Money is truly fascinating. Just as the two sides of a coin bear different shapes, and sometimes acts as a tool that decides between life and death for gamblers, money actually contains both tenderness and heartlessness at the same time.
Money clearly has its advantages. By serving as the price to purchase goods and services, it provides freedom to the human who spends the cost, and it can also become a means to satisfy individual desires according to each person's own wishes. For example, once an individual achieves financial stability, they gain the freedom to pursue their interests and passions through additional consumption beyond basic living needs.
However, at the same time, money also has a quality that leads humans toward the endless pursuit of material desires and eventually induces them to fall into a new form of dependency.
From "Schopenhauer's Life Lessons: How to Live Your One and Only Life"
I ask myself, "Am I any different?" and ponder for a moment. When can one achieve what people often call "financial freedom"? If I keep solving problems with money, at some point I see things that the money I have cannot solve, and I earn money to solve those things, and as I diligently spin myself within this invisible wheel of life, I suddenly get the chills thinking that I will soon be scattered into the sea as white ash.
Curious about what kind of attitude one should have and how one should live, I hurry to continue the book.
Next is the 'recognition of inner value.' True satisfaction and happiness originate from within. Therefore, one should not pursue money and property, but place more value on one's own inner development and mental satisfaction. This emphasizes the deep satisfaction that humans can obtain through their own existence and experiences.
Lastly, it is 'recognizing the importance of satisfaction and gratitude.' Being grateful for and satisfied with what you currently have is also important. An attitude of trying to find satisfaction in the current situation, rather than endlessly pursuing more, can promote inner peace and happiness.
If we follow these methods and adopt a healthy attitude toward money, we will be able to take the good from money and avoid the dangerous, becoming true masters of money.
From "Schopenhauer's Life Lessons: How to Live Your One and Only Life"
By being satisfied with and grateful for what I currently possess, I can achieve true financial independence, where we take the good from money and avoid its dangers. It is not just about earning money well to achieve financial independence, but if I feel satisfaction and add gratitude for the things I enjoy through the money I earn, I do not think I will finish my life as the terrifying white ash eternally subordinate to money.