What Is Security?
Part of the motivation for gaining wealth is the idea that money is security. While it is true that money opens many doors in our culture, having a large amount of money does not in itself create security. In fact, it can create a great deal of insecurity because after it is accumulated, keeping it intact becomes a worry. The fear of poverty also increases with the accumulation of wealth.
There have been many historical occasions when money either disappeared overnight, such as in a depression or during post-World War I Germany when inflation was rampant, or the money did not prevent its owners from suffering death or incarceration, such as during any form of “ethnic cleansing.” If you look at the people who came through these experiences successfully, you find that there are some personal characteristics that helped them when money could not.
People who can survive across a range of circumstances are flexible and creative, figuring out how to make do with the materials at hand, whatever they are. This includes using material items to create personal necessities or to create things that can be traded. It also includes the ability to figure out how to do different types of jobs quickly so that when a job appears, one can get it and do it competently. Finally, flexibility and creativity mean being able to recognize opportunities when they first become available and therefore being able to take advantage of them.
Another characteristic of people who survive is they often have people skills. If you know how to get along well with other people, including being able to recognize and address other people’s needs, then you will be more likely to get help from others when you need it. The challenge of this skill is that it is based on situations a single person cannot control. You can be really good to another person and that person can choose not to be good to you. Since money seems to be more controllable, many people have invested more time into money making than learning how to get along with others. Yet, people skills in the long run can do a lot more towards the quality of one’s life than money.
The good news is that flexibility, creativity, and people skills are all things that can be learned at any age. Put these characteristics in your “mental bank account” and your physical net worth will be a lot less significant.
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