The two most popular proverbs about money, incidentally, are the two sayings I hate the most:

1) Money is the root of all evil.

2) Money can’t buy happiness.

No one counters these sayings better than Ben Affleck in Boiler Room:

“Anybody tells you that money is the root of all evil doesn’t [expletive] have it.  They say money can’t buy happiness.  Look at the [expletive] smile on my face.”

Does taking Affleck’s position make me evil?  No.  Not at all. 

I simply think that money isn’t a source of evil and, instead, can absolutely buy happiness.

Money Is Not The Root Of Evil

Money is anything but the root of evil.  Perhaps the LOVE of money is the root of evil.  But understanding that money isn’t the end itself, but a MEANS to an end or ends, helps you realize that money doesn’t breed evil. 

Instead, money helps you get somewhere, both physically and mentally.  It’s a vehicle that takes you where you want to go.  It ultimately frees people from the chains of a job to fulfill their dreams and contribute to the world.       

Money DOES Buy Happiness

Since money is a vehicle, it can, indeed, buy you happiness.  Happiness comes in many forms.  For some, it can be a sailing trip around the world.  For others, it can be a wine-tasting adventure in northern California.  For others still, it can be working with the poor in inner cities.  It can also be something simple like spending time with your family. 

The problem with these activities is that employees don’t have much time to dedicate to them.  Employees stuck in the daily and arbitrary 9-to-5 grind can’t fulfill these goals. 

However, the accumulation of money (through a passive-income-generating business) gives you the time to experience these activities.  Money buys you time.  Thus, it is a means to whatever end result you desire.

Money Is A Means To Your Ends

You shouldn’t feel guilty about wanting money.  Having money helps you strive to be whomever and whatever you want to be.  It helps you do whatever you’ve always wanted to do. 

An exercise I have found helpful is compiling a list of things you want to do or have.  This list can contain activities (hiking in South America, surfing in Hawaii, living in France), material things (plasma television, big house, Ferrari), or simpler experiences (time with your family, contributing to a charity, serving food to the poor). 

This list should be your motivation for acquiring wealth.  It should reflect the person you really are and not a disguised, shackled employee stuck in the rat race.  That list should tell you, in simple terms, “If you achieve financial freedom, you can obtain or experience everything on this list.” 

Money is a means to fulfilling that list. 

And there’s nothing wrong with that. 

If you like this post, please consider subscribing to my full RSS feed.  You can also subscribe by e-mail and have a copy of each new post automatically delivered to your inbox.

If you like this post, please bookmark it: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Propeller
  • Digg
  • Technorati
  • Reddit