The Pursuit of Wealth

As we prepare to celebrate Memorial Day and soon July 4th, I started to think about desire in the United States of the pursuit of wealth. When I talk to people about this subject, they tell me that it is in the declaration of independence. So I decided to check and this is what I found:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness –That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the Consent of the Governed.”
-The Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776

You got it, nowhere in the declaration of independence talks about wealth; it says Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Over the years we have turned the pursuit of the "American Dream" into a direct link between wealth and happiness. This alignment of the wealth and happiness is profoundly embedded in the history of our country. “The pursuit of happiness” is one of the “inalienable rights” as set forth in the Declaration of Independence. From its birth, our country has associated wealth with happiness, materialism with satisfaction. The ideology of Capitalism teaches that hard work and dedication leads to wealth, and wealth leads to happiness. However, will wealth leads to happiness? However, there are some flaws with this ideology, since the trajectory does not always always lead from wealth to happiness. Eventhough wealth can have some effects on happiness, it’s only one of many factors. If wealth is a guarantee for happiness why isn't the United States listed as the happiest country in the world? Actually, Denmark with a GDP per capita of $37,400 is on the top of the list. Another problem is the ideology that hard work leads to wealth. The reality of our world is that hard work and dedication does not guarantee wealth. If that was the case all we have to do is work harder (may be more hours; instead of the 50 to 60 hour weeks we are working now, maybe increase it to 80 hours per week). Once again, hard work and dedication is important and is another element in the pursuit of wealth.

Our pursuit of wealth has been distorted and in many cases has become our master. We function on a mathematical equation that is flawed but we are told that we must continue run in the treadmill so we can reach our happiness. These days wealth means glamor, looks, lifestyle, "toys and stuff." Pursuit of wealth has become a national pastime. Shopping for many has become an addiction that compels people to buy things they do not need and they cannot afford. Like drugs, our desire to "keep up with the Joneses" have destroyed many families not only in the United States but many parts of the world. Many people get fascinated by the "glamor" of the rich and famous, sometimes they think that their poop does not smell, they do not get in accidents, wealthy people are unlikely to drown when a hurricane comes storming their houses, they must live perfect lives and of course they are happy, right?.

However, one thing that we all miss is that in a very real sense of the word we are already "wealthy." We get up in the morning so worried about tomorrow that we are missing the blessings that we have all around us. We are constantly on a rat race against the Joneses (by the way where do the Jones live?), without realizing that the "Joneses" are having as many if not more difficulties than you. If you are reading this blog, you are probably living a better lifestyle than 99% of all humans who have ever lived.

How do we change an equation so deeply embedded in our culture? To be able to break this association of wealth and happiness would cause a big impact in the foundation of our society. We’re bombarded by family, friends, movies, books, media, telling us that to earn money is to be happy. Is it really making more money the answer to happiness? Maybe this difficult times we are all going through right now will force us to focus our attention on greater well-being, and away from wealth, to attain true happiness. Maybe the solution in our pursuit of wealth is to establish well focused principles that wont distort our views while on this journey. Principles such as Wisdom, Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love, and Non-violence should be incorporated as the values in our pursuit of wealth. Instead of principles of Lie and Cheat, Injustice, Hate, and Violence in the pursuit of wealth. See wealth is not evil; it is what we do in the pursuit to attain it and we do with the wealth that is bad. The practice of these virtues will enable anyone to progress in life without any doubt and the reason is very simple. The principles mentioned here of Wisdom, Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love and Non-violence form the cornerstones of the code of ethics. You cannot go wrong practicing the importance to moral values and codes of conduct in your pursuit of Wealth.

You may not (yet) be a person of independent means. However, compared to the average human condition in the past and in much of world today, you are by definition rich. Most of us probably have a higher standard of living than most royalties throughout history. You have better health care (really), better and cleaner clothing, a far more comfortable house, and better entertainment than our ancestors. You will live longer and suffer less than most people ever had in the past. Your children are less likely to die at birth, your parents are more financially independent than ever before, and you have access to the kinds of knowledge that past generations would have ever dreamed possible. So yes, pursue wealth, but don't forget the principles discussed here, and be grateful every day. Also, do not fall for the deceptive of riches. Do not fall for the false glamor, many fail in the pursuit of wealth because they never find the satisfaction or happiness they expected to find. They wrongly reason that what limited wealth fails to do, greater wealth will do. So there is a constant striving for more. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things.

"Happy is the man that has found wisdom, and the man that gets discernment, for having it as gain is better than having silver as gain and having it as produce than gold itself. It is more precious than corals, and all other delights of yours cannot be made equal to it. Length of days is in its right hand; in its left hand there are riches and glory. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its roadways are peace. It is a tree of life to those taking hold of it, and those keeping fast hold of it are to be called happy." Proverbs 3:13-18