However, it’s important to understand that our worry about money is – in most countries at this point in history – typically disconnected from any issues of survival. We could keep going on much less than we have – as almost everyone who ever lived has done. What drives us to accumulate is a psychological necessity, not a material one. We are under

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convinced that most of our actions in life are driven by a fear of death. Behind my money fears was a longing to feel that my life mattered. I suspect this is the same for many, and money is one shortcut we use to “prove” our worth. Yet in my experience, no amount of money ever seems to satisfy. Becker argues that the only way to transcend these ex

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The only way to resolve this tension is to remind yourself that you are already aware of the inevitable futility of a money-centered pursuit. That what you will see as ridiculous later can actually be perceived as ridiculous now.