“Fables of Fortune†Author Richard Watts Has Advice for Those Most Concerned About Money.
Q: Richard, what is Fables of Fortune: What Rich People Have That You Don’t Want all about? What’s the basic message?
A: The basic message is directed at the middle class. Spending your life being critical of your own happiness in favor of a fantasy that money affords a problemless existence, endless entertainment and a life of contentment is wasting the precious time neither the “haves†nor “have-nots†get more of.
Q: How does this apply to today’s kids growing up in well-to-do homes?
A: It does not apply to the children of well to do homes, it applies to the parents. It is solely the fault of a parent in raising a “child of entitlement†who often, with best intentions, believes it is a benefit to take away the struggle and
indecision of their children. Once the children reach adulthood, their wings have had so little strengthening, their chances of flying are limited.
Q: Still, wouldn’t most rather be rich than poor? If it doesn’t make that much difference in terms of happiness, why is everyone so concerned with money?
A: Being rich affords opportunity and access if properly controlled and restrained. Money is like a loaded firearm, you have to be careful where you aim it. Also, wealth has problems of its own that are not apparent to the lookers on. Like a drug addiction, once the wealthy taste the cuisine of materialism, it is difficult to leave the table without wanting the next biggest target. Because wealth is relative, eventually many of the wealthy don’t recognize the difference between a want and a need. If they desire it, they can have it. And after a while, there is little that gives them a high. And if they look for solace for their unhappy dilemma, the world tends to treat them like they are not entitled to receive it.
Q: Anything else?
A: The American Dream used to be about personal freedom; carving out a niche in life that afforded one the opportunity to appreciate and control his or her own life. We are now bombarded with images and stories that suggest only becoming the richest of the rich, or being ultra famous, or reaching a station of trouble free happiness. There is still a lot of availability for personal freedom, but little space or reality in becoming super rich or famous. So perhaps revisiting the original American Dream might provide an attainable goal you may
just reach with greater satisfaction.
