A Money Mindset is a Delusional Mindset

A money mindset is a capitalist mindset—it puts profits over people. A money mindset is responsible for wealth inequality and classism. A money mindset contributes to and perpetuates racism, white privilege, and misogyny.

Our society inflates the usefulness of money. It becomes an idol and the end result for much of what we do. This is not by choice. Our social systems, economics, and central banks force us into competition creating artificial scarcity. Under these conditions, a money mindset is born.

A money mindset is popular in self-improvement circles. However, it’s disguised as a “millionaire mindset'' or “manifesting money.” These programs are generally marketing gimmicks designed to take your money and deliver no real value. What they do is massage your ego, push your scarcity buttons, reinforce your privilege, and create delusional thinking about money. At best, you will learn how to become a good capitalist, but usually you’ll be reciting affirmations like, “Money flows to me in an infinite amount of abundance.”

I understand that we need a certain amount of money to live in our society. So yes—money is important. But remember this: money is attached to people. The money mindset puts profits over people. You will continuously have money problems with this mindset. You will betray your heart and lose integrity.

We are stuck in a system that coerces us into a money mindset, but we do have the choice to adopt a new perspective. Let’s focus on…

Being useful

This type of mindset asks the question, “How may I be useful to you?” There’s nothing complex about it. When you’re useful to someone, that person appreciates what you gave to them. An appreciative person will happily part with their money and send it your way.

Notice that I used the word useful. There are two parts to being useful. First, you have to be skilled at what you do. Second, people have to want—not need—what you are providing. Therefore, “making money” ethically requires you to intersect your skills with what people want.

Focusing on being “useful” is one pathway out of capitalism. Capitalism puts profits over people. This system corners and hoarders resources behind a paywall. How is it that 108 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States each year? That’s roughly $408 billion in food thrown away each year yet millions are starving. The answer is capitalism.

Being useful and capitalism do not go together. There is no such thing as excess, misallocation, or marginalization with usefulness. Usefulness focuses on fair and equitable distribution and appropriate giving—not too much but not too little.

Be useful. Because that’s what our hearts truly desire.

I trust that this post was useful to you.

References: <www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/…>