In the national health care debate insurance companies are often referred to as being "greedy". More specifically during discussions on the topic, the above accusation is often followed by the phrase "Money is the root of all evil" and business only cares about money.

It got me thinking....

Is money really evil and where did that phrase originate? Here are some thoughts on the subject.... let's take a philosophical stroll.


Is money the root of all evil?

I found that the saying is actually a common misquote from the New Testament: (Timothy 6:10)

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Evil is in the pursuit of the status that money provides, in either the form of greed to increase one's stature, or jealousy when losing status to others. It's been written that since money is merely a way to keep score, blaming money for evil is like blaming the scoreboard for the baseball game.

So now that we know ATM's are not Abodement Theomastix Machines and we don't carry wallets full of cursed currency [sorry, I tried] is money still bad?

My next thought train arrives at the station of actions. Like any tool its use is determined by the wielder. A spoon can be used to feed a starving person or dig him an early grave, it is up to you.

Preaching from a positive perch, what is noble is what money can do: The projects it can create, the debt it can eliminate, freedom.

• Provides for survival
• Provides the opportunity for success

The key is obviously what you do with it.

The phrase "To those who have been given much, much is expected." is also sometimes used to guilt those who are successful into giving, or as an excuse to forever wait until I too have been given much before giving back. My opinion is that this phrase doesn't really apply either. We are all fortunate in different ways and can give unto others if we so choose. Grr... that darn personal choice and responsibility stuff keeps coming up...

So what do we do? Go for money, go for success? Give, take? Red pill, blue pill?

Remembering some perspectives highlighted by Jim Rohn: We all have different personalities. Some of us are too shy, some are too loud, some of us like tractor square dancing, but what makes us civil in a civilized society is how we balance the good side and bad side, the positive and negative, our dual nature. It is not something that we can manage to an end, there isn't a finish.

The key is how do we show the most of the good and the least of the bad? How do we work on and change things that are not in our best interest, in our thinking process, our plans for the future, our thoughts with others at the kitchen table or in enterprise?

Go for money, go for success, as much as you possibly can in a reasonable amount of time and with reasonable balance in your life. Work and earn, give and take, minimizing the detriment to others and maximizing the impact for good.

What is your view?