The Tax We Impose on Ourselves by Our Pride...

Father Abraham continues...

"…three times as much by our pride,"

When Father Abraham talks about “pride” as a treble-tax he’s reminding America of one of its longest standing foibles: keeping up with the Jones’s.

Perhaps it’s just human. It’s been a recognized human frailty since Cain whacked Able.

Regardless, spending our money in an attempt to appear affluent, sophisticated, educated, informed, well-connected, etc. is real money that you trade for imagined gains that are no more substantial than smoke.

Many Americans believe wrongly that investments over which they have no control measures wealth, and possessions that they do not own, which they purchased with a loan, measures well-

being.

Darn Jones’s…

Literally more trouble than they’re worth.

Think about it...

The Tax We Impose on Ourselves by Our Idleness...

Father Abraham continues...

"...We are taxed twice as much by our idleness,"

Father Abraham’s math might be a bit obscure but one thing is certain; individually and collectively, we lose both income and assets by failing to act when action is appropriate or required.

Money comes from work. Success comes from handling that money well. That’s more work. Americans are the masters when it comes to making money from their work, but we have given in to idleness when it comes to managing our personal finances.

We have allowed the Behemoths to convince us that they know better than we do what is best for us. We have relinquished our power over our own money, and that is a greater burden than taxes ever could be.

A painful realization?

Father Abraham Begins…

Father Abraham stood up and replied, “If you would have my advice, I will give it you in short; for A word to the wise is enough, as Poor Richard says.”
Ah! The first words of Poor Richard and how profound are they. There’s more to come and, if Dr Agon Fly were as wise as Father Abraham, he might use fewer words with deeper meaning.

“[The crowd at the auction] joined in desiring him to speak his mind, and gathering round him he proceeded as follows.
“Friends,” said he, “the taxes are indeed very heavy, and, if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us.”

Father Abraham’s comment reflects one the most fundamental characteristics of Americans: the indomitable spirit that sees the insanity of governments and their attempts to manipulate the people and the economy with taxes, as a mere pot hole on the road of life.

His closing comment points to the next several topics, which illustrate how we create our own money problems.

Prepare to be surprised — and perhaps a bit embarrassed...