We didn't do it for the money

Money, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of our greatest strength, and our greatest weakness.

Interesting use of a (modified) movie quote, eh? I've decided it's time to switch gears on my blog for a little while instead of my usual "Shawn's Current Events" posts. I know I promised to write more about my 30 mile bike ride, but Steve wrote a really good description about it. I'd basically just duplicate his post, and I try not to steal... from my friends at least. :-)

Money. At what point in life does Money become a focus? The collection and gathering of wealth and objects. Why are those even considered worthwhile human endeavors? It seems to me that it's dictated by society, and the wealthier a society becomes the more important money becomes to that society. I think books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad are an example of just that. That we must instill in each new generation the importance of wealth and money. Yet isn't it funny how money has no inherent value?

Money motivates. It motivates CEO's to build vast empires, it motivates scientists to invent, it motivates politicians to do... whatever it is politicians do. It motivates criminals, it motivates sports stars. I try to think about how and why money motivates me. I wish it didn't, but there isn't anything that can really be done about that. Unless I decide all of a sudden I don't need money and find some way to live off the land. Maybe the Amish have it right.

Unfortunately, for most people, that isn't really an option. Money is what provides us with the basic necessities of life. Shelter, sustenance, clothing and medical care. Without money, obtaining those basic needs becomes very difficult, therefore you really only have one option in life: Make money. I like how we call it "making money" because really no one "makes" money, other then the government. The rest of us are just "trading" money. Anyway, where was I?

Who knows. I just wish that money wasn't such a factor in our lives. I wish that it didn't motivate me. I wish I had gone to college to learn, and not just "so I could get a job". I wish I could work at a video game store talking about video games all day and still provide the basic necessities of life for me and my family. I wish I wasn't a consumer. I wish I could live on a plot of land that provides all the food I'd ever need, and still have an internet connection. I'll end with another Movie quote:

God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.