S E L F-C ON FIDE N C E 195The Fear of Poverty
It requires courage to tell the truth about the origins of this fear, and
still greater courage, perhaps, to accept the truth after it has been told.
The fear of poverty grew out of man's inherited tendency to prey upon
his fellow man economically. Nearly all lower forms of animals have in-
stinct but appear not to have the power to reason and think; therefore,
they prey upon one another physically. We, with our superior sense
of intuition, thought, and reason, do not eat our fellow human beings
bodily; we get more satisfaction out of eating others financially!
Of all the ages of the world of which we know anything, the age
in which we live seems to be the age of money worship. A person is
considered less than the dust of the earth unless they can display a fat
bank account. Nothing brings us so much suffering and humiliation
as does poverty. No wonder we fear poverty. Through a long line of
inherited experiences with others like us, we have learned for certain that
this animal cannot always be trusted where matters of money and other
evidences of earthly possessions are concerned.
Many marriages have their beginning (and oftentimes their ending)
solely on the basis of the wealth possessed by one or both of the parties.
It is no wonder that the divorce courts are busy!
"Society" could quite properly be spelled "$ociety," because it is
inseparably associated with the dollar sign. So eager are we to possess
wealth that we will acquire it in whatever manner we can; through legal
methods if possible, through other methods if necessary.
The fear of poverty is a terrible thing!
A man may commit murder, engage in robbery, rape, and all other
manner of violation of the rights of others and still regain a high sta-
tion in the minds of people of his society, providing always that he
does not lose his wealth. Poverty, therefore, is a crime-an unforgivable
sin, as it were.
No wonder we fear it!