Wealth Worship

In the deepest valleys of my heart I firmly believe that wealth and character are two entirely different things. Having a bounty on this earth doesn't necessarily mean you deserve all of it, and without a shadow of a doubt it doesn't make you a good person. To my undying frustration, I'm aware that not everyone shares this view. There are many in this world that believe money equates to virtue, and in my mind, those are people that have lost their way. This isn't a new phenomenon by any means, it is a character flaw that goes back to the earliest days of man. There are references to wealth worship throughout history, as well as in religious scripture. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says "Ye cannot worship God and Mammon", Mammon being a personification of wealth in the Hebrew tradition. There's also the famous proverb: "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" that often gets thrown around whenever this subject is brought up in the context of Christianity. It should be said that every culture, in some way or another, has a proverb or anecdote warning of the dangers of avarice, yet still many fall victim to the pitfall of greed or at least, the appreciation of it. In my own personal experience growing up in the United States, I can confidently say that the fallacy of wealth worship has not been evaded by nation, quite the opposite, I would say it's especially prevalent here. Why is this? I'd chalk it up largely to a tragic misinterpretation of "The American Dream". Some people have interpreted this concept not as creating a more fulfilling life for oneself and ones family, but simply as making as much money as possible. Few would put it so bluntly or blatantly, but when you read between the lines, that's what many interpret "success" as. That's another thing that needs to be discussed when dissecting this subject, what is success? Is it changing the world, is it notoriety, or is it an accumulation of possessions? You may get a wide variety of answers, but if you were to ask me, I would say that I'm not entirely certain, but it's definitely not the last one. My personal view of success would more fall under the realm of making a change. I see success as finding fulfillment, but then again, that's pretty vague isn't it? That's why I say I'm not entirely certain, but to reiterate, while I'm not sure what success is, I'm positive about what it's not. Please don't mistake me, I'm not saying we should all take a vow of poverty or anything of that nature. I'm simply saying that it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if some people would take some time to rethink their views on what constitutes success, and what constitutes deserving of praise. I also don't believe that every single wealthy person is morally bankrupt. There are many people that do a great deal of good for the world with their fortunes in terms of charity, contributions to scientific research, and altruism in general, and that just furthers the point that I'm trying to make, which is that wealth doesn't make you inherently good or bad. Your character determines your actions in terms of what you do with wealth, rather than your wealth determining your character. If you've read the bible you probably know the old testament story of the golden calf. It isn't necessarily a story about wealth worship, but it's definitely a story about the worship of false idols. In the story, the "golden calf" was an idol crafted by the Israelites in Moses' absence. He came down from the mountain to find them worshiping this gaudy monstrosity. Upon seeing this, Moses burnt the calf, turned it to dust and scattered the dust, at least that's the story as I recall it. Knowing that old tale, I find the "Charging Bull" on Wall Street to be an ironically significant representation of where we are in terms of our societal priorities. You may have noticed that I've been more or less trying to shift the focus of my contemplations away from the President but, I haven't adhered to that plan perfectly and I plan on straying from it here as well. From what I've observed, the rise of Trump and wealth worship in this country are intrinsically linked. As he campaigned, his wealth was a central focus, and the fawning I saw among his supporters was nothing short of stomach curling. Wealth worship, especially in that instance, isn't just distasteful, it's pathetic, but what is particularly pitiful, is when it's coming from the poor or middle class. When those who are not among the wealthy seem to get on their knees and sniff the thrones of the rich is when my cringing reaches it's crescendo. I've often thought about why they do this, and I've come to the conclusion that it's because they don't think of themselves as poor, but as people that will someday be rich if they "work hard", "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" and of course kiss ass, lick boots and worship their golden calf. What frustrates me most about this, is that it's based on a fundamental misunderstanding of, or at least an unwillingness to recognize the fact that wealth in this country does not flow very well and is concentrated in the hands of a very small population that doesn't want to give it up. At least, this is the case for the most part. I think many of these people truly believe that if they appease the upper class, they will someday be admitted into their ranks, and I don't buy that nonsense for a fraction of a second. My understanding of wealth accumulation is that it only happens in a few ways: either you work smart to get it, or you already have it in the first place. The idea that if you work hard enough, you will be successful is outdated for the most part, and the failure of many to recognize that is what frustrates me. I'm not saying people should be lazy, I'm saying that they need to understand that kissing up and breaking their back for the upper class won't get them where they think it will. In conclusion, I'll finish with a quote that's a particular favorite of mine: "Wealth is the ability to fully experience life". That was said by Henry David Thoreau, a man who I believe had a much better understanding of what true success is. I think his definition of wealth is something worth appreciating, but there are obviously other interpretations I don't regard so highly.