If You Are Money Mad, You Have at Least One of the Five Deadly Fears.

Many like money. Many even love it. However, some see it as sinful. It is this thinking that gets people into trouble, for they avoid it like the plague and see those who have a lot of it as evil, coming up with phrases like "Money doesn't grow on trees," "Save your money for a rainy day," and of course "Money is the root of all evil." A mindset of scarcity is inferior to one of abundance and has lead to the downfall of many. But this is not the focus of this article. The abundance / scarcity issue is an article in itself. I make this statement to show the reader that the issue is not that people who like or love money means they are bad.

Ultimately, there is nothing innately evil about money, and it is certainly not the root of all evil. However, there are those who fixate on it so much that it twists their heart to set money a priority over that of being moral or ethical. Even though there are people like this, this is an extreme. Nevertheless, even if you are moral and ethical, excessive focus on money can be problematic. Let me digress for a moment to help you better understand the main point of this article.

Fear Rules the Earth:

In nature, we see evidence of how, to a great degree, fear rules the earth. There are lesser and greater animals but most are hunter and prey. Fish prey upon worms and insects. Birds prey upon fish. Birds are preyed upon by higher life forms and so on all the way up to man. But even man can become prey to not only animals--if caught defenseless--but to other men, and even to disease and poverty (often equal killers that go hand in hand).

Going back to his beginnings, man has contended with man out of fear, the stronger groups prevailing by attacking first. But why attack? A major reason why countries that can prey on other countries is that they certainly have the power, the one-upmanship to, of course, gain materially and politically, but at the foundation of all conquest is something greater: fear.

For example, since the turn of the 20th century, America has manipulated and controlled countries throughout the world for profit and gain. From Teddy Roosevelt (aiding Panama's independence from Colombia to build the Suez Canal) to Woodrow Wilson in Latin America, all the way to Ronald Regan and the Bushes in the Middle East, foreign policy has been geared toward monetary gain more than anything else. Several Secretaries of state (Henry Kissinger being one) that they didn't care what happened in other countries as long as it didn't affect the U.S. economically. Countries have certainly gotten rich off of the colonizing and usurping another country's goods, but why? When is enough, enough? Consider the following.

When half the world's population makes $3 a day or less, when one is renting a car and apartment is doing better than 90% of the world, when the U.S. makes up 6% of the world's population but harbors more than 50% of its wealth, one may question our ulterior motive. Why is it that even though most in the U.S. live with greater comfort and safety than most in the world--by a considerable margin--do we continue to desire more and more? Because our national motive is tied into our individual motive--to a great degree it stems from the fear of lack. Fear.

But eventually the discovery occurs that one can never get enough of what one doesn't really need. Ask the thousands who have "made it" and at the peak of success found total emptiness.

So what is next?

Keep in mind that I am not criticizing political policy; this is not a political paper. I present these points to not only emphasize our fears but that they run deep.

But what are these deep seated fears?

The Five Fears:

They are fear of ill-health, death, poverty, old age, and even criticism.

Regarding our national policy of excessive need, it is merely a collective reflection of our most deep-seated, individual fears.

Shifting back to the individual so you the reader may better relate, many individuals--outside of any national agenda--attempt to use money to allay the above fears. Let me relate a couple vignettes to support.

A very rich man sat before his doctor who has just told him that he has inoperable cancer.

"But doctor," the man said, "I'm a very rich man. Find the cure. I'll pay you whatever you want!"

The doctor, of course, told him money would not help him.

There is another story in which a physician contracts cancer and states: "I can't get cancer. I'm a busy person with a lot to accomplish."

Whether a doctor or patient confronting an early demise, in most cases people face their truths unrealistically because of a life unexamined. These people never properly address their mortality or the reality of death, even the possibility of death at an early age. A disastrous mistake. If one does not accept realities and examine them in detail, that person is bound for great un-fulfillment and an incomplete life.

The Unexamined Life is Deadly:

Socrates spoke of the unexamined life and boldly stated that it is simply not worth living . . . at all.

But why such conviction? Consider that you may make gains in the material, monetary, and social rankings but your certain lack of personal and spiritual growth will be most evident later in life: deathbed regret. For it is here that the measure of a life lived well or not is examined. At one's death, few desire greater material gain, more money, or greater social status. The greatest concerns are "Have I loved well," and "Have I been loved." This point can be born out by the fact that most know more about or recognize the names of Christ, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa than Rockefeller, Carnegie, Mellon and Vanderbilt. The former group being those who expressed ultimate love: love of mankind over and above self love.

However, the poor results of an unexamined life can come before one's demise. Here are a couple of examples from an article by psychotherapist, Robert Gerzon listed under "Resources" at his web site Gerson dot com.

"I see so many tragic examples of the effect of an unexamined life. I remember Melissa, a sensitive, attractive woman in her late forties who realized that a series of repetitive, doomed-from-the-beginning relationships had used up so many years of her life that it was now too late for her to realize her dream of a husband, home and family of her own. I recall Donald, a caring, hard-working man who ignored his wife and family for too many years and found himself depressed and living alone in an apartment by the time he came to see me."

There is nothing more tragic than living a life unexamined, but living a life examined improperly, or not learning from one's mistakes is close to being as horrific in its implications. Very little can compensate for time lost through such waste.

Money Madness:

Money Madness, the desire to achieve riches, especially in a guaranteed, brief period of time, is the dream of the truly fearful. A lack of examination of "hidden fears" will drive people to acquire riches in any way possible, riches that they believe--either consciously or subconsciously-- will allay all fears of ill-health, poverty, loss, death, even criticism.

Criticism may stand out as less significant, but don't we all desire to be looked up to and admired? It is a common failing and its lack creates fear for many. Consider that the number one fear most have is speaking in public--to do so requires considerable strength and self-examination. But this weakness is relatively evident if you know what to look for.

I know of many men who tell me great stories of their knowledge, accomplishments, and gain. And some control the floor, enjoying their alleged wit and humor at the expense of all who disagree with their self-analysis.

Interestingly enough, few women do this. My belief is that they do so out of a greater understanding and closeness to the purpose of life: to connect, support, nurture, and achieve familial success, and to emotionally comfort and support all they come in contact with.

Of course, men are generally tied in more tightly to the need for monetary success, therefore, more likely to fear its lack. This can be born out through statistics revealing more men commit suicide because of job loss than women.

The Bottom Line:

But bottom line, if we are first not aware of these fears, and constantly keep them unseen at our back, we are heading toward an eventual downfall. For if we do not examine our fears and address them, work on them, then when ill-health occurs, unemployment arrives, criticisms build, and old age and certainly death arrive, where will you be?

Will the fear consume you at these moments? Moments that will certainly come for all in some combination. Or will you stand strong, at the ready, peace in hand and understanding afoot. Or will the ugliness and horror of neglect of the need-to-be-examined drag you kicking and screaming into the bowels of despair?

After all, it is simply a matter of choice. But a choice to do so now may be the most important choice you've ever made in your life. For you, your family, friends, and all the hundreds, thousands, millions you can touch with your joy of a life examined and fully realized.

Peace to you and yours.




Jeff is a Self-Realization expert and can be found at SelfGrowth.com. He has written 100's of essays and articles; over 50 poems; and several books: At Amazon.com, you can find Black Body Radiation and the Ultraviolet Catastrophe, a novel to inspire young adults and the young at heart. For more inspiration, get his collection of poems, To Die at the Age of Man at Lulu dot com. Coming soon: Give and Grow Yourself Rich (July, 2008); Education is a Waste of Time, (late 2008); and a children's novella The Search for Adriana (late 2008). Currently, he teaches writing and owns Inner Projection, a self-improvement business.