There’s been some amazing dialogue going since the post last week on: How Much is Enough? In the posts since, some great insights have come out and they’re helping people understand how they may be sabotaging their own prosperity. Let’s dig yet deeper and see what foundational beliefs YOU have about money and prosperity…
Brian wrote, “Millions ARE oppressed by others pursuing greed…which I define as money-generating actions that harm, take advantage of, or hoodwink others.”
What does this statement really translate as to most people?
“Rich people are evil. Poor people are just. The rich became so by taking advantage of the poor.”
Now if that is your core, foundational belief about money, do you really think your subconscious mind will ever let you become successful? Not a chance. It will work to self-sabotage every time you near a breakthrough.
Do some rich people get greedy and try to take advantage others? Absolutely. But it is important to note that many poor people do this as well. In fact, a lot more than rich people.
I will say that it was a lot harder to keep my moral compass when I was poor than when I became rich. When you need money to pay the electric bill or the rent, it’s pretty easy to validate some things you may not otherwise.
One day I saw a headline in the Fort Lauderdale newspaper. It read, “Millionaire Arrested for Murder”
Funny, I never saw a headline that read, “Poor Person Arrested for Murder"
Think about that. Really think about that, because the insights it provides you could be what cause you to really identify any limiting beliefs you have about money.
Would you have had that same reaction I did when you saw that headline? Well you can know the answer easier, because I used it for the title of this post. You’re busted.
-RG
Prosperity TV
Damn you, Randy Gage! Making us THINK!?
Seriously, I saw your tweet that said "Millionaire Arrested For Murder", and the predominant thought that ran through my head is "Man, this should be interesting as hell! Why would Randy link a news story about a Millionaire arrested for murder? What point is he gonna try to make in this one?"
I guess curiosity was my peak mode for this one.
You are right, they never say "Poor Person arrested for Murder".
I also find it interesting, that there is a specific name for rich people, based on how much they're worth.
Poor people are all lumped into the "poor people" category. Why is that?
The headline basically panders to the masses. If it had read "poor man commits murder" most people might have bought it, and would have sympathasized or had a different reaction than if it read "millionaire commits murder".
It allows people to site down and self righteously say "I told you so....those rich people are evil! At least we are honest..." lol... Its a crazy headline though.
Randy, how do you respond if people close to you, i.e family, etc, or others accuse you of just caring about money? Whats a good way to counter that? Do I lecture them about trading value for value or what?
Randy...to be fair, my statement about millions being oppressed by rich people in pursuit of greed was to answer the question about one of the reasons why this meme exists. It's because it has a core element of truth. That is NOT to say that all, most or even the majority of rich people in the U.S. do so. But because historically this has been the case (and I don't think we can be intellectually honest it we don't stipulate to that) we have to deal with that. When wealth or prosperity is based on finite resources...and physical or political power is used to literally take it from others...then yes, you have the creation of a meme. I absolutely do believe that we are in an age where prosperity for INDIVIDUALS can be completely de-linked from this meme. I absolutely concur with your exchange concept...that we exchange value for money. I believe that is just, fair, and chock full of integrity. I don't obsess at all over the history of the rich and powerful oppressing the poor...but I don't pretend that it didn't exist either.
"Like"
Okay I'll accept that. One thing I'd like you to think about.
What would you think if I told you that a lot more more poor people cheat and steal than rich people do?
-RG
Like a wiseman once said..."Money isn't the root of all evil...Lack of money is..."
Poverty doesn't bring out the best of the human spirit.
I have to say that brian has a point, but randy is right.
I think that a few people have made the point that agrees with you Randy- about more poor people cheating and stealing- and that's why the headline was attention-getting.
Even the most jaded of the "poor are oppressed by the rich" people would probably agree with that, but I think they would say that poor people cheat and steal things like cable service and sick days, whereas the rich steal neighborhoods and cultures.
Women say Men are liars.
Men say women are liars.
As Chris Rock says "Yeah, men's lies are: 'I was at Tony's House', but women's lies are: 'It's Your Baby!'"
🙂
Paragraph 1; ok.
Paragraph 2; really?
Paragraph 3; what?
Paragraph 4; where the hell did that come from?
Enough is when you are in balance and have no gluttony. Enough to meet your needs. Your needs hopefully include helping others. Only when wealth or anything else is wasted is "enough" surpassed.
Enough to meet your needs sounds very limiting. Your definition of excess is what will limit your prosperity and judging other people's 'wants' as excessive is a form of jealousy. Our basic needs are actually quite small, people just confuse needs and wants. You don't 'need' a car - you can use public transport. You don't 'need' a mobile phone - you can use a public phone. It might be inconvenient, sure. A lot of the things that we have are actually things that we WANT because they make our life easier.
Our Needs are a warm cave, clean air, clean water and some food. That is where our needs end.
Everything else after that is wants. We are so far beyond needs that to even talk about 'needs' is ridiculous.
What society calls "needs" is usually the average lifestyle of the masses. At one time electricity and running water would have been a luxury, but now everyone talks about them as they are basic human needs and human rights. What is now called "needs" would be a better life than Great Kings of the 12th century had. Running water, electric, phones, cars, aeroplanes, trains, entertainment, food from all over the world etc.
That is why so many people are against the Oil companies, because they feel it is their God given right to have Oil for almost free. So when the market changes they criticise the very people who supply them with what they want because the price has gone up a bit.
Even in the UK, Oil is cheaper than bottled water which falls from the sky for free. Then people still say Oil costs too much and those evil companies should be stopped.
It is basically all "wants" in the current economy, not "needs".
Randy,
Few realize the programming we receive, 24-7 365. The headline made me take notice and I have never seen an article titled "Poor Person Arrested For Murder."
The fact that we don't see Ferrari commercials shows that most don't have a prosperity consciousness. Remember to set up a BS filter guys because your subconscious doesn't care what you feed it, it's going to eat no matter what.
Ryan Biddulph
I loved that title. When I got your email this morning, I was like, I have to learn more. You just cracked the code on marketing with that headline. I'm sure you will get more readers today than probably ever.
As for poor vs. rich and poor being sacred while the rich are evil. I will say, in my experiences most of the rich people I know have been good quality, but there have been some really bad ones too. Of all the poor people I have known over the years there has been some really good quality poor people, and some bad ones.
Personally, I look at everyone as equal and we all can have wealth if we choose, but it's all about a mindset. The pursuit of money alone will not make one very successful, but the pursuit of passion for your ideals, dreams, and goals will. Do it for the love and the money will follow.
When I read your headline, I already knew the point you were going to make- that most people would be GLAD to hear about some rich guy:
"getting his comeuppances for being all rich and greeeedy!"
I would be wondering why the rich guy didn't just get a way with it by buying someone off- That's what I would do:
"Some poor, broke Cop would let me get away with murder because poor people are all greeeeedy and would do anything to get a little pocket change from meeeee."
I actually think the only reason we don't see "Poor guy arrested for murder" as a headline is because that's what we expect- isn't it?
I assume whenever I hear a murder story that it's a poor guy (I DID grow up in NYC people!), so a rich guy is different, and therefore news.
If the headline read "Circus Clown Arrested For Murder", I think that would also get attention too- its unexpected.
Besides, I'd want to know how he did it:
"It was Mr. Bubbles, in the elephant cage, with a spritzer!"
Motive? He wanted to have his OWN car instead of driving around with his whole family- Greeeeedy Clowns!
It is true that a billion people cant have same motive, but the percentage of people who are not comfortable with rich people is higher. So, when a general statement is made it is based on a larger percentage view point than every body, one by one view point. It is true, when a man is rich, poor people become uncomfortable in his presence.
Since following your posts, I've been paying careful attention to who we villainize and who we look to as our heros, particularly in films and media. When the ambassador's daughter fell to her death on Monday, I happened to overhear a newscast covering this "breaking story" and the only thing they were trying to break was the man's image - and the "luxury apartment" building's reputation.
"Funny, I never saw a headline that read 'Poor person arrested for murder'"
Love it! I had never thought about it before. And that you focus our attention on how and where our attention goes in relation to "news" and how it relates to wealth-consciousness in this instance.
I look forward to your posts everyday, and learn something from them, am challenged in my thinking and memes and am expanding my consciousness as I grow in prosperity.
Thanks, Randy. Here's to the excellent quality of your posts!
-Heather
-RG,
This is my fav:
"Now if that is your core, foundational belief about money, do you really think your subconscious mind will ever let you become successful? Not a chance. It will work to self-sabotage every time you near a breakthrough."
You are what you think. The good news is that you can reprogram yourself!
I liked this article that GK posted. Should prove it is not always the commas in the checkbook, but the character that goes unchecked.
http://www.futurity.org/society-culture/men-who-earn-less-cheat-more/
As always,
Thank you!
g
The headline read that way because the assumption is that rich people have it all together. Poor people lie, cheat and steal because they have to in order to get by... it's a shock when a millionaire does those things, because they shouldn't need to, and that makes it newsworthy.
Kinda the opposite of the reason you said, Randy, but that's my perspective having worked in mainstream TV and radio news.
cheers
Heather
I know you would think that way, but I promise you most of the readers of that paper don't think that way!
-RG
LOL i'm busted.
What I could understand is that true prosperity is, applied right thinking and pure spirituality sometimes perceived and blamed on as extreme materialism. Connecting to the infinite by perceiving the opportunity and believing in it is the skill that is being promoted. Knowing that disbelief and fear doesn't help and trust is one great lesson to learn.
Great Post Randy.
I think we are missing another point here. Perceptions and attitudes change with the times. Unfortunately over the last few decades, we have seen an ever growing disdain of the Plebeian. One only has to look at the news and see why.
The Enron scandal. The fall of Worldcom. Bernie Madoff and his ponzi scheme. Subprime lending and the fall of our financial markets that lost people their life savings and retirements. This while hedging companies made billions betting on the success/failure of that market.
Lobbyists dumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the political process and into the campaigns and pockets of our elected leaders.
The truth is that we've gone astray from the days of the Rockefellers. A family that is still the beloved family of the people of West Virginia. Mainly because they gave back to the people and felt that, with prosperity came the responsibility to give back to those who were less fortunate in their livelihoods. These Rockefelleresque (made up a new word.. lol) people are still around, as you well know, and I have personally witnessed from you.
The problem is that they are overshadowed by the doom and gloom perception that is cast upon the populus as a means for selling newspapers and getting ratings. Articles about who the main benefactor of the performing arts is and and who helps improve our culture down here won't sell (yes I know, and do care btw). But I guarantee you people would buy 50,000 newspapers if the article about that same person read "Millionaire Arrested for Murder." It's a sad statement about where we are today.
I keep going back to "when is enough, enough". I watched a motivational video about Will Smith. He works harder than most ever will and achieves more than most ever will. Is he greedy for working so hard? He strives constantly to improve his skill. A statement he made was if he is on a treadmill with you, you will get off before he does or he will die trying to beat you. How many will truely push themselves that hard? The point is we have to hone our skills and in the process we get better at what we do. If we do it purely for financial reward, there is no satisfaction gained from it. If we do it to be the best that we can be and then work at getting better, then the rewards will be there. Unfortunately most want the reward now, then they say they will put the effort in to get a little better, maybe. The headline should be "Millionaire guilty of excessive effort to succeed" or, "the poor the recepient of efforts made, again." I believe I deserve more but my actions up until now have led me to my current level of prosperity. Work hard and work smart!
LOL like the busted part
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Actually, when I saw the title I attracted to "Millionaire" phrase because I want to become one 🙂 . And also asked myself why would a millionaire do that?
I was watching your last 3 videos the other day (Finally) , after watching the "Is Prosperity Infinite?"
I thought to myself and came up with an idea:
Okay,there are some mean,evil rich people but there are some evil poor too. It's better to say there are some mean people in the world, but why insisting on labeling them with their income,nationality,religion etc. We really need to stop this labeling thing,if someone from wherever,whatever income etc. do something bad he is a bad person because of doing that not because he belongs to those category.
Oops, seems like I myself did labeling thing at first too,I need to work on me more.
I agree with Heather Vale Goss above. However, as we know:
You don’t necessarily have it all together or even know anything about who and what you are because you're "rich" and "successful" by the "charade" definition.
You're not necessarily healthy because you're a healer or personal trainer looking good either.
I particularly like the "realizes the story is fake" part in one of the previous posts.
And by the way, there is a reason it's called TV PROGRAMS, as in PROGRAMMING.
The "charade" is actually pretty obvious, masked but still out in the open. That's the best place to "hide", and that's how "they" get away with it.
You have accepted it. Hook, line and sinker.
You certainly have to "swish" things around a bit, like Randy does here, to at least get through the first layers of absolutely blatant attempts of oppression.
Yeah, there are people in this world who do oppress others, but even worse are the people who refuse to do nothing.
Unfortunately, people will accept tyranny for the certainty it brings, rather than attempt to bring about change. Individuality is what will change this world, not a committee or a group. After all, individuals make up groups.
Being human is a dance. If we are too different society will ostracize us. If we are not different enough, we get lost in the noise.
If we give too much we put ourselves below the group, and if we take that which we did not create value to obtain, we are exploiting others.
Being Selfish is the best thing you can do for yourself and the world, which is a lot different than being predatory.
I have known some rich and successful people. I am not, but I work on it everyday, even though the future is uncertain.
Heather, I agree with you completely. Some people are so success oriented they don't have relationships or health. They work 80 hours a week, and have no life outside of their job, art or company.
Randy talks about this too, so I won't go into detail.
I have noticed though, although there are a lot of poor people who are against capitalism, there are rich people who are too.
The music and movie industries (not the entire industry, speaking for simplicity) refuse to adopt to changes in the marketplace and the world, and instead are engaging in illegal predatory practices because people don't buy everything they release. If people aren't interested in something I create, I have to find out why, and change accordingly. However, almost an entire industry believes that it doesn't have to collaborate with its audience. Sounds like entitlement to me.
Money would be better spent changing their business, but they aren't, and alienating talent and customers. They have no business without talent or customers.
It's not the 50s anymore where they have complete control over the distribution and marketing. In our social world, people spread art, and decide what becomes popular, not people in a board room.
This is something they are not willing to accept.
Buying an album used to be an experience, but now it's only a product, about the bottom line, and not about value. There is nothing wrong with something being just a product, but we're talking about art here, something that moves people.
I am an electronic music person, and I have begun to form alliances with people, my goal is that we can create a more social oriented media company. Tired of anti-capitalists touting "free markets!" while at the same time lobbying congress and engaging in practices that hurt their customers, employees, and the talent.
I believe that business has a duty to provide value to its customers, and treat people like human beings. The world benefits from that, it makes people wealthy, enlightens, entertains, and it can provide jobs.
After all, being in business is a privilege, not a right.
(Move the World)
Randy,
Wow that was something else to make me think. The reason the title is that is because it sells papers. People are caught by the word millionaire. No one cares about a poor person getting arrested for murder.
I agree that what has impressed me about most rich people I have met is their ability to care about others and to give. I find a lot of poor people areworried about me, me,me. Giving doesn't have to be money and I think that is what differentiates poor people from rich.
Bones I love your wit and honesty and you would make a great Santa...
Thanks,
Jim
Hahaha! Thanks Jim! And you're right- no one cares about a poor person being arrested- that's commonplace!
Yes, your headline made me look but my question was 'what's Gage up to now" 🙂
Hey Randy,
Interesting headline and made my mind flip flop and tilt a bit... I believe that man's biggest challenge is his in ability to receive what we was born to have. This includes money and everything else that keeps us in a state of lack and poverty.
Thanks for the mind shift and a good brainwash.
Make it a great day!
God Bless,
-ed
Randy I think that the masses' response to that headline would have been 'gotcha!' - gleeful that a rich person finally got busted, especially since they think they're crooked anyway. I thought that the headline was interesting when I first saw it. I was wondering what being rich had to do with committing murder, but knowing your propensity for attention grabbing headlines, I figured it was just the start of yet another intellectually stimulating discourse.
ok, I don't want to get off topic here, but I can't help but notice a recurring theme amongst many of the people who claim to support your views. many of them mention that they agree with your points of how people are misguided on thinking that the pursuit of wealth is wrong and that rich people are evil, but they seem to imply in their language a sort of caveat, (so long as they give back some of that wealth). like the gentleman above who spoke of the Rockefellers and rockefellian people. they were adored because they believed in giving back and many people are still like that today which makes them good.....this is the general idea of that post. I feel like these are symptoms of the same problem. this line of thinking does not adopt the premise that your own happiness is your highest moral purpose. it also seems like this line of thinking rejects the honest selfish pursuit of wealth as virtuous. I want wealth so that I can use it to become wealthier. so that I can bold and grow my businesses, my influence, and thereby my self esteem. as a byproduct of this selfish pursuit will I create jobs, provides value and goods and services, and perhaps give to charity if it makes me feel good.
yes, I agree that giving does help your prosperity grow....but it is not the philanthropic or altruistic ideals that make the pursuit of wealth right and just. it is the selfish pursuit of wealth by the rational producer that makes it right and just.
Anthony,
I'm not saying that being greedy is a bad thing. Even if you decide to not be philanthropic, I won't lose sleep. I was merely pointing out that the public perception of the wealthy class has changed from the days of "old money" in our country where people appreciated the freedom and opportunity given to them and felt they needed to give back. This has been overshadowed by the corruption and misuse of power and wealth that has dominated the last few decades. I was pointing out how the public at large has changed their view, over time, because of this paradigm shift. It's your money, my friend. You earned it. Do with it as you please. As I will make my own decision regarding my own money.
p.s. My viewpoint is mine, and mine alone, after careful and critical thought. It's only a symptom of the same problem if you don't think for yourself. It is only a mind virus if you don't make your own decision about what to do with your own money. It's simple Anthony.. I do get it. I also get that if everyone at the table is thinking the same thing, there is only one person thinking. It's refreshing to see so many different points of view.
I like this exchange between you guys, and I'd like to add that IN THEORY, you're getting wealthy would be from a TRADE of value that you have GIVEN already...
In theory.
I think we realize that in practice it's not always that way, but it would be nice if it were.
The notion of making money and giving it away seems ridiculous. It implies that to make it you need to something that destroys the planet and giving it to worthy causes makes it all better.
The creation of wealth is best enjoyed when the creation of it is by providing solutions to problems and enhancing other peoples lives. In return they give us cash to enhance our lives. If the money is made by making the world better then giving it away would be stupid.
Reinvesting it into more solutions so that is continues to grow and make everyones lives better is the most noble and prosperous way to build more wealth.
Micro financing is a perfect example. Rather than throwing money at charities that burn through it and waste much of it, it would be wiser to lend it to people to get themselves out of poverty while making a profit on that money so that it can be used to do the same for even more people. In return our net worth will grow and everyone who deals with us will be better off as a result.
Money is just a supercharger to our Mission Statement. If we believe in ourselves and believe in our Mission then we should believe in creating huge wealth.
Chris, first of all that was not a personal attack. I didn't say anything about a mind virus either. I never sqid anythint that would require you to defend your stance on the grounds of having an original idea. I didn't ask anyone to sibscribe to any type of dogma.
Your response, however, was Illustrative of my point. First, you said "i never said neong greedy was a bad thing." I wasn't speaking of greed. The fact that that is what you think it is was my point. Next, you wont lose sleep if I am not philanthropic. It's not about not MINDING if a rich person isnt "good". It's about not recognizing that selfishness is a virtue.
You breath for no other but yourself, you eat for no other....and you produce for no other......and that Is NOBLE. To not think so is a disservice to you and your businessmen brethren.
I`ve been talking the prosperity talk for sometime now and agree with you on the points above.
However I think deep down I may still believe that rich people are:
Greedy
Evil
Nasty
Dishonest
Screw over the poor(honest, just, humble)
Unhappy
People will only want them for their money
Logically and consciously I know this isnt true about the rich and have argued that many a time.
So how do I overcome such beliefs?
Haha, very tricky post title there, Randy :D. My beliefs about money and the rich have really changed for the better (they weren't that bad though). Even though the headline got me thinking what it really was, I knew you had something behind it :D. I think the person who started the whole negative mind programming about money and the rich is called the world. The world started it, not one individual. I guess the media also need those titles and headlines to sell their news and articles and then it in turn provides a negative mind programming about money that affects the whole world.
Mostly it was the Religions and the Royals at the time who created it. This happened because the poor would have revolted and turned to mass looting if they were not sold on the idea that poverty was noble and that they would get theirs in the after life.
Telling them that it was spiritual to be poor made them easy to control. They just accepted it and lived lives of quite desperation feeling that God loved them more than the rich. Then the churches could continue to gather wealth and the people would just do what they were told to do.
Teach this to a child, add the fear of the Devil and they will hold onto it forever.
Some of you guys need to tune into Oliver Twist and see how the poor behaved back in the day! Hunger is a great motivator.
more please! lol.
I realize this is an old post,though since it is to be found under this itle and happens to be the title of my book.I challenge you to a debate.Your assertion that the poor are so much more dishonest than the wealthy because of necessity is either intentionally misleading or you believe the crap that you write.
Not only is greed and a sense of nobility the motivation and catalyst for their disenfranchisement of all others,but it is what makes many of these choices made by the poor a necessity.The few commit their dishonest acts on the scale of the millions and ultimately billions,whereby they deceive and defraud all men many times a day,multiplying their acts of dishonesty into an algebraic equation in order to determine the number and scale.
Not to mention the based on the level they are playing at you would compare a man that say overcharges or deceives a customer into buying something he or she doesnt need for instance with the fomenting of war or the compromising and leveraging of government and marketplaces.
With wholesale misery and manipulation.
Would love to debate you on any forum partner.
Daniel Flack contact me if your interested.