I was gonna include a third option about how money is easier to achieve without considering the morality of your actions but that’s not really a philosophy as much as it is an objective fact.
Money doesn’t corrupt people; it’s more like a truth serum for the morally flexible. It’s not that money changes people; it just gives them a megaphone to broadcast their inner used car salesman.
Suddenly, those “creative accounting” skills you never knew you had emerge faster than a politician’s promises during election season. It’s like money has a magical power to turn “I would never” into “Well, just this once” quicker than you can say “offshore account.”
No one is perfect, and money reflects the not perfect side very well in many!
I don’t think money itself corrupts, but power does and power comes with money. Im currently reading a book “Human Kind” that argues that people are generally pretty decent, but that even a little bit of power almost always starts changing people’s behaviour, affecting their empathy, etc.
Personally, I hate having power over others or being in a position of authority. I even feel weird telling my own children what to do.
I firmly believe greed comes from two thought processes: A sense of fear, or a desire for authority. I don’t know if wealth will make you a monster, but it will certainly show what you really are.
I think it seperates people, and that can have a harmful effect on people.
You slowly whether living for the good of all mankind (in your mind), excessive pleasure, or avoid the world more and more, just start living an experience that doesn’t make sense to more and more people.
It happens on small scales too. Like a trip to Hawaii or Disney world, or being able afford only “ethically” sources goods and having time to volunteer at your local animal shelter. These are experiences that people have seen have wanted but ultimately never afforded.
Like having time and money to travel to you families for thanksgiving, that is just not going to happen for some people, and the experience of begging for overtime to stock before black Friday is something those people may never experience or even think about.
Just like that stocker may never experience taking the kids to dump to sort through trash to find things to sell to help make it to next year’s seasonal work.
We view world through our eyes alone and can only fathom the rest.
Yes.
Yes. Most people stop making more when they have enough.
People who don’t stop are already broken and corrupted. They have nothing better to do. No better idea. No other desire. Than to accumulate more. It’s degenerate, sad, to keep wanting more, to feel that hunger when it is already satiated. Like a rat addicted to cocaine, still pushing itself to push the button for more and more.
Most people stop making more when they have enough.
I can’t think of a single person like that.
I keep joking that we should make video games mandatory for millionaires when this subject comes up but I legit think that playing some grindy game or management games would make this type of people less greedy to some degree, because at their core they appeal to our seemingly primal urge of always hoarding more resources.
Shit attracts flies
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all people are questionable. the love of money is envy manifest.
envy is the most destructive compound human emotion.
Probably neither. As far as I can tell rich people are completely unremarkable. Some use their money for good, some for evil (and the media loves that) while most just buy tons of stupid shit and enjoy the good life.
I guess the media thing is the real answer. You don’t hear much about Bernard Arnault because he’s boring, while Musk is walking clickbait.
Perhaps you are asking a variation of the “genetics vs. environment” question. If so, there are many answers on the subject. Also, money is somewhat attractive to almost everyone, to some degree, for practical reasons.
Yes
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In this world, money is power, and power absolutely does corrupt people.
I’ve seen a lot a fair amount of people that started off with humble beginnings, got really popular, made a ton of money, and turned into shitbags as a result because they can just fork up a bunch of cash to make problems go away.
Money and power enables you to get away with immoral stuff, if not straight up illegal.
Both. Money attracts corrupt individuals, but it also causes people to become corrupted in some scenarios. It can be a gradual thing, and it doesn’t always have to be drastic things like a black market kidney. Having money opens up options, some of which are more corrupt.
