THE FEAR OF POVERTY
It takes bravery to disclose the truth about the source of this dread, and even more bravery, perhaps, to accept the truth after it has been spoken. The fear of poverty arose from man’s innate proclivity to exploit his fellow man economically. Almost all sorts of lower animals have instinct but appear to lack the ability to reason and think; as a result, they physically feed on one another. Man, with his higher senses of intuition, thought, and reason, does not devour his fellow men bodily; he derives greater satisfaction from financially eating them!
The age in which we live appears to be the age of money worship, out of all the ages of the world about which we know anything. Unless he has a large money account, a man is considered less than the dust of the earth. Nothing inflicts more pain and disgrace on man than poverty. It’s no surprise that men are afraid of poverty. Man has learned through a long line of inherited experiences with the man-animal that this animal cannot always be trusted when it comes to money and other shreds of evidence of earthly wealth.
Many marriages are formed (and frequently dissolve) entirely on the basis of the wealth of one or both of the contracting parties.
It’s no surprise that the divorce courts are overcrowded!
Because the word “society” is inextricably linked to the dollar sign, it may be spelled “$ociety.” Man is so desperate to obtain wealth that he will acquire it in any way he can, legally, if feasible, and illegally, if necessary.
Poverty fear is a nasty thing!
A man can commit murder, robbery, rape, and any other violation of the rights of others and still reclaim a high standing in the eyes of his fellow men, PROVIDED HE DOES NOT LOSE HIS WEALTH. Poverty is thus a crime—an unforgivable fault, if you will.
It’s no surprise that men are afraid of it!
Every statute book in the world gives witness to the fact that the dread of poverty is one of mankind’s six basic fears because every such book of laws contains many and varied rules intended to protect the poor against the strong. Spending time attempting to prove either that the fear of poverty is one of man’s hereditary anxieties or that this fear stems from man’s natural desire to defraud his fellow man is akin to attempting to prove that three times two equals six. Given that there is enough food, shelter, clothing, and luxury for everyone on earth, no man would ever be afraid of poverty if he had any reason to trust his fellow humans. However, man has a swinish habit of trying to push all the other “swine” out of the trough even when he has everything he needs.
