Money: Some Things It Can (and Cannot) Buy

Money is valued greatly in our society for what it can do. But there are many things that it cannot do.

The Norwegian writer Arne Garborg wisely stated that money "can buy food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; knowledge but not wisdom; glitter, but not beauty; fun, but not joy; acquaintances, but not friends; servants, but not faithfulness; . . . ." (as quoted in an English translation on various websites, including MindYourDecisions.com, Quoteland.com, Azquotes.com, and numerous other websites with slight variations in wording.

People who love money so much that they put getting financial wealth first in their lives may get a lot of money through dishonesty or other means, but they won't enjoy themselves. I feel that the important thing to remember is that if we do what is right, our needs are typically taken care of.

Whether a person has a few coins as in the picture below, a huge stack of paper money, or large quantities of money in the bank, the money can't make a person happy.

  

Put the Highest Righteous Authority, God, First

Jesus' words in Matthew 6:25-33 offer a Christian perspective on this. Please consider reading them, especially if you are a Christian.

As I see it, people who put obeying the highest righteous authority, God, first by caring about others, finding a need and filling it, making good use of their time, etc., usually find that they get their needs met either through getting the things they need or getting the money to buy them, along with the ability to enjoy them.

Also, try to remember that some very poor people in monetary terms are/were very joyous because of their blessings, and many wealthy are/were not joyous due to worries about losing their money, fear that someone will steal their money or kill them for it, quarrels with friends and/or relatives over money, poor health, etc.

What is the ideal situation for humans living on Earth? Ideally, perhaps we could all live in a "garden of Eden" with food free for the taking from delicious trees nearby, as well as comfortable temperatures and a wonderful climate that let us enjoy living outdoors without needing to wear clothing, build shelter, or work for other needs. In this "garden of Eden," we could just enjoy ourselves, fellowship with others, and benefit from our blessings from God and others. And if the population of the Earth were smaller, perhaps we could all live in a geographical location that shares many of these characteristics.

Closing Thoughts

Regardless of where we live, we need to avoid succumbing to false and misleading advertising that tries to convince us to spend money on products or services we don't need. Years ago someone stated words similar to, "The purpose of advertising is to make someone unhappy and to convince them that the way to happiness is to buy the product that is being advertised." That statement makes much sense. (By the way, if anyone knows the source of the quote, please let me know. I heard it at least twice, including in a church sermon, but the minister didn't know the original source.)

I'll close by stating that true joy comes from within, from appreciating our blessings, not from what we buy. Let's seek to enjoy our blessings.

NOTE:

This article originally posted on October 5, 2015 was expanded from a comment I made on Facebook.com earlier the same day. 

This article was last revised on April 4, 2023.