Life philosophy
Most people in the West have been brought up with the concept that their life’s path, for the most part, is set in stone early on. For a teenager it starts with education, and it is followed for the adult by a job and a career. This continues for the rest of our lives and is rounded off with a pension. We are on a treadmill. Life is a rat race. We live to work.
This manner of living is readily accepted, as if there are no other ways of filling in our lives. Only a handful of people love the rat race, although it is viewed as the only way of life in present-day society, and escape seems impossible. This behavior has been inherited from parents, who in turn inherited it from their parents. Our capitalist society makes good use of this human behavior. The economy ensures that everything revolves around money. Working provides us with a feeling of power through money. Money takes care of our material needs and desires and gives us social status. We are all producers, employers, and employees.
The free-market economy exploits this human behavior through fear, greed, competition, and the desire for power and social status, with money in a central role. Fear of losing our jobs and descending on the social ladder. Greed, in the form of our insatiable desire for goods and services. The stream of advertising that overwhelms us each and every day, which only makes our greed stronger. Many quiet their consciences through reason. “I have worked hard for it.” Competition makes you work still harder so that the market economy runs as efficiently as possible.
Money is power. Of course, we all need a certain amount of money, but the urge for more and more creates addiction and ensures a stressful existence. As soon as one breaks the cycle of living to work, life can really begin. With this in mind, we support a charity in Thailand.
The following story beautifully illustrates the difference between the capitalist and the epicure.
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An American businessman stood by the pier of a little Mexican fishing village watching as little boat moored on. In the boat lay some large yellow tuna. The American complimented the Mexican with his catch and asked him how long it had taken to catch the fish. The Mexican answered, “Only a short time.” The American continued to ask, “Why did you not stay longer at sea so you could catch more fish?” “The fishes I have caught are ample to feed my family.” answered the Mexican. “But” said the American “what do you do for the rest of the day?” The Mexican fisherman said “In the morning I lie in, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, in the evening I go to the village and drink some wine and play guitar with my friends, I actually have quite a lot to do during the day.” The American said, “I have studied at Harvard and I can help you. Every day you should fish longer and buy a larger boat with the profit. You can invest the excess profit in more boats; eventually you will have a whole fishing fleet. Whereupon you can buy a fish processing factory. In this way you can control the whole product, the manufacturing process and the distribution. You move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York. From there you can still manage your ever growing company.” The Mexican asked, “But how long will that take?” The American answered “15 to 20 years.” “What then?” asked the Mexican The American laughed and said “That is just the beauty, when the time is ripe you give out shares and sell them on the stock exchange and you will become rich, you will earn millions.” “Millions?…………and then what?” asked the Mexican. The American said, “Then you can retire. You can move to a small coastal village where every morning you can lie in, play with your kids, siesta with your wife, go to the village in the evening to drink wine and play guitar with your friends.” |
I have gained my financial independence through years of experience and insight. Not by working hard, acquiring capital, and then retiring like the American in the story above. No, I chose the way of the Mexican. I earn a constant monthly income that is ample to take care of my family, and the rest of the time I enjoy all the beautiful things in life.
Something for you perhaps?
Jan van Gemeren.