Why do we all want to make so much money?

[ComfortablyNumb]

Hi folks, I've been debating with some friends about this topic... so many people go to seminars, buy books, buy DVDs, etc etc on how to make money right? Well ... WHY? What's the motivation? I think it's a lifestyle thing... most people want to make more money so they can have the lifestyle their so desire... what if you could get that lifestyle without the money?

Any thoughts?

[Ghettoman]

Not having to worry about paying bills is a good reason. and not thinking "i can't afford that" so often.

[evelynlim]

The problem is that most of us view money as the ticket out of the miserable life that we are having. We see it as an end and not as a means to an end. The end, as you correctly mention, is to have a comfortable lifestyle. When money is our end goal, we become so attached to it that we can often lose sight of what is really important.

Sure, if you do not have money, you may not be happy. But don't forget that rich people can also be not very happy. Britney Spears is one example.

It is best to cultivate a mind of abundance; which includes everything that is important: love, health, money, spiruality, joy, etc. Money should be seen as a spiritual asset. You also need to give, in order to receive.

Evelyn

[Tayrak]

The reality is we have to pay bills. It's fine to sling a backback over your shoulder and wander the earth spreading joy, but at some point you got to eat.
There is also prestige, if you're rich people think better of you, they do don't they?, lol, only if your not a total jerk but even then you get treated better.
Some of us treat it as a challenge--this is something I want to do well, be successful at--money generally follows.
Sometimes money is a yardstick, I know I'm successful when...
But you have to face the fact that you need money, people won't take much else, I tried giving the tax guy my opinion and he didn't want it.

Tayrak

[Erki]

All you need is love.

[Restrikted]

I think the saying "Money can't buy happiness, but happiness can't buy ****" pretty much sums it up. When you have more money you stop worrying about not being able to afford things, paying your bills, losing your job, etc.

[Jennihul]

I've been on both sides and really, when you make more you just spend more. It's kind of weird. Paying your bills is not that difficult in general unless you persistently spend more than you make. In that case, you have a mental illness you need to address. Or admit to yourself, finally, that pumping gas or working retail isn't a real job for a grown up.

It's not like the Earth needs to be burdened with more crap from Walmart stuffing your closets. Or that a couple needs a 5,000 sq foot home and all the resources it takes to build it and maintain it.

Winning the lotto would be fun but I would end up giving it all away. Maybe not all. But there is a 'money footprint' that the average human does not need to exceed. Ego tells us we should strive for that kind of excess. It tells us that it's not bad, it's "success" incarnate. Ego, in my opinion, does enough damage if unchecked.

The finer things in life aren't the cars, watches, status designer clothes and bags and homes and boats. If you still that those things define "the finer things in life," you have some evolving to do. You will. Eventually. In this life or the next.

Jennifer

[Trezker]

Lately I've been thinking it'd be nice to go to a monastery somewhere and live a simple life for a year or two. If only I didn't have student loans...

All I need is a warm home, food, clothes, computer, internet and a good shower. If I secure enough money to have just that for the rest of my life I'm happy.

[missing]

the more money you have the better your options for distracting yourself from the fact that in the end, we're all going to the same place. Rich people don't live forever, though I suppose they can afford better health care to prolong their lives.

what if you could get that lifestyle without the money?

there are books that advocate doing this, to an extent. "4 Hour Work Week" was one.

[Plato]

What? Well because we're supposed to... after all, look at the people on t.v. and in magazines... they are rich and famous and have washboard abs. And they are happy! Of course they are happy. If we aren't rich, with perfectly groomed hair and the latest fashionable £200 sunglasses we can't be happy. No way.

[ComfortablyNumb]

Interesting thoughts... see I have been on both sides too. I made my first million at 22 and lost EVERYTHING at 23... did it again at 25, and lost agin by my 26th birthday! It's all part of the journey and learning about business, and more importantly people (such as busines spartners )

Anyway, I agree that money gives you more options - but like someone said up top, it's how you use and what you make of those options. For example, right now, I am technically not a millionaire, but have over half a million in cars in my garage that I don't have to pay for

Speaking of the 4 hour week - yeah it's a great book and a great concept. The great thing about it is how it's marketed so well! it sells people on the dream that they can escape their miserable job or life or whatever and only put up with it for 4 hours a day. In reality, the author "works" 70 hour weeks... but he loves it so much he only does 4 hours of work that he doesn't love... hence the 4 hours workweek.

It's Sunday morning 9am and I've been working on a website that I have obsessed about all week (Law of Ferrari Attraction) - I was also up till 3am the other night polishing it off - do I count that as work? Hell no!

Oh and about bills... this is just my own experience... when I found that belief in myself that I know how to make the next month's bills worth of money - that is really KNOWING that I can do it no matter what - I found myself less and less worried about bills. Then I switched to a mind set where I think "How can I get that next car" and create the cashflow first and then buy it or like with the other cars for example, find a way where they pay for themselves. Then I don't have to worry about the lease payments or bills at all! It's a neat trick

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, need a coffee!

[silicon toad2000]

I think people go to those seminars because they don't have the skills, knowledge or drive to have their own plan and execute it. so they go to the seminars to get someone else's plan and some motivation to execute it.

[Sylvia]

money is power. power is a addictive. addictions are... well, you decide.

i like nice shoes...

[Erki]

What I have learned is that the more money I have the more I feel I don't have enough.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by ComfortablyNumb

Well ... WHY? What's the motivation?

I think that one reason is that you need to earn money to support yourself during your retirement years. For some back-of-envelope calculations, assume that you intend to stop working when you're 60; that you'll live till you're 80 years old, and during this period, your average monthly expenses are $X.

The amount of money you'll need to support yourself during your retirement is therefore $X x 12 months x 20 years.

Do the maths. Normally, it scares the hell of a lot of people.

[Dharma]

Originally Posted by ComfortablyNumb

Hi folks, I've been debating with some friends about this topic... so many people go to seminars, buy books, buy DVDs, etc etc on how to make money right? Well ... WHY? What's the motivation? I think it's a lifestyle thing... most people want to make more money so they can have the lifestyle their so desire... what if you could get that lifestyle without the money?

Any thoughts?

It's to stay away from the fear of lack... not having enough. We've replaced our own creatorship with money, making money the creator of our lives, not ourselves.

Originally Posted by ComfortablyNumb

what if you could get that lifestyle without the money?

That's what I'm working on.

[Lucas]

I feel money is a resource, but most people feel as though you need lots of it to do all the things you want to do...or people want it all, or dont want to give up anything to get something else. For instance, "I wanna travel the world, but I have a mortgage." Well, you chose to buy a house, and that mortgage payment could easily be used to travel the world. I think people don't want money deep down, but it is freedom that they lusting after, and money is that freedom to most. However, if you cant free yourself when you have no money, then you will just use the money to gain more stuff that keeps you down when you do get more.

[coollikeme]

Freedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[robertanthony]

Evidence that money cant buy happiness

The Platinum Years Network: <br /><center>Authentic Happiness<br />The Book That Started Platinum Years</center>


Funny video on materialism YouTube - George Carlin on "the American Dream"

[xelanoimis]

To buy the freedom of doing what we want...

There is a scene from an anime movie ("Monster"), that somehow, I find very inspiring...

There was this mafia leader who, after got himself at the very top, being very rich an influent, he lost everything and almost got himself killed in this process. He lost his wife, his kids and everyone he loved. Now he was hiding in a secret mansion and, recovering from his injuries, he was confessing to his doctor.

They were sitting at a sunday dinner table, all sunny and nice, and he was telling the doctor, how this was exactly what he wanted in the first place. To have a nice dinner with his family!

But he always thought it takes more and more money to get that kind of happiness. Now he realised how wrong he was, but unfortunately, everything was too late.

This scene made me think a lot, because I somehow feel that way. And probably a lot of people are in this situation. We always think we need just a little more money, so we can do what we want. We think that if we stay employed a little longer, we get to pay or buy a house, or we make enough money to start our own business. We keep thinking of what business to start, to bring us the money we need to do what we wanted in the first place.

Of course, if it would be so simple to just let go of all this trouble and just do what we want... But it isn't. We always keep telling us that we need to pay the bills and afford to buy food. But the problem is, we don't know when it's safe to stop.

For example, I can now go live in the countryside, from rent on my appartment. I can probably make a basic living from that. But would that be enough? What if I work a little more, and buy another appartment and go live from two rents.

And from what I see, this fight will never end this way.

Alex

P.S. My thanks to Steve, for trying to help people making their right decisions.