SCHOPENHAUER: How To Be Happy - Money and Greed (pt. 3)

Описание: Let’s talk about money. Money and property are the subject of the third chapter in Schopenhauer’s manual for the good life, Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life.

As we saw in the previous part in this series, Schopenhauer makes it clear that money, by itself, is not enough to make someone happy. True happiness can only come from within, by having good health and developing your intellect and your talents.

However, there’s an obvious point to be made here: in order to develop your talents, or enjoy art, or read philosophy, you need free time. And in order to have free time, you need money.

Money, for Schopenhauer, is simply the means with which you buy time. Money, by itself, is never the goal. But Schopenhauer isn’t a dreamer either. He won’t tell you that you can be happy as a starving artist, living on the street, so long as you’re chasing your passion.

If you’re lucky, you are born into a wealthy family. If you’re like most of us, you’re not so lucky, and you need to work to earn money.

But having to work for money is not the biggest obstacle to a happy life. The real problem, is greed.

“Riches, one may say, are like sea-water; the more you drink the thirstier you become…”

In your quest for money and wealth, there is constant pressure on you to limit your desires. Money has a tendency to take hold of someone. People want more money than they need – it becomes an addiction.

Before you know it, the money you earn is not simply your ticket to freedom. You want a big house, a fancy car, a huge pool. Champagne and oysters. The trick is to keep your desires low and your money high. If you allow yourself to get trapped into keeping up with the Joneses, your money becomes useless because you spend everything you make.

The goal of money is to be free, not become a slave to your possessions or luxurious lifestyle.

Again we find Schopenhauer in agreement with the Stoics, and the Greeks in general.