"For the Love of Money" By SAM POLK at the New York Times

[applegrove]

For the Love of Money

By SAM POLK at the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/19/opinion/sunday/for-the-love-of-money.html?_r=0

"SNIP........................................


DESPITE my realizations, it was incredibly difficult to leave. I was terrified of running out of money and of forgoing future bonuses. More than anything, I was afraid that five or 10 years down the road, I’d feel like an idiot for walking away from my one chance to be really important. What made it harder was that people thought I was crazy for thinking about leaving. In 2010, in a final paroxysm of my withering addiction, I demanded $8 million instead of $3.6 million. My bosses said they’d raise my bonus if I agreed to stay several more years. Instead, I walked away.

The first year was really hard. I went through what I can only describe as withdrawal — waking up at nights panicked about running out of money, scouring the headlines to see which of my old co-workers had gotten promoted. Over time it got easier — I started to realize that I had enough money, and if I needed to make more, I could. But my wealth addiction still hasn’t gone completely away. Sometimes I still buy lottery tickets.

In the three years since I left, I’ve married, spoken in jails and juvenile detention centers about getting sober, taught a writing class to girls in the foster system, and started a nonprofit called Groceryships to help poor families struggling with obesity and food addiction. I am much happier. I feel as if I’m making a real contribution. And as time passes, the distortion lessens. I see Wall Street’s mantra — “We’re smarter and work harder than everyone else, so we deserve all this money” — for what it is: the rationalization of addicts. From a distance I can see what I couldn’t see then — that Wall Street is a toxic culture that encourages the grandiosity of people who are desperately trying to feel powerful.

I was lucky. My experience with drugs and alcohol allowed me to recognize my pursuit of wealth as an addiction. The years of work I did with my counselor helped me heal the parts of myself that felt damaged and inadequate, so that I had enough of a core sense of self to walk away.




......................................SNIP"

[Squinch]

1. Dupe, but I'll rec it again because it was that good.

[applegrove]

2. Oh sorry. I'll leave it up for the late crowd.

[Squinch]

3. Seriously, do. The other one sank and it is such a worthwhile read.

[freshwest]

5. Thanks, I would have missed it altogether if you hadn't posted it. n/t

[JaneyVee]

4. Oh my goodness, what a great article.

[shanti]

6. Definitely a good read

[TxDemChem]

7. I'm just now seeing this, so I don't mind the dupe

I almost married two men who had those same ideas. I dodged 2 bullets. I could have sworn one would sell his soul to the devil for success.