RE: What I Learned from Being “Poor”
It seems the true wealth of poverty is becoming clear to you. It took me many years to gain necessary perspective to discover I was the richer for being the poorer. The travails of having money - not earning money, but coping with having it - are insidious. Most people don't realize just how much they expend to keep their money handled. Not until there's nothing to handle does that become clear.
I have learned to approach money as a necessary evil, and to eschew it as much as possible. There are often other means of exchange that require less upkeep. I employ many, and generally profit from the lower opportunity cost of alternatives to my mental focus. In the end, I do not live to manage money, but live life. We all live through our mental attention, and the more attention I can give to what matters, the more I profit.
Thanks!
This is now going to occupy me for days:
Occupy me thinking about whether what I really meant is “the real cost of wealth”.
These things have long occupied me but differently. Truth is, no matter how altruistic or “socialistic”, one is... if you have money you live differently. The vast majority do.
There are many things you don’t see, even not if you want to see them, until you live them.
I have always been “connected” and woke. I have always been close to the French Emmaus movement — English lacks a proper name here, it is absolutely not a charity but they accept donations of goods. I have opened a new one and operated as “business manager” (official role slash title) for it, while also living in the community, in West-Europe.
As such I can say I always was close to those who have little. But the riches you find in it, in that understanding and knowledge, are still different than those when you live it from the inside.
At the same time, I can safely say that locally most aren’t aware of their riches either. I have never seen an obsession as big by brands as here. I have never seen as many fake branded, not even close to real in looks, clothing as in this former American colony.
The sardines in a jar condo life is what most think they want. Marketing does work and more so even on the poor.
Ignorance is bliss.
After my 'empire' was gone, I spent some time innawoods. As I became accustomed to my new routines, I eventually grasped just how much time, attention, and effort I had formerly expended simply to manage my affairs. I guesstimate about 20% of my waking hours were spent handling business that only needed to be handled because I had funds.
When no funds are involved in living your life, as innawoods, it's really an amazing relief, as well as opportunity to better spend that time.