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Question

Why is it socially acceptable to hoard wealth while so many go without basic needs? K2toU


Answer

Jonathan Stack: I don't think it is considered socially acceptable to hoard wealth. I think the word hoard is by definition something negative. We don't believe that it is a good thing. What it is, is that it is a big part of the human beings just trying to pursue their own wealth. Now, I think the question is what is socially acceptable is abundance and I think that may be what you are talking about. This idea that a life lived successful is blessed with material success. And in a way, we have to figure out how to be able to accept that. I mean I have friends who are extremely rich, they've made good choices in their life, I don't judge their wealth and many of these people who are wealthy are extraordinarily generous and dedicate a lot of their time and resources and energy to helping others because they can. And I don't judge them for that; I don't necessarily do or could have done -- would even necessarily like to do the things that they have done. But, the result of what they've done has resulted in -- the result of what they've done is the accumulation of wealth. The result of what I have done is the accumulation of knowledge. Is knowledge wealth? Not in material grounds, so what I had to do is to live a life much more reduced in terms of my ability to consume, which comes very naturally to me and relieves a lot of the pressures that I think I would have if I work constantly pursuing financial wealth. That said, I have gotten children and they live in New York City and I can assure you, it's not an inexpensive livelihood to do, so I have had to figure out a way to consume according to the needs created by the conditions I have created in my life, the responsibilities by the choices I made. I think and I try not to judge what other people do, but maybe it's just as I said it. That said, in my 50, I need to figure out how to take better care of that aspect of my life.