
Vape hungry
Registered: 07/05/07
Posts: 6,785
Last seen: 7 months, 26 days
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Quote:
I guess I am not saying that I want MORE than I need
Now we're talking!
So I don't get who we're now putting down in this thread?
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Veritas
Registered: 04/15/05
Posts: 11,088
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Yes "need" is fairly subjective, and it is something that is manipulated by advertisers to encourage spending our $$ on things which are unrelated to our survival.
If we discuss "need" as what we actually need in order to physically survive the immediate future, the definition is unlikely to resemble what most of us think we need.
If we work to define what we mean by "need," and whether we are discussing short-term or long-term needs, we might all agree that wealth is an important foundation for personal growth and spiritual pursuits.
For example, in the short-term, I am wealthy. I have already purchased enough food to survive on for a few months, I have paid the rent on my house, I have clothing and shoes, and the air and water in my immediate environment are safe. Without the influx of resources provided by my employment, however, I would not be wealthy in the long-term sense. I do not have millions in savings, and would be without shelter within a few months.
I have read that most Americans would be homeless within 6 months of losing their job, so long-term wealth is probably rare in this country.
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Huehuecoyotl
Stranger
Registered: 06/14/04
Posts: 10,178
Loc: On the Border
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Chubba]
#7311618 - 08/19/07 08:21 PM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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I didn't know that anyone was being put down. I thought that my premise was that poverty was not conducive to spiritual growth, and that abundance allowed growth more easily. I don't think that I have veered from this idea. I did say that I was not prescribing behavior, just pointing out patterns.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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adrug
Registered: 02/04/03
Posts: 15,800
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Veritas]
#7311622 - 08/19/07 08:22 PM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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I only hate money because of the problems I have that are associated with it. Which means if I had enough money that there were no financial problems, I probably would no longer hate it the way I do.
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Huehuecoyotl
Stranger
Registered: 06/14/04
Posts: 10,178
Loc: On the Border
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: adrug]
#7311627 - 08/19/07 08:24 PM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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To hate or oppose anything sets one up for resistance.
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"We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
― Carlos Castaneda
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Veritas
Registered: 04/15/05
Posts: 11,088
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: adrug]
#7311635 - 08/19/07 08:26 PM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Sounds like what you are hating is the restriction of limited resources. The money is just a token, a representation of energy and power. There is no reason to hate or love it, but many reasons to learn about our habitual ways of using it.
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Viveka
Architecturer
Registered: 10/21/02
Posts: 3,417
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Veritas]
#7312427 - 08/20/07 12:21 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Good point about needs. A need doesn't exist until a goal is defined. If the goal is to survive, you don;t need much. If the goal is to own an island, the need is a bit greater. And who is anyone to judge what another thinks is necessary, so long as a person's pursuit of a need does not infringe on the liberty of another.
This is the whole problem with collectivism and the Marxist maxim: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."
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Throw out your gold teeth and see how they roll
The answer they reveal - life is unreal
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Veritas
Registered: 04/15/05
Posts: 11,088
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: Viveka]
#7313947 - 08/20/07 01:08 PM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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That maxim is fine if "need" means survival needs. When we go beyond that, into needs which exceed mere survival, it is every human for themself. 
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BlueCoyote
Beyond
Registered: 05/07/04
Posts: 5,447
Loc: Between
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Heh, yes. Money is a tool and in such a neutral thingy (if it's properly 'rooted').
BUT, it works as an amplifyer for good and evil.
So it aids as a notificator and a benefitor for good and evil at the same time. In real, and for us to learn.
It just is an accelerator.
And a very fast one.
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MushroomTrip
Dr. Teasy Thighs
Registered: 12/02/05
Posts: 14,348
Loc: red panda village
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Re: The Root of all Evil [Re: BlueCoyote]
#7314358 - 08/20/07 03:30 PM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Yes but hating money is like hating technology.
Just because people are unable to use it properly and do some major fuck up, it doesn't mean that we have to stop using it.
It only means that we have to become more aware and learn to use in a responsible way.
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All this time I've loved you
And never known your face
All this time I've missed you
And searched this human race
Here is true peace
Here my heart knows calm
Safe in your soul
Bathed in your sighs
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BlueCoyote
Beyond
Registered: 05/07/04
Posts: 5,447
Loc: Between
Last seen: 7 days, 20 hours
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That's exactly right 
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