The Impact of Wealth
October 17th
I don't have a problem with guilt about money. The way I see it is that my money represents an enormous number of claim checks on society. It's like I have these little pieces of paper that I can turn into consumption. If I wanted to, I could hire 10,000 people to do nothing but paint my picture every day for the rest of my life. And the GDP would go up. But the utility of the product would be zilch, and I would be keeping those 10,000 people from doing AIDS research, or teaching, or nursing. I don't do that though. I don't use very many of those claim checks. There's nothing material I want very much. And I'm going to give virtually all of those claim checks to charity when my wife and I die.
Wealth is more than personal gain; it's a powerful tool that can impact society. Each dollar signifies a potential contribution to society, creating jobs, funding research, or supporting education.
Yet, consumption for the sake of consumption, despite potentially boosting GDP, does not inherently benefit society. Diverting valuable human resources from beneficial endeavors such as research or education for self-serving indulgence is a misuse of wealth.
Finally, the ethos of philanthropy rings loud. The intention to give the majority of wealth to charity reinforces the belief that wealth should be utilized for the betterment of society. This is a reminder for us all to consider wealth as a potential societal contribution. The way we manage our resources should always keep in mind the broader needs of society.
Copyright © 2023 by Scott Sansovich