Sydney
24 August 2003
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Scholarship honours Fr Les
Editorial: A small crusade
Letters: Bob Hope’s faith
Conversation: Fr Phillip Linden, priest and theologian - Suffering in the face of the poor
Voice of Youth: Rich Dad, Poor Dad poorer still
Jubilee of a ‘loving and caring priest’
British movie on Mother Teresa dropped from festival
Bl Mary Mackillop Feast Day ... by the people, for the people
Catholic Women’s League: Our women are still in a league of their own after 90 years
Readers open their hearts to students
Solomon Islands: What can the Church do?
Voice of Youth: Rich Dad, Poor Dad poorer still
By David Lawrence
I recently came across the book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I know it’s best to read an entire book before giving any critique, but I am going to critique it anyway based on the few pages I flicked through.
Reading those pages stirred me as I have often been stirred before by similar books. Many of us have read them - best-sellers that teach us how to be successful and make lots of money. This article refers to Rich Dad, Poor Dad, but also other books of its kind.
They disgust me. I will not deny they have mounds of practical information. I will not deny they are well written, interesting and informative. I will not deny they are generally filled with positive attitudes and great initiative. I will not deny they motivate people and fulfil their objective in many cases. Often there is a great deal of truth in what is stated.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad, despite its attempts to the contrary, is condescending in the extreme. This self-professed ‘educator’ is telling the world how stupid it is by not becoming rich. I agree with many of his criticisms of certain types of attitudes and understandings. I can do nothing but learn about his skills in achieving financial success. After all, he’s done it and I have not.
However, what is crystal clear to me is the author’s focus on making money for number one. Coating his doctrine to make it digestible does not hide the fact that we are meant to be imitating this master who is so cocksure that making much money is the only way to truly live.
If the book was simply and unabashedly written and promoted to make money it would not be so bad. But to be preached at with gauche American prosperity gospel over-confidence distresses me. Despite the many valuable insights and suggestions, it reveals the author’s greed and skewed priorities.
And we, the sheepish, ignorant ‘Poor Dad’ followers are meant to espouse this philosophy of greed and structure our lives to make as much money as possible.
What upsets me so much is the book’s success and popularity. As a society, we resent being preached at, being told how to think. Yet we swallow with enthusiasm anything that will make us rich. Everyone knows being rich and making money is the only way to live a meaningful life. One need only see the bristling happiness of the rich to see how effective making money is in your quest for happiness.
Nobody will deny money is important. Belittling a profession or lifestyle that does not make money proves what narrow vision these success gurus have.
All genuine, legitimate jobs create a harmonious and just society. Our task is to value people, not wealth.
Making money is not the problem. Making money your life ambition is a problem. I do not think St Paul was far wrong when he wrote: “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
Let us concern ourselves with living and loving and making money doing it (if we want to), not the other way around.
Voice of Youth is co-ordinated by the Catholic Chaplaincy, University of Sydney, based at the JPII Student Resource Centre Level 1, 245 Broadway, NSW 2007. Phone 9518 6415 or visit www.usydcc.org