Is Money Really Evil?

You’ve probably heard before that money is the root of all evil.

A solid case can certainly be made for the argument.  There are plenty of examples of people doing perfectly shitty things to get more money.

This has happened since the beginning of man.  And much to everyone’s dismay, I’m quite confident will continue to happen long after anyone reading this is gone.

There is so much evidence to support the claim that money is the root of all evil.

Here’s the thing though.

There is also so much evidence to support the opposite, too. 

Money Isn’t Evil.  Money Itself Is Indifferent.

Money is not the root of all evil.  Money is not evil at all.

It’s an inanimate object.  It’s a neutral thing that itself cannot be good or evil, or do good or evil things.

Money can certainly be the motivation for a person to do a bad thing.  It can also just as easily be the motivation for a person to do a good thing.  That ability is not limited to just money, either.

Money Highlights Who You Are

Money itself is neither good nor evil.  It simply magnifies who a person is.

If you’re a moral person who treats people well and does the right thing, you’ll continue to do that with money.  If you’re a subpar human who treats people terribly, you’ll continue to do that as well.

Having money or not having money could certainly change your perspective of the world, but that doesn’t mean your morals and values as a human have to change with it.

Don’t get me wrong.  Having money or not having money certainly could change you.  But it’s not the actual money doing the changing, right?  

You, the person, are still the one physically doing or not doing things, not the money.  Whether you choose to take responsibility for that or not is an entirely different conversation.

Saying it’s money’s fault that you did or didn’t do something is like blaming misspelled words on your pencil (or keyboard).  If that was a valid argument my Language Arts and English grades would have been much better growing up.

There are so many very rich people who are greedy and yucky and certainly make money seem very evil.  There are also countless dirt poor people who suck as humans as well.

For all of the less than stellar humans, there is a myriad of glorious wonderful humans too.  So many who use their wealth (a lot or a little) for so much good.

Charities continue to exist because of the people, of all income levels, who give generously to them.

To help orphans, to build homes, to provide clean drinking water, to save animals, to cure diseases, to feed someone who’s hungry.  If I tried to capture it all here I’d have some serious carpal tunnel issues and wouldn’t be able to finish this post.

I’ve been verbally harassed by a homeless person.  I’ve also had a homeless person hold a door open for me when I was struggling to get my double stroller through it and wish me a lovely day.

My point is, having or not having money doesn’t have to make you a good or bad person, or do good or bad things.

Having money can certainly make life easier, and not having it can definitely make life harder.  That’s different than it being good or bad.

Pursuing Wealth Doesn’t Make You A Bad Person

Neither pursuing it or having it makes you a subpar human.

Last week I wrote about why we should talk about money more, even though we, as a society, have decided it’s super weird.

I think one of the reasons 59% of Americans say they worry about money is because it is a taboo subject to talk about.  I think another reason is that money is thought of as evil by so many people.

If we aren’t supposed to talk about it, or have “too much” of it, but need it for basic survival things like food and shelter, and nice to have things like a vacation, how are you supposed to win??

No wonder there is so much confusion and worry and stress about money!

If you have “a lot” (whatever that means) of money, or you’re working to have more, that means you’re a bad person.  You’re labeled as greedy and selfish.  Who wants to carry that around?

Money Is Not A Zero-Sum Game

If you build a business and make six or seven figures a year that doesn’t mean that I can’t do the same thing.  If you have more money that doesn’t mean I automatically get less.

We’re not all fighting for a piece of a finite pie.  

Someone else having a lot or a little money doesn’t automatically, directly take away or give any money to you.  

You having a lot or a little money has nothing to directly do with the next gal.

There are so many wealthy people who use their wealth for so much good.  

Why not be one of those people who figures out how to create a ton of value for the world, build a nice little pile of wealth, and do some good for everyone with it?

That sounds nice, doesn’t it?