What Do You Think of this Statement I Recently Heard Someone Make?

Question

"Money is a Great Servant but a Terrible Master."
Ernest Chambers. Senator, Nebraska Legislature.

I like all of the answers. I guess I'll put it to a vote. BTW, for those who never heard him talk, Senator Chambers is not a typical politition. You'll love him or hate him, but he is the only sincere politition in the world.

Answer 1

How ironic that you quoted a senator to make your point. Like money, politicians are great servants but terrible masters.

Answer 2

I once heard an economist and financial analyst refer to money as "frozen potential". In other words, money is not any particular thing, but it has the potential to be whatever you want it to be. It is the genie in the bottle. When you think about it, money is really just a piece of paper (or piece of metal, or stone, or whatever it is that you use where you are). But that piece of paper is agreed upon by society as having value. It is this agreement that makes money useful. Without this societal conclusion that money is truly worth what we say it is, we would have to revert back to a bartering system where we trade goods for other goods. Bartering becomes very complex very quickly, and I would argue that it would be impossible to sustain the current way of life in the US without the use of money.

Many scientists, researchers, and doctors go back to school to acquire thier MBA degrees because the realize that the only way they can make positive changes to society is through other peoples wallets. In order to create and distribute a new drug that is going to cure a lot of people you have to make it profitable for companies to do so. It requires large ammounts of money to do big things. In this sense, it makes the ultimate servant.

However, the problems arrise when we stop thinking of money as a means to an end and consider it the end itself. Most people have one desire: to be happy. Money can do many things. It bestowes great power in its owner. With money, one can surround themselves with things that seem to bring happiness. Money also attracts newfound friends and lovers. However, money like technology is a double edged sword and can sometimes bring as much turmoil as it brings joy. This is when the money has shifted perspective from servant to master. I belive that if you want to know the true character of a person, than lavish them with money and it will shine through. Remember, even the rich search thier lives for meaning.

Answer 3

Money when used wisely is an excellent tool that can get us what we need. However, our perspective can become distorted. When money becomes the goal instead of the means, we become greedy for money. This can take over our sense of values. Money then becomes the master dictating to us and pushing us to make choices that can ruin our relationships with others and our own self-worth.

Answer 4

Ernest Chambers knows his stuff

Answer 5

I agree never let the money control you because the more it controls you the higher at risk you are

Answer 6

OMG

That is so true, i have another statement made by me similar like this one:

Money makes people REALLY bad

Answer 7

When money is telling you what to do, you will probably end up compromising your basic principles to get it, and then where would you be?

Answer 8

How true
-like, "Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."-

Answer 9

I like it.

Answer 10

It's true.