The Way We See Money

I had a conversation with this dude. Two things he said tickled me the wrong way.

1.) "That's why I couldn't be a business major. I wouldn't be able to keep my integrity."
2.) "I don't like how people equate their self-worth with how much money they make."

They tickled me the wrong way because those are two common statements that are basically misconceptions about money and the people who make it.

1.) "That's why I couldn't be a business major. I wouldn't be able to keep my integrity."

Wrong! I'm sorry but if you're not able to keep your integrity while making money, then why would you have any integrity while you're poor? We often forget sometimes that there are very virtuous wealthy people and poverty-stricken assholes in the world too. May I ask what is so unintegritous about making what you are actually worth? It sounds equitable to me. And that may sound harsh, but I gotta say it. Economic mobility is not that common in other countries. If there was any country in the world where you wanted to say, "I'm tired of this life. I want something better for myself." America is THE place to do it. And I'm not trying to get all patriotic here, but there is always going to be (insert social problem #1) or (insert social problem #2) standing in your way. I do try to empathize but let's be honest, there's always going to be something to blame. It is true: a lot of business majors are bankrupt when it comes to the integrity account, but that doesn't mean you have to be one of them. We all deal with questions of integrity. Our most unshining moments are when we either take an interview or turn in a resume. What could be more superficial than turning in a piece of paper trying to impress an H.R. manager by listing qualities that make you right for a job that you don't even want? What is so noble about putting up a fake-ass facade with an interviewer when asked, "So tell me about yourself." especially when your interviewer doesn't really care about yourself and you don't care to tell him/her who you really are, only enough to say things that he/she wants to hear? Almost all of us are complicit in that soul-sucking process. I know I hated it when I did it. That's why I'm never going to do it again. However, there is definitely integrity in being man/woman enough to say what you want and take it.

2.) "I don't like how people equate their self-worth with how much money they make."

Yeah, I don't like it either, but not everyone who makes a ridiculous sum of money does that. It's really about ambition (not the sacrifice-any-sort-of-morality type of ambition). It's about going as far as you can. The dude who said this was Filipino. I'm pretty sure his parents did not come here so he can not take advantage of "chasing-your-dreams" aspect of America. But it happens all the time. The goal is to set the bar high so you can own the sh*t out of that bar. That's where the self-worth comes from. Monetary compensation is only a plus. We often confuse the two.

There you have it, misconceptions about money and moneymakers unearthed.