after hearing Dave Ramsey recommend it over and over again. In the first section, the Rabbi makes a very interesting point.You should try to make more money for the good of everyone around you.
For the most part, you can't make money unless you provide something someone wants. Making money is an indicator that you have provided good things for the rest of us. For example, I want to drive a car to work, so I bought one. When I bought my FredMobile, the seller made money. That was good because without him trying to make money, I'd be walking. Dittos for the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the houses we live in. All came from someone's desire to make money. Therefore, the desire to make money is good.
Hmmm. I like it.
I think he left out an important word:
ReplyDelete"You should try to make more money honestly for the good of everyone around you."
Selling shoddy goods for inflated prices, or cutting corners when providing services that one has been paid to provide, or avoiding payment of one's own debts, or tricking people into "easy payment plans" that are anything but "easy", or even resorting to criminal activities like confidence tricks, theft, and extortion are all proven ways to make more money. But doing such things is not contributing to the good of everyone around you.
He's a rabbi. Of course the first principle behind it all is "whatever you're doing, don't sin".
ReplyDeleteBut yes, the Biblical OT ethos is definitely wealth production as a good thing, paired with thrift. The whole spiel about the Virtuous Woman in Proverbs is about a woman who works hard, saves money, invests, and thus is able to do well by everyone, both inside and outside her household.
Tim, like Suburban said, the Rabbi definitely stands for ethics as well. In the book, honesty is discussed at length as a part of this.
ReplyDeleteGood. I still think it's worth emphasizing, though. I've known too many unethical rich people.
ReplyDelete"the desire to make money is good" kind of rounds out the rough edges of "greed is good", although the former doesn't fit as well on a t-shirt as well as lacking any sort of alliterative appeal.
ReplyDeleteLink forthcoming.
I"m doing better than I deserve!
ReplyDeleteFrom a, debt-free including the house, Ramsey man!
Kudos on the Blog!