In a world obsessed with net worth and material status, the sources offer a stark, counterintuitive truth: riches do not guarantee happiness and are “of no avail for eternal happiness, but rather are obstacles”.
This wisdom echoes the ancient insight of Thomas Aquinas, who noted that man should view material possessions not as solely his own, but “as common to all, so as to share them without hesitation when others are in need”. This is the principle of stewardship—the right to possess money is distinct from the right to use it however one wills. Even modern titans like Warren Buffett agree, emphasizing that hugely wealthy parents should leave children enough to do anything, but “not enough that they can do nothing”. His accumulated wealth is seen as units of “deferred consumption” to be passed along to those “who were given a very short straw at birth”.
The Takeaway: Stop worrying about social wealth and financial status (Types 1 and 2 of wealth) that can rob you of time and physical wealth (Types 3 and 4). The true measure of a life well lived is found in building “dignity and meaning,” not merely in the balance of success or failure. If you are lucky in life, “make sure that a bunch of other people are lucky, too”.
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