A short excerpt from a YouTube video (Ramit Sethi, Feb 14, 2023) where host Ramit and guest David discuss beliefs about money. David recounts an upbringing where his mother frequently worried about money and emphasized appearances. Rather than becoming obsessed with money or inheriting worry, David rejected money as a value—declaring indifference toward it.
David grew up hating money. He said his mom constantly worried about money, money, money. Notice his reaction.
I had a wonderful upbringing, but money? She would cry a couple times a month, and it was just always about money. Another thing is keeping up with the Joneses, you know, just having it all, or at least looking like you had it all, was very, very, very, very, very important to her. Another thing that I know has shaped me in my adulthood, that's not important to me.
Some people in his situation become obsessed with the pursuit of money. Others simply absorb their parents lessons and carry on that generational habit of constantly worrying about money. But David did something different. He totally rejected it. He even transformed his rejection of money into a virtue. He said, fuck money, man. And stopped caring about it entirely.
