On Money

Dear Michelle,

One day, you will be faced with the paradox of money. On the face of it, money does not seem to be a very complex subject; people go to work, for which they are paid money, which they then spend on items that the need, such as food and shelter, or on things they want, such as video games and books.

But it is not as simple as that. People have a tendency to define social status by income. Even in early school years, you will find that people begin sorting themselves into classes based on buying power. Those who are wealthy will not associate with those who are poor. As you reach adulthood, it will become more pronounced. People go on to define themselves by their material possessions. The man with several large houses, a fleet of cars, a yacht, a private jet, and a staff of servants are seen as being more worthwhile than the poor family who can barely afford a single-room apartment.

Once upon a time, this was important for human survival. The wealthy villager had the responsibility of caring for the entire tribe, and helped to maintain the social order that was necessary to allow everyone to work together. This is no longer the case, but we still possess the instincts that have been bred into us after millenia of operating in this manner.

We are instinctively drawn to those who have more power, and money equals power. It doesn't make sense; the clerk at a store gets paid the same no matter whether he's serving Donald Trump or Joe the Plumber, but he's more likely to be polite to Donald than to Joe. He gets nothing out of his extra effort, yet he does it anyway.

What this means is that you will have to make a choice. As you grow to adulthood, you will need to select a career. Some people choose a career that they enjoy. Others pursue employment that they know they can do, even if they don't like it or won't make a lot of money. Still others seek work that will make them a lot of money, even if it's not something they enjoy doing.

You have to choose carefully. Do you want to do something you'll enjoy, or something that pays well? The two seldom overlap. It is possible to do both; I once wanted to be a surgeon, but as I grew older, I realised that it would be very difficult to continue loving that job because so many others do it solely for the money. They drained my desire to help people, and caused me to change my career plans.

But there is a third option. Some people choose to forgo money entirely, and attempt to live alternative lifestyles. If this is what you want to do, I will of course support your decision, but you have to realise that it is not easy. We live in a world that is so overwhelmingly based on the flow of money that trying to do without it means that you will have to forgo many of the luxuries that are taken for granted by modern society: electricity, heated water, easy-to-prepare foods, and many other things.

It's not fair, and it's not right, but that's the way it is. Better that you learn this now, and be able to deal with it when you become an adult, than find out the hard way when it's too late, like I did.