Inequality For All
The Lie of Scarcity
It is well established that, in modern societies, the inequality of wealth is profound. Thus, money has become so highly valued, that people will lie, cheat, steal, and even kill, in order to get their hands on it. The inequality of wealth is similar to world hunger. Like food, people are hungry for money. There are some people who are starving, and there are others who are living in abundance. Looking deeper into this issue, one may begin to realize that there exists two sides of hunger. The front side of hunger, is the physical malnutrition, seasonal hunger and starvation. The back side of hunger, which is not so obvious, is the hunger for meaning and to make a difference with our lives. Many people have way more than what they need, so much so, that they have become burdened with how much they have. These two sides of hunger are not separate but are rather two sides of the same coin. The people that are experiencing lack and the people who are swimming in more resources than they need, are really, in many ways, a reflection of one another.
When examining the lives of consumers, the people that have so much more than they need, there exists a mindset of scarcity, when in fact people are awash with way too much stuff, things, and desires. This scarcity mentality, which is the thought that "there is not enough to go around", "more is better" or that inequality is right around the corner, runs rampant in the affluent world. In effect, this results in people seeking to accumulate more money that they actually need. People have become determined to avoid scarcity at the expense of people who are left out. But this mentality is a lie, or rather a misunderstanding. Consumers have a deep and profound dysfunctional relationship with money and the money system, which has resulted in suffering. Even people who are wealthy, the suffering of money may be even more magnified. Having more money may be desirable to an extent, but it doesn't resolve the suffering and dysfunction that people have around money. By suffering, that is, the worry, the anxiety, the upset, and bad feelings that revolve around money. In the modern world, we see consumers who are hoarding all of the resources, yet are thinking scarcity to the point where money rules the lives of people.
Money is not part of the natural world. People invented money, it does not grow on trees. Money was invented for the purpose of facilitating the exchange of goods and services. Money was created to make the barter system an easier process. But then eventually, the banks got involved, and money became so complicated with the dawn of interest, derivatives, etc. Now, over the course of centuries, rather than money being that which ensures people are taken care of, we have a society of people that are doing what they are doing for the purpose of of having more money. Rather than a system that makes the lives of people easier, money has become more important that human life. Not just through criminals, but everyone. Issues over money ruin relationships with one another. In addition, money has become more important than the natural world. By observing the destruction of rain forests, the pollution of drinking water, the disregard of the health of the environment and sacrifice the future of the natural world for generations to come, it is clear that money has been given more power, value, and importance, than nature. But no one actually believes that money is more important than human life or nature, but our behavior would say that it is. People use to be called "citizens", which is a person who takes responsibility for the well being of the community. People are now referred to as are consumers, which is a person who takes, diminishes, ultimately destroys.
When examining the lives of consumers, the people that have so much more than they need, there exists a mindset of scarcity, when in fact people are awash with way too much stuff, things, and desires. This scarcity mentality, which is the thought that "there is not enough to go around", "more is better" or that inequality is right around the corner, runs rampant in the affluent world. In effect, this results in people seeking to accumulate more money that they actually need. People have become determined to avoid scarcity at the expense of people who are left out. But this mentality is a lie, or rather a misunderstanding. Consumers have a deep and profound dysfunctional relationship with money and the money system, which has resulted in suffering. Even people who are wealthy, the suffering of money may be even more magnified. Having more money may be desirable to an extent, but it doesn't resolve the suffering and dysfunction that people have around money. By suffering, that is, the worry, the anxiety, the upset, and bad feelings that revolve around money. In the modern world, we see consumers who are hoarding all of the resources, yet are thinking scarcity to the point where money rules the lives of people.
Money is not part of the natural world. People invented money, it does not grow on trees. Money was invented for the purpose of facilitating the exchange of goods and services. Money was created to make the barter system an easier process. But then eventually, the banks got involved, and money became so complicated with the dawn of interest, derivatives, etc. Now, over the course of centuries, rather than money being that which ensures people are taken care of, we have a society of people that are doing what they are doing for the purpose of of having more money. Rather than a system that makes the lives of people easier, money has become more important that human life. Not just through criminals, but everyone. Issues over money ruin relationships with one another. In addition, money has become more important than the natural world. By observing the destruction of rain forests, the pollution of drinking water, the disregard of the health of the environment and sacrifice the future of the natural world for generations to come, it is clear that money has been given more power, value, and importance, than nature. But no one actually believes that money is more important than human life or nature, but our behavior would say that it is. People use to be called "citizens", which is a person who takes responsibility for the well being of the community. People are now referred to as are consumers, which is a person who takes, diminishes, ultimately destroys.
Money Isn't The Problem, It's the People
Like water, money is a current. As it is called a currency. It ebbs and flows, running through every life. For some people, it is just a little trickle, for others it is a rushing river that floods their life. But it is everyone's responsibility to know that money doesn't belong to anyone, and that it should keep moving around. Money is a carrier, and it can carry illness, sickness, just like water, or it can purify, and cleanse and make things grow. It is the way that we pass money on that matters, and to whom we pass it on, and the way that we acquire and use it, that keep money pure and makes things grow. But when people hold and hoard money, just like water, it becomes stagnant or toxic and makes people sick. And we see this in our modern society as money is required for their own survival. When this occurs, people become crazed, greedy, and focused on acquisition. Thus money isn't the issue, and it may in fact be necessary, but it is the way that people relate to money is where the problem, the anxiety, the fear, the suffering, and the scarcity mentality arise.
Health is Wealth
What makes people prosper is not money, though it is not the problem, but rather when you are experiencing life to the fullest. Prosperity is being in tough with source, or the creative energy of life. It is when you are in touch with something much larger than yourself. It is the awe-inspiring experiences of human life and cosmic events that brings prosperity. Money can help, in fact it may be very useful, but money is not the source of true wealth.
Money Does Not Buy Happiness
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Researchers have conducted studies with the question in mind, "does money buy happiness?" Happiness, referring to a subjective state of emotional well-being, is the emotional quality of an individual's everyday experience—the frequency and intensity of experiences of joy, stress, sadness, anger, and affection that make one's life pleasant or unpleasant. Life evaluation refers to the thoughts that people have about their life when they think about it. When plotted against log income, life evaluation rises steadily. Emotional well-being also rises with log income, but there is no further progress beyond an annual income of ~$75,000. Low income exacerbates the emotional pain associated with such misfortunes as divorce, ill health, and being alone. The researchers concluded that high income buys life satisfaction but not happiness, and that low income is associated both with low life evaluation and low emotional well-being (Kahneman and Deaton, 2010).
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Image from (Kahneman and Deaton, 2010)
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“I think everybody should get rich and famous
and do everything they ever dreamed of
so they can see that it's not the answer.”
Jim Carrey
People Identify With Their Socioeconomic Status
You are whole and complete without money. Your capacity to prosper is not related to the external world. People who are living in incredibly resource-poor conditions, people that many would call "poor", are often some of the happiest people. Thus it is apparent that happiness is generated from within, because they physically can't receive it form the external world. People commonly collapse an individual's financial situation onto that person. Everyone is a whole and complete person. Thus people are not poor, but rather their circumstances are poor. If a person thinks they are poor, they identify with their status. Even if a person is rich, that person begins to think they are there bank account. It becomes their subconscious identity, by means of the self-fulfilling prophecy or law of attraction.
Change Your Paradigm, Change Your Life
References
Kahneman, D. and Deaton, A. (2010). High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(38), pp.16489-16493.
