Money is often considered the driving force of the world: it materializes our creative and transformative desires upon it, directing human actions and making us feel powerful. Making money is widely regarded as the ultimate source of prestige and social recognition, while remaining “poor” is a primary cause of shame. The attraction of money is so strong that it induces forms of addiction and obsession, from which many people unfortunately suffer. Indian teacher Sri Chinmoy suggested that when a person doesn’t feel the power of their own love, they end up falling in love with power, hinting that the pursuit of money may fill a spiritual need.
The act of making money also seems to be associated with play, where its self-replicating property takes on a magical value. In an era where money is digitized, watching one’s money grow can resemble watching points accumulate in a video game. Succeeding in multiplying it deeply gratifies us; devising new ways to do so gives us a surge of adrenaline and excitement; immersing ourselves in the game makes us forget the outside world, leading to a sense of irresponsibility (what matters is continuing the “ride”).
A preliminary search on the internet suggests that psychological and social research could further explore this hypothesis. It’s my opinion that gathering more firsthand testimonies from those who work closely with money, such as traders, bankers, or executives of listed companies, is necessary. If money is the engine of the world, it’s crucial to understand its intrinsic and induced properties.
Another significant aspect for reflection on the social role of money concerns how it’s perceived within prevailing ethical and moral currents. Christianity often emphasizes pauperistic values, warning against the power of money to “corrupt the soul.” Minor currents, on the other hand, highlight the positive aspect of money as a talent to be made fruitful. Controversial spiritual scientist Deepak Chopra emphasizes its nature as a medium of exchange, suggesting that, ultimately, money is merely a transfer of energy and potential between people, and as such, an act of generosity.
The most important point, in my view, is related to the ultimate intentions of those pursuing wealth creation, that is, their state of mind and heart. From this perspective, what I don’t believe is appropriate is to fuel guilt towards those who follow this path, recognizing that pursuing one’s desires and dreams is a highly human vocation. Not having money means not being able to do things: it imprisons our natural propensity for freedom, leaving us with a sense of suffocation and frustration; it feeds our sense of insecurity, leading us to perceive a risk to our survival.
For money to help us build a better world, it’s essential to help people attune to their most authentically self-actualizing desires, rather than those induced by a sometimes deeply rooted social culture based more on fear than on dreams. Perhaps we should unlearn to make money out of fear of not having it or of appearing inferior to our peers, and instead consider money as the result of our positive contribution to the world. Money should help us value the potential in the present (I can buy what I need and evolve towards a new phase of my journey), rather than distracting our thoughts towards future scenarios (when I finally have all the money, I can do what I desire). Spending money should make us feel generous and altruistic, rather than giving us a sense of deprivation.
Ultimately, we shouldn’t even think about money; our focus should be on living our lives well. Who knows, perhaps in the future humanity will find a way to do without money, but in the meantime, there’s still a long road ahead. The ways in which we navigate it will determine the fate of the world, teaching us to keep its helm firmly in hand.