Once upon a time there was a man who loved money, let’s call him “the miser”.He didn’t like to spend money, and he didn’t want to buy things with money.One day, he did something that people couldn’t figure out – he sold all the things in his house and got a bunch of gold.
After the man got the gold, he didn’t put them at home or take them to the bank to save them, but secretly buried them in a place not far from his home.Since then, he went to see the gold every day to make sure they were still there, as if the gold was his life.
A nearby sheep herder noticed this strange behavior.He watched for days and finally discovered the secret.As soon as the miser left, he secretly dug up the gold and took it away.
The next day, the miser went to see his gold as usual, only to find that the nuggets were gone.He was so anxious that he sat down on the ground and cried, and beat his chest while crying, and was very sad.
When a man passed by and saw him so sad, he asked him, “What’s the matter with you?Why are you crying like this?”
The miser told him the whole story.
The man smiled after hearing this and said, “Don’t be too sad.In fact, although you bought these gold pieces, you never used them; they are just a thought to you.You can now go and find a stone, put it in the hole, and go and look at it every day, imagining that it is gold, and won’t you be happy?You never used the gold before anyway.”
The truth behind the story
This story may seem made up, but it speaks to a very real problem: some people are so obsessed with money that they are unwilling to spend it, and they don’t know how to use it to improve their lives.This behavior is actually unhealthy.It’s like the miser who obviously had wealth but never really enjoyed the benefits of that wealth.
The shepherd who stole the gold, on the other hand, although he did something wrong, from a certain point of view, he at least used the gold to possibly buy something to eat or wear, or to help himself or his family.The miser, on the other hand, was like a man who had a mountain of treasure but would not enter it.
What does this story tell us?
The value of money lies in its use, not in its possession.
You have made a lot of money.
If you earn a lot of money but keep it hidden, it’s the same as not having any.Money is for living, not for psychological comfort.
Don’t overindulge in material things.
That miser going through gold every day is no longer a normal way of life.His dependence on money even exceeds his love of life.
Learn to manage wealth wisely.
A truly smart person does not just save money or spend it recklessly, but knows when to spend it and where it is most worthwhile.
Wealth itself is meaningless, what it can bring is important.
If you can’t use wealth to make yourself better off or help others, then that wealth has no real value to you.
Conclusion:
This story reminds us that the most important thing in life is not how much you have, but what you can do with that possession.Whether it’s money or any other resource, it can only be truly useful if it is used and shared.Hopefully, we can all be smart people who can make money as well as spend it.
