Beloved money and our soul

It is often heard: "Money is just an external possession..."

If you were to say: "Then give me some?"

They would laugh mischievously and refuse.

In fact, from the beginning, people know what is good and understand the pursuit of good things.

Children know that having toys is better than not having any, having two is better than having one.

When did our attitude towards money change?

It changed when we sought to obtain money but received different responses.

If a person, through hard work, earns money and improves their life, experiencing the benefits of money, they believe money is a good thing, and the more they earn, the better.

If this person faces setbacks and fails to earn money, they give up and no longer wish to try. They think earning money is too difficult, and since there are so many poor people, why bother working so hard? Money, after all, is just an external possession.

In other words, successful individuals, receiving positive feedback, continue to strive and maintain their success.

Failures, feeling defeated, begin self-deception, saying that money is not good, it's just an external possession, and no one should have it.

Furthermore, in the social education, there is an abundance of sayings that resonate with failures, such as: "Money and reputation, you can't take them with you when you're born or when you die, so why pursue them so ardently?"

We must understand that every proverb represents the thoughts of the majority in a society. And who are the majority? The successful or the failures? These proverbs, catchphrases, and folk wisdom usually reflect the common thoughts of the failures.

Take the saying "You can't take it with you when you're born or when you die." Yes, it's true that money and reputation cannot be taken with us when we are born or when we die. But between birth and death, there are still seventy or eighty years of life, which is quite a long time. If we have no money and a bad reputation during this time, it would be difficult to endure, wouldn't it?

Failures always have a self-deceptive notion that "after death, it's all the same."

You may be stronger than me, but aren't we the same after death? You may be wealthier than me, but aren't we the same after death? Your family may be happier than mine, but aren't we the same after death? You may live longer and healthier than me, but aren't we the same after death?

In the end, everything is empty. This self-deceptive philosophy is widely popular among the lower classes, as it allows people to endure all suffering, and the upper classes also appreciate this anesthesia as it maintains the stability of the present world.

If you wish to deceive yourself, you will find plenty of specious arguments, and no one can help you. But if you refuse to deceive yourself, no one can fool you.

"Honesty does not deceive, it abhors evil and ugliness, and loves goodness and beauty."

Do not deceive yourself. What is good is good, and what is bad is bad.

If we temporarily cannot obtain what is good, let us not despair but continue to pursue it, as there is a good chance we will attain it. Avoid affixing labels of self-deception, saying that money belongs to capitalism and is inherently evil, and that it is more honorable to have no money. Claiming that money is just an external possession is rather vulgar, as we would be penniless and carefree!

Stop deceiving yourself!

How we live our lives mostly depends on external possessions.

Indeed, we are born naked, and we will leave this world naked. However, during the few decades in between, it's not appropriate to be naked, right?

Without external possessions, we live in worse places, eat worse food, have unhappier families, and future generations face greater difficulties. You will experience this suffering for several decades... You can't simply say, "Since we will all die and go naked, let's forget about this lifetime and endure until death!"

Moreover, in contrast to "external possessions" is what? Internal possessions.

That is, our inner selves.

Those who say that external possessions are unimportant probably mean that our inner selves are more important. They advocate paying less attention to external possessions and focusing more on our inner selves. They even claim that pursuing external possessions is detrimental to our inner selves.

So, do rich people have more emptiness and spiritual poverty in their hearts? This is a common theme in literary works, but it differs from real life.

Are the hearts of impoverished people more content, pure, and in harmony with nature? It is simply because they are forced by life to struggle and toil, leaving no time for reflection and no room to consider their inner selves.

Between those who live in affluence and those in hardship, whose hearts contain more resentment and bitterness? Whose hearts are filled with more goodwill and peace?

In reality, it is difficult to separate external possessions from internal possessions. In other words, it is difficult to draw a clear line between wealth accumulation and spiritual pursuits.

Why discuss this topic? Because fallacious views have led countless people to live impoverished and meager lives.

Let's take an example. Some people like beautiful women, so they pursue them, and although they may not always succeed, there is still a possibility.

But some people insist that beautiful women are not good, that looks cannot provide sustenance, and that attractive women have bad tempers—basically, nothing is good about them. As long as they hold this belief, they will never succeed.

If you think beautiful women are not good, you won't pursue them, and naturally, you won't get them. If you think "external possessions" are not good, you won't pursue them, and naturally, you won't obtain them.

If we have to say something, not getting a beautiful woman doesn't have a significant impact. However, if throughout our lives, we don't acquire basic external possessions, we will live a difficult life.

First, let's give a proper name to "external possessions."

If you think they are bad and unimportant, you won't seek them.

However, they are not bad, and they are indeed important. Moreover, they do not hinder your inner self.

Only when you eliminate mundane misconceptions will you pursue and knock on the door.

The profound truth is that you must seek in order to receive, and you must knock for someone to open the door.