An Inconvenient Truth About Us. And Money.

Just how much do we deny about money’s importance?

Apparently, the bulk of us does not enjoy talking about money. We are conditioned to think that it is shameful. Reflex conditioning over the years has enabled our ears to do what society wants them to. They turn red upon hearing the “money” word.

It baffled me when I was a kid. It continues to intrigue me to this date.

Why are we so uncomfortable talking about something that is so indispensable? I don’t see people having the same issues with oxygen. Or water, for that matter.

I realized over the years that no one denies the importance of money. In public, we behave differently. This treatment puts it in the same category as sex. Okay, maybe not. Hollywood has normalized our thoughts for that.

That is why I term it “An Inconvenient Truth”. We indeed need it. And indeed, we cannot deal with the shame from within when we utter the M-word.

It is a spectacle.

In my opinion, the inability for us to discuss money openly has blinded us in terms of our monetary pursuit. We don’t grow our money knowledge tree in the head when we avoid talking about it.

On one particular occasion at a cafe, I overheard one conversation between a couple. They were geographically within reach, and their decibels were high. It was a free talk show.

This was the rough-stitched conversation, courtesy of my dot-plot based memory.

Him: We are running out of money if we continue spending like this.

Her: OH MY GOSH, this is so embarrassing. Please stop this in public.

Annoyed Him: If it is true, it is true. We are fast becoming broke.

Very Embarrassed Her: How can we be talking about money in front of everyone? Everyone is listening and laughing. Shut up!

Okay, I did listen. There is one disclaimer. I didn’t laugh. It was a serious issue.

Running out of money is not a matter of embarrassment. It is a matter of practicality. We have bills to pay. Running out of money during retirement should not be regarded as a joke either.

Real issues require real discussion.

And just in case I am accused of encouraging people to shine their dirty laundry in public — That’s not my intent.

That is not the point as well. Whether we shine our dirty laundry outside or inside, we have dirty laundry. Money issues remain whether we speak of it in public or private.

Social norms can dictate where we can or cannot discuss sensitive issues. That said, it doesn’t alter their nature of survival necessity.

I know some will disagree. I understand. Before that, let’s do a monetary thought experiment.

Imagine that we are out of a job and depleted of bank reserves. Can we arrest our financial outflow immediately?

Maybe the answer is a positive one. That is if we don’t have to eat to survive, don’t have to take transport to go around, and possibly don’t need to pay for our children’s education fees.

It is an impossible equation.

That’s because reality dictates that we are at a default net expense position from the get-go. If we think that starting from zero is tough, try sub-zero.

And that is why money issues are so real. They influence our livelihood.

We have to get smart about money. We got to talk more to learn from each other. We got to seek help from those who excel.

Those are my honest thoughts. For us to be financially savvy, we have to learn and apply. It is the same for any other discipline or skill-set.

If we could get real here. This is my genuine question.

Is it really possible for us to become financially free, independent, savvy when we don’t even talk about it?

I doubt.

I repeat my answer even in the open.

Money is important. Let’s embrace it.

Let’s Be Open About Money.

Aldric

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