We now live in a society that is bathed in utilitarian ideas, where the end justifies the means, although most people are unaware of it, because they are in survival mode. So many of the personal relations today are superficial and transactional with the hopes of monetization. Yes, money has become not only the measure of financial success, but also a (poor) social measure of stability.
This is why society and the media fawn over the wealthy, even if their ideas are nonsensical and they speak as ignoramuses on subjects way beyond their comprehension and understanding. The thinking goes, "If they are rich, they must be smart." So much evidence contradicts that statement.
Most people, besides academics and retired persons (I am one), do not have the luxuary or the inclination to think independently. Yet, thinking is not for the weak; it takes practice, for example, and reading leads the way, and in particular on how to read critically and closely. I highly recommend everyone who has the inclination to take a liberal arts education. Or do it at home. Read all the classics, all the great literature.
If you do, it will be a work and time well-spent: money will become significantly less important. What you will find out is that it is all about relationships--human, animal and our environment.
We now live in a society that is bathed in utilitarian ideas, where the end justifies the means, although most people are unaware of it, because they are in survival mode. So many of the personal relations today are superficial and transactional with the hopes of monetization. Yes, money has become not only the measure of financial success, but also a (poor) social measure of stability.
This is why society and the media fawn over the wealthy, even if their ideas are nonsensical and they speak as ignoramuses on subjects way beyond their comprehension and understanding. The thinking goes, "If they are rich, they must be smart." So much evidence contradicts that statement.
Most people, besides academics and retired persons (I am one), do not have the luxuary or the inclination to think independently. Yet, thinking is not for the weak; it takes practice, for example, and reading leads the way, and in particular on how to read critically and closely. I highly recommend everyone who has the inclination to take a liberal arts education. Or do it at home. Read all the classics, all the great literature.
If you do, it will be a work and time well-spent: money will become significantly less important. What you will find out is that it is all about relationships--human, animal and our environment.