Investments,
Money and Ethics

"The higher the buildings, the lower the morals."
Noel Coward (1899 - 1973)

Money is a symbol of energy and sometimes power. As such it has no real intrinsic value. It is neither good nor bad, positive nor negative ...

It is 100% impartial!

In life we are always on a constant quest and we have built a complexity of myths around investments and money. We have given it characteristics as if it were a savior.

How many times have we said, "If only I had enough money!" In this way we end up both desiring and fearing money.

The basis for understanding and being comfortable with money is just one more aspect of our self-awareness.

We know that one of the factors by which we judge ourselves and others is money -- how much we made, how we made it, how we spent it and etc.

This judgement constitutes part of our market value and speaking of money is sometimes reflecting our value in society.

Although everyone wants more money, the idea of having wealth is sometimes tainted. On one side of the coin, money is thought to be highly desirable; on the other side, it is considered bad and almost dirty!

Most of the cultural arguments that make prosperity a moral issue are never made out loud. The ideas that we can't or shouldn't be financially prosperous are projected subliminally in the form of myths, ethics or beliefs.

Whether we believe it or not, one of our strongest beliefs is that hard work is a reward by itself. It is also part of our tradition that poverty is a virtue and certain religious teachings from the Bible have even been interpreted as confirming that poverty is somehow holy!

It has been remarked that the best thing we can do for the poor is not to be one of them!

Well, by all means, this is not being unloving!

It is a statement of not accepting poverty as inevitable.

Poverty helps no one!