| It's too simple to say that power corrupts. Marcus Aurelius is a compelling example to the contrary, as absolute power seems to have actually made him better. He was never "Caesarified," never "stained purple" as he and others feared might happen. For the same reason, it's too simple to say that money is the root of all evil, or that it corrupts or corrodes as a rule. There are some people that money actually makes better. There are some people who use what they have earned or inherited to do good. In the middle of the 20th century, residents of Southern towns like Plains, Georgia were pressured to join a White Citizens Council—a racist group only slightly less insidious than the Klan. They were pressured to resist integration in their churches. Jimmy Carter, whose entrepreneurial savvy had turned his family farm into a well-run, lucrative business, would later reflect why he and his family were able to ignore the social intimidation many of his neighbors fell prey to. "We had too much money to be ostracized," he said of his church. "We were the biggest contributors." And to the White Citizens Council, he told them that he'd rather "flush $5 down the toilet" than give it to them. Carter's wife, June, who kept the books for their business knew this remark would be bad for their bottom line—that was the implicit threat to anyone who didn't join—but together they decided they could afford it. They decided it was worth it. What's the point of success if it doesn't free you up to do the right thing? If your money doesn't give you the security to tell a jerk or a racist to go to hell, how much is it actually worth? The Stoics said that money, like power, was neither good nor bad—that having it was not itself virtuous—but they also believed it was better to have than not, especially if it facilitated being able to act on your virtues, as Carter did, as Marcus did. It was hard to earn what you have. You want to be a good steward of your money. Great. So what better place to spend it than on being good? Than by taking stands with and through it? If your money doesn't make you better, if it costs you your soul or your conscience, is it really worth it?  P.S. Like the Carters, the Stoics had a different idea about our relationship to money. "Poverty is not having too little," Seneca said, "it's about wanting more." In fact, no school of philosophy gives us a more practical framework for becoming rich, free, and happy than Stoicism. That's why we created The Wealthy Stoic: A Daily Stoic Guide To Being Rich, Free, and Happy to equip you with the tools, mindsets, and habits of the wealthiest Stoics in history. Over this 9-week course, you'll learn how to achieve financial freedom AND freedom from your finances. Whether you're new to discovering what to do with your money or someone that knows the ropes, this course is for you. Head over to the https://dailystoic.com/wealthy/ and sign up TODAY! |
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