Saturday, September 19th, 2026, 7:41 am
Money is Not a Noble Goal
Filed under: 
never truly pursued money (I still don’t). I didn’t see the point. Tennis, for instance, was more fun. Computer games were fun too.
In my entire lifetime, or in my adult life as a student, I didn’t think I’d pursue a “career path” (ludicrous term, conflating life path with “career”) that nets me the most money I can possibly amass. It would be foolish to do so and it would not bring happiness, it might even accompany evil eyes, stress, and too high an expectation.
Yesterday in Geminispace I saw “Work for the sake of work” and today a friend sent me the HTML/HTTP version of the same. It makes some good points. When people do art they typically do it out of passion. As for money? Think about it. As 10cc put it, “for God’s sake…”*
Money can sometimes come if you do what you like. Sometimes it won’t come. And that’s OK. At least you do what you like and what might serve society best, with or without reward/compensation for it.
Sometimes the best paying jobs are jobs that actively harm society. True story!
The reason everyone is forced/pressured/shamed into work (as in salaried activity) is the assumption is that without this “social norm” people would be lazy and society would not improve. It would become “unproductive”.
Work that you go to (e.g. office, workplace) out of fear or pressure is a thing that leads to misery. But capitalism does not think in terms like Maslow’s.
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* Lyrics:
Gimme your body Gimme your mind Open your heart Pull down your blind Gimme your love, gimme it all Gimme in the kitchen, gimme in the hall Art for art's sake Money for God's sake Art for art's sake Money for God's sake Gimme the ready's Gimme the cash Gimme a bullet Gimme a smash Gimme a silver, gimme a gold Make it a million for when I get old Art for art's sake Money for God's sake Art for art's sake Money for God's sake Money talks so listen to it Money talks to me Anyone can understand it Money can't be beat, oh no When you get down, down to the root Don't give a damn don't give a hoot Still gotta keep makin the loot Chauffeur driven Gotta make her quick as you can Give her lovin' make you a man Get her in the palm of your hand Bread from Heaven Gimme a country Where I can be free Don't need the unions Burying me Keep me in exile the rest of my days Burn me in hell but as long as it pays Art for art's sake Money for God's sake Art for art's sake Money for God's sake Art for art's sake Money for God's sake Art for art's sake Money for God's sake
