Money and the Meaning of Life by Jacob Needleman

"It (money )has an immense influence on everything we do

Yet few people are able to acknowledge the power of money

-Jacob Needleman

Money and the Meaning of Life

Jacob Needleman

Money affects every aspect of our lives , including the meaning of life itself . We are , most of , the time guilty of over-rating the value of money that we surrender real values to chase it

According to Needleman , our most common misconception about money is that we forget the whole human condition . We forget we 're mortal beings and we

're meant to love and to serve , not just to get . Money is the most tempting illusion it tempts most people to forget that we 're people . We live , we 're going to die , and there 's much more to life than making money -- although without making money life is very difficult

Very little is written about relationship between the quest for money and the quest for the meaning of life , self-knowledge and exploration This book is one of the few literature that traverse this path

Most of us think that money was invented by the material world for purely material reasons , and that money was in some way evil or dirty inhibiting people from examining their true nature . Most of us were raised to believe that the love of money is the root of all evil Needleman argues otherwise . He explains that money holds the potential if understood properly , to be an instrument of self-knowledge and exploration . If only we would step back and look at the emotional and spiritual effects money has on us , the green stuff could serve the aim of self-knowledge ' and become a tool for breaking out ' of our mental prison , insists Needleman . Then we would appreciate existence as a gift

Needleman brilliantly used ancient Greek and Hebrew views of hell Christian teachings , the legend of King Solomon , Eastern wisdom , Meister Eckhart , Rilke , Emerson and an analysis of Max Weber and the roots of modern capitalism to get his message across

For Needleman , having lots of money can be like a drug . It can make you feel powerful and giddy . It can convince you that everything 's going to be okay . Money makes us unjustifiably feel that we 're better and more important than we really are . Needleman argues , when money can make you feel humble , then it 's really useful but if it fattens your ego , which it often does , you must then look out . That way lies madness . That 's what all the Greek tragedies are about -- hubris -- and that 's part of the problem with money . It is greatness , it is power , it is beauty Money is about love and relationships . It has a wonderful power to bring people together as well as tear them apart . You can 't escape money . If you run from it , it will chase you and catch you . Even Thoreau today would need a real estate agent to help him buy the cabin at...