Money Can't Buy Everything

Lawrence Yeo over at More to That breaks down what money can buy, or at least have a significant effect on (Health, Freedom) and what it can't (Purpose, Love).  The Levers that Money Can't Pull. It starts with a poignant story about a woman's reaction to her son's deployment to Iraq. But it is his general observations that make the essay worthwhile. 

Much of the time, our minds occupy the Money-Receptive zone. We have to eat everyday and have a place to sleep to ensure the maintenance of our health, all of which require money. We spend much of our days working on something that culminates in a financial result that allows for freedom in attention. When it comes to the way we spend a majority of our days, we require money as the fuel to keep the engine running.

But when it comes to the question of why we’re doing all this, the interesting thing is that neither the Health nor Freedom levers can answer it. What are we staying healthy for? What is the texture of freedom we’re chasing? Why does all this matter in the first place?

Reflection often comes as an afterthought, but the far more powerful thing is to put it as a precursor to action. By thinking about the “why” before acting upon the “how,” you’re able to separate the action from the motive behind it. In this case, you’ll see that money enables you to buy the freedom you desire, but it can’t buy the reasons why you want that freedom in the first place.

For that, we’ll have to go into the Money-Negligent zone, where money ceases to influence the movement of the levers here. That’s because these are the levers that define the core of what makes life a beautiful experience, and nothing external and uniformly defined like money can shift them.

I think the essay is a bit long, and I picked and chose my paragraphs toward the end.  I suppose I can't fault him for being over-thorough, as that is how my early blogging was on some topics, making sure I had closed every escape-hatch away from the point I was trying to prove. I do less of that now. I hold answers to objections in reserve, and if an objection is raised, I am ready. I probably don't do this near enough, but I am at least somewhat less obsessive.

As for the noticing what money can and can't do, I didn't see anything brand new certainly, but it's a good framework and allows for some clearer thinking. Which means it's time for a walk, and longer than a mile, despite the cold.

Oh yes, cold.  I have a farmer/schoolteacher (science) friend who uses the line "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing" a fair bit. His three sons are clearly being raised in that mentality. His wife, a hardy farmer/schoolteacher (math) soul, says "I know Dan says that, but it's not true." Just thought I'd throw that in there.