I often hear you don’t need money to be happy, but our cash-based society, everyone needs money to pay for things. Shelter, food, clothing, transportation, education and medicine cost money. All those things have to be paid for my somebody. Money can also purchase services and buy time that would otherwise be taken up by repetitive and menial tasks. It can pay for travel, art, music and new experiences. 

People who have money, but down talk about to others are liars and frauds. They often speak of it in a false in binary with relationships.  Sure you can neglect your family to pursue wealth, or you can use it to spend time doing things you enjoy with the ones you care for and easing the burdens of the marginalized. The poor, middle class and wealthy can be nice or cruel to the people they live with—those are individual choices repeated over time. 

I am not saying money is neutral, or without risk. It is a tradable form of power. Humans may use it to uphold or cheat the law and take advantage of others.  A billion dollars represents the year’s wages of 20,000 workers. Leaders are often corrupted by the wealthy. Many are willing and able hurt those around them to acquire or keep it.  At the end of the day, don’t just listen to what people say about wealth, but watch how they acquire it and what they do with it. 

*50,000 is roughly the median income for US workers. That’s working a full-time job for about $24 an hour.