rich dad poor dad-第8节

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〃I've　been　a　little　cruel　today；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃Cruel　for　a　reason。　I　want　you　to　always　remember　this　talk。　I　want　you　to　always　think　of　Mrs。　Martin。　I　want　you　always　to　think　of　the　donkey。　Never　forget；　because　your　two　emotions；　fear　and　desire；　can　lead　you　into　life's　biggest　trap；　if　you're　not　aware　of　them　controlling　your　thinking。　To　spend　your　life　living　in　fear；　never　exploring　your　dreams；　is　cruel。　To　work　hard　for　money；　thinking　that　money　will　buy　you　things　that　will　make　you　happy　is　also　cruel。　To　wake　up　in　the　middle　of　the　night　terrified　about　paying　bills　is　a　horrible　way　to　live。　To　live　a　life　dictated　by　the　size　of　a　paycheck　is　not　really　a　life。　Thinking　that　a　job　will　make　you　feel　secure　is　lying　to　yourself。　That's　cruel；　and　that's　the　trap　I　want　you　to　avoid；　if　possible。　I've　seen　how　money　runs　people's　lives。　Don't　let　that　happen　to　you。　Please　don't　let　money　run　your　life。〃
A　softball　rolled　under　our　table。　Rich　dad　picked　it　up　and　threw　it　back。
〃So　what　does　ignorance　have　to　do　with　greed　and　fear？〃　I　asked。
〃Because　it　is　ignorance　about　money　that　causes　so　much　greed　and　so　much　fear；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃Let　me　give　you　some　examples。　A　doctor；　wanting　more　money　to　better　provide　for　his　family；　raises　his　fees。　By　raising　his　fees；　it　makes　health　care　more　expensive　for　everyone。　Now；　it　hurts　the　poor　people　the　most；　so　poor　people　have　worse　health　than　those　with　money。
〃Because　the　doctors　raise　their　rates；　the　attorneys　raise　their　rates。　Because　the　attorneys'　rates　have　gone　up；　schoolteachers　want　a　raise；　which　raises　our　taxes；　and　on　and　on　and　on。　Soon；　there　will　be　such　a　horrifying　gap　between　the　rich　and　the　poor　that　chaos　will　break　out　and　another　great　civilization　will　collapse。　Great　civilizations　collapsed　when　the　gap　between　the　haves　and　havenots　was　too　great。　America　is　on　the　same　course；　proving　once　again　that　history　repeats　itself；　because　we　do　not　learn　from　history。　We　only　memorize　historical　dates　and　names；　not　the　lesson。
〃Aren't　prices　supposed　to　go　up？〃　I　asked。
〃Not　in　an　educated　society　with　a　well…run　government。　Prices　should　actually　e　down。　Of　course；　that　is　often　only　true　in　theory。　Prices　go　up　because　of　greed　and　fear　caused　by　ignorance。　If　schools　taught　people　about　money；　there　would　be　more　money　and　lower　prices；　but　schools　focus　only　on　teaching　people　to　work　for　money；　not　how　to　harness　money's　power。〃
〃But　don't　we　have　business　schools？〃　Mike　asked。　〃Aren't　you　encouraging　me　to　go　to　business　school　for　my　master's　degree？〃
〃Yes；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃But　all　too　often；　business　schools　train　employees　who　are　sophisticated　bean　counters。　Heaven　forbid　a　bean　counter　takes　over　a　business。　All　they　do　is　look　at　the　numbers；　fire　people　and　kill　the　business。　I　know　because　I　hire　bean　counters。　All　they　think　about　is　cutting　costs　and　raising　prices；　which　cause　more　problems。　Bean　counting　is　important。　I　wish　more　people　knew　it；　but　it；　too；　is　not　the　whole　picture；〃　added　rich　dad　angrily。
〃So　is　there　an　answer？〃　asked　Mike。
〃Yes；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃Learn　to　use　your　emotions　to　think；　not　think　with　your　emotions。　When　you　boys　mastered　your　emotions；　first　by　agreeing　to　work　for　free；　I　knew　there　was　hope。　When　you　again　resisted　your　emotions　when　I　tempted　you　with　more　money；　you　were　again　learning　to　think　in　spite　of　being　emotionally　charged。　That's　the　first　step。〃
〃Why　is　that　step　so　important〃　I　asked。
〃Well；　that's　up　to　you　to　find　out。　If　you　want　to　learn；　I'll　take　you　boys　into　the　briar　patch。　That　place　where　almost　everyone　else　avoids。　I'll　take　you　to　that　place　where　most　people　are　afraid　to　go。　If　you　go　with　me；　you'll　let　go　of　the　idea　of　working　for　money　and　instead　learn　to　have　money　work　for　you。〃
〃And　what　will　we　get　if　we　go　with　you。　What　if　we　agree　to　learn　from　you？　What　will　we　get？〃　I　asked。
〃The　same　thing　Briar　Rabbit　got；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃Freedom　from　the　Tar　Baby。〃
〃Is　there　a　briar　patch？〃　I　asked。
〃Yes；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃The　briar　patch　is　our　fear　and　our　greed。　Going　into　our　fear　and　confronting　our　greed；　our　weaknesses；　our　neediness　is　the　way　out。　And　the　way　out　is　through　the　mind；　by　choosing　our　thoughts。〃
〃Choosing　our　thoughts？〃　Mike　asked；　puzzled。
〃Yes。　Choosing　what　we　think　rather　than　reacting　to　our　emotions。　Instead　of　just　getting　up　and　going　to　work　to　solve　your　problems；　just　because　the　fear　of　not　having　the　money　to　pay　your　bills　is　scaring　you。　Thinking　would　be　taking　the　time　to　ask　yourself　a　question。　A　question　like；　‘Is　working　harder　at　this　the　best　solution　to　this　problem？'　Most　people　are　so　terrified　at　not　telling　themselves　the　truth…that　fear　is　in　control…that　they　cannot　think；　and　instead　run　out　the　door。　Tar　baby　is　in　control。　That's　what　I　mean　by　choosing　your　thoughts。〃
〃And　how　do　we　do　that？〃　Mike　asked。
〃That's　what　I　will　be　teaching　you。　I'll　be　teaching　you　to　have　a　choice　of　thoughts　to　consider；　rather　than　knee…jerk　reacting；　like　gulping　down　your　morning　coffee　and　running　out　the　door。
〃Remember　what　I　said　before：　A　job　is　only　a　short…term　solution　to　a　long…term　problem。　Most　people　have　only　one　problem　in　mind；　and　it's　short　term。　It's　the　bills　at　the　end　of　the　month；　the　Tar　Baby。　Money　now　runs　their　lives。　Or　should　I　say　the　fear　and　ignorance　about　money。　So　they　do　as　their　parents　did；　get　up　every　day　and　go　work　for　money。　Not　having　the　time　to　say；　‘Is　there　another　way？'　Their　emotions　now　control　their　thinking；　not　their　heads。〃
〃Can　you　tell　the　difference　between　emotions　thinking　and　the　head　thinking？〃　Mike　asked。
〃Oh；　yes。　I　hear　it　all　the　time；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃I　hear　things　like；　‘Well；　everyone　has　to　work。'　Or　‘The　rich　are　crooks。'　Or　‘I'll　get　another　job。　I　deserve　this　raise。　You　can't　push　me　around。'　Or　‘I　like　this　job　because　it's　secure。'　Instead　of；　‘Is　there　something　I'm　missing　here？'　which　breaks　the　emotional　thought；　and　gives　you　time　to　think　clearly。〃
I　must　admit；　it　was　a　great　lesson　to　be　getting。　To　know　when　someone　was　speaking　out　of　emotions　or　out　of　clear　thought。　It　was　a　lesson　that　served　me　well　for　life。　Especially　when　I　was　the　one　speaking　out　of　reaction　and　not　from　clear　thought。
As　we　headed　back　to　the　store；　rich　dad　explained　that　the　rich　really　did　〃make　money。〃　They　did　not　work　for　it。　He　went　on　to　explain　that　when　Mike　and　I　were　casting　5…cent　pieces　out　of　lead；　thinking　we　were　making　money；　we　were　very　close　to　thinking　the　way　the　rich　think。　The　problem　was　that　it　was　illegal　for　us　to　do　it。　It　was　legal　for　the　government　and　banks　to　do　it；　but　not　us。　He　explained　that　there　are　legal　ways　to　make　money　and　illegal　ways。
Rich　dad　went　on　to　explain　that　the　rich　know　that　money　is　an　illusion；　truly　like　the　carrot　for　the　donkey。　It's　only　out　of　fear　and　greed　that　the　illusion　of　money　is　held　together　by　billions　of　people　thinking　that　money　is　real。　Money　is　really　made　up。　It　was　only　because　of　the　illusion　of　confidence　and　the　ignorance　of　the　masses　that　the　house　of　cards　stood　standing。　〃In　fact；〃　he　said；　〃in　many　ways　the　donkey's　carrot　was　more　valuable　than　money。〃
He　talked　about　the　gold　standard　that　America　was　on；　and　that　each　dollar　bill　was　actually　a　silver　certificate。　What　concerned　him　was　the　rumor　that　we　would　someday　go　off　the　gold　standard　and　our　dollars　would　no　longer　be　silver　certificates。
〃When　that　happens；　boys；　all　hell　is　going　to　break　loose。　The　poor；　the　middle　class　and　the　ignorant　will　have　their　lives　ruined　simply　because　they　will　continue　to　believe　that　money　is　real　and　that　the　pany　they　work　for；　or　the　government；　will　look　after　them。〃
We　really　did　not　understand　what　he　was　saying　that　day；　but　over　the　years　it　made　more　and　more　sense。
Seeing　What　Others　Miss

As　he　climbed　into　his　pickup　truck；　outside　of　his　little　convenience　store；　he　said；　〃Keep　working　boys；　but　the　sooner　you　forget　about　needing　a　paycheck；　the　easier　your　adult　life　will　be。　Keep　using　your　brain；　work　for　free；　and　soon　your　mind　will　show　you　ways　of　making　money　far　beyond　what　I　could　ever　pay　you。　You　will　see　things　that　other　people　never　see。　Opportunities　right　in　front　of　their　noses。　Most　people　never　see　these　opportunities　because　they're　looking　for　money　and　security；　so　that's　all　they　get。　The　moment　you　see　one　opportunity；　you　will　see　them　for　the　rest　of　your　life。　The　moment　you　do　that；　I'll　teach　you　something　else。　Learn　this；　and　you'll　avoid　one　of　life's　biggest　traps。　You'll　never；　ever；　touch　that　Tar　Baby。〃
Mike　and　I　picked　up　our　things　from　the　store　and　waved　goodbye　to　Mrs。　Martin。　We　went　back　to　the　park；　to　the　same　picnic　bench；　and　spent　several　more　hours　thinking　and　talking。
We　spent　the　next　week　at　school；　thinking　and　talking。　For　two　more　weeks；　we　kept　thinking；　talking；　and　working　for　free。
At　the　end　of　the　second　Saturday；　I　was　again　saying　goodbye　to　Mrs。　Martin　and　looking　at　the　ic…book　stand　with　a　longing　gaze。　The　hard　thing　about　not　even　getting　30　cents　every　Saturday　was　that　I　didn't　have　any　money　to　buy　ic　books。　Suddenly；　as　Mrs。　Martin　was　saying　goodbye