Affluenza is the informal “street talk” term for the uncaring laziness that gets us when we have just enough money to be comfortable. The social status is often called “affluent”. But, money has its way of infecting its hosts with a diseased mentality that squanderously throwing money is the best say to solve any problem. The sad news about money is that it never solves any problems. The problems get distracted by eating the money—making the problem seem to go away for a short time—but then the problem returns with a vengeance, having fed on all the money just thrown at it.
Affluenza lurks behind the self-destructing CEO who doesn’t know how to rejuvenate a company’s vision. Money is earned by staying lean, reducing waste to a minimum, and working with the same energy as when you’re driving to make an important date. Money and security are eternal for no one. Even Jesus worked to die on the Cross and we can always count on him to carry his own load. That’s why he is a worthy king. Once a celebrity, company, or country presumes that money and security will “just be there” forever, the waste begins, the drive diminishes, and the said-to-be unsinkable flounders.
…it happens every time. That’s how—and why—every world superpower eventually falls. When leadership stops working hard and takes for granted what must be earned, everything starts to unravel.
The idea that wealth is bestowed—rather than earned through wasteless work—is the idea that keeps poor people poor. Affluenza is this same root of “poverty thinking” visited upon people with money. They may have money today, but when hard times come, those with affluenza will eat pistols and jump out of buildings because they had money without understanding it.
Symptoms show up in the form of canceling appointments because “we can always reschedule”. The notion of a missed opportunity doesn’t occur, even if the missed opportunity is both real and missed. When you’re hungry, every morsel counts. If you can spare extra morsels, it’s chivalrous to let morsels fall for the poor, but you’ll be poor again if you don’t treasure every morsel you let fall.