"Are you not ashamed that you give your attention to acquiring as much money as possible?" “I shall never stop practicing philosophy and exhorting you and elucidating the truth for everyone that I meet. I shall go on saying…Are you not ashamed that you give your attention to acquiring as much money as possible, and similarly with reputation and honor and give no attention to truth and understanding and the perfection of your soul?...I shall do this to everyone I meet, young or old, foreigner or fellow citizen, but especially to you, my fellow citizens.” Plato, Apology, 29d-30a
Quiz: What kind of work do you do?– Dysfunctional work, such as the military and manipulative advertising.
– Work that currently limits choice, such as health insurance and banking.
– Areas of obscene profit, such as education and healthcare.
– Work that compensates for dysfunction, such as police, security, therapy, and pharmaceuticals.
– Creative functions, such as design, writing, art.
– Service providers, such as teachers, ministers, scientists, journalists and health care.
– Vital functions, such as food, shelter and utilities.
Have you set a limit to the time you spend on getting and spending money? On the amount of money you want?"The mortal danger faced by all of us is to succumb to the common virus of commercialism—the temptation to make a lot of money...May I suggest a therapy for the virus of commercialism: a personal decision to establish a maximum level of income." Abraham Heschel, Insecurity, 34.