Interview Paper

The assignment given was to ask questions regarding money and its importance of those people in my life. The answers led to one conclusion. That money itself is not important, at least to the people in my life, it’s the outcome of the money that matters.
Although the familiarity with money does not surprise me, knowing the name of the person’s face that appears on a Twenty Dollar bill does surprise me. I could not even venture a guess and the two people I interviewed took at the most fifteen seconds to come up with the right answer. Both felt the need to verify this information, so they were not perfectly certain. Nonetheless, they got the appropriate answer. If money is not important to people, why is it then that they have such a familiarity with it? From the answers to the other questions in this assignment I take that the familiarity comes from the necessity of use. Money is a driving force that procures everything in our lives from food to the fancy shoes we wear. The moral or personal decisions as to how we live our lives are based on our vision of how our lives should be. However, the base factor remains the same, money is necessary to procure all of these things. If education is important but to one person that means going to a community college and to another that means going to a major four year university, the amounts of money necessary to make that happen will be different. The money itself is not the headlining actor here, merely a minor character. It’s a means to an end that has been dictated by society as the ONLY means to achieve the ends desired.
There appear to be two kinds of workers in this world. The workers that work to accomplish something during a day that they either believe in or they can see a difference at the end of a day and the workers that simply work to gain money (usually more technology based jobs-office). As far as accomplishments go, both have a certain kind of accomplishment when the day is done. The money focused worker knows that no matter what they have actually accomplished during a day, they have made money which was their goal. The achievement based worker (usually more manual labor) sees at the end of the day what they’ve accomplished and feels a sense of pride. In the end goals are attained for both. The difference appears to be belief based. The money motivated worker doesn’t seem to care what’s been accomplished or how the world has been affected while the achievement motivated worker wants to see that they’ve left the world a bit better off in whatever small way they can. This in a broader scheme equals in my people that like to take the easy way out (money motivated) and people that like to earn what they can (achievement motivated). The money motivated worker corresponds to the types of people that invented credit and support Government Bailouts. While the achievement motivated workers are more conservative in their thinking. Hard work that earns “real” money is a safer option because it’s actually there, whereas the credit is not and is actually counter-productive. These varying types of outlook on money appear to be drawn along moral lines. Those who believe in hard work building character and those who believe in finding the next easiest thing whatever the outcome or long term planners verse short term thinkers.
Both of the interviewees in this exercise are workers that need to accomplish something in a day. They work hard and want to see that a difference is being made around them rather than see their bank accounts get bigger. The easy, or less physically present, options to attain an end are not the way to accomplish things in their perspective. Easy government bailouts that are based on money that does not technically exist and jobs pushing around paper where no discernable difference has been made, are just not the right answer. Although money moves the world for now, morality and strength of character are more important in the end.
Question 1: Whose Picture is on a Twenty?
Sean: Andrew Jackson
Dad: Andrew Jackson
Question 2: Why do you “believe” in money?
Sean: I don’t believe in money. Money makes you able to progress through life. Other founding fathers like Jackson put value on money to purchase things and that’s just how the world revolves.
Dad: It moves the world, generates creativity and initiative
Question 3: Do you imagine a time in which people might not believe in money?
Sean: No. Society today feels they need something in return for everything they do. If I give you something you need to give me something. People would need to move passed the concept of getting something in return for giving something.
Dad: Money may become worthless in value if our current administration continues to generate TARP money to defunct corporations. How can you determine the value of a stock with government interference? This intervention with Government agency bailing out corporations with no accountability will have a lasting effect on our economy and our nation’s will to strive forward (Tax Burden). For a current example, look at our nation’s unemployment rate. Will congress pass another extension of unemployment checks? Some have been out of work for two years or more. Remove the extended unemployment benefits and I guarantee creativity and initiative will kick in.
Question 4: Why is Money Important?
Sean: It’s not that it’s important. You have to have money to have a certain quality of life. It’s the quality of life and your importance put on that that creates the importance. It’s the things valued by the person that determines the importance of the money itself. You have to invest time or money to get an education if education is important to you.
Dad: It’s a necessity for a standard of living that I prefer.

Question 5: What’s more important to you: Morals or Money?
Sean: Morals/values are what make people what they are. Money may give you what you want but at the end of the day all you have is your name. No one can take your name from you but they can take your money.
Dad: Morals
Question 6: Is there a set amount of money that you would need to feel satisfied or do you feel like you would need an endless sum of money?
Sean: No. I would always feel the need to accomplish something (work). I could be the richest person in the world but I would still need to work to feel like I’m accomplishing something and contributing to the world. It wouldn’t be about the money.
Dad: Yes. In 1982, I attended a Zig Ziglar seminar the topic: Setting Goals. The no work amount with inflation factored in was calculated @ 5000.00 a month. This sum would allow a modest standard of living. Factored in is a small house payment to include taxes. A new car if and when chosen and daily living expenses. The key is to live within your means keeping up with the Jones’s is out.