# 100: BOOK OF THE WEEK — “The Richest Man in Babylon”
Story behind the Book Choice
Today is the 100th blog entry anniversary. So far, I have been doing quite well. I enjoy writing on a daily basis. But is blogging for money making? Certainly not, although you write all these articles about “how to make money with writing online.” To be honest, I do not give a shit about these, even though I am always curious to learn more about how online business works. I do not believe in all this that much and I continue doing my thing because I see that this is what truly successful people are doing without all the social media hype. Still, it broadens you horizon to think about how the internet has revolutionized publishing.
George S. Clason actually was a publisher and the author of The Richest Man in Babylon. I have no idea how I ended up buying the book. But it has not been sitting on my shelf for as long as other titles. Maybe it was when I started my own writing business that someone recommended it to me. Whoever or whatever it was that made me purchase it — it was a great move. I very much enjoyed reading the book today. Yes, I know, I always say this but it is true. And it is quite plausible as well — I only read books that I enjoy reading. Otherwise, it is a waste of time.
The book is a collection of parables around the richest man in Babylon whose name is Arkad, a chariot maker. He shares his wisdom about gaining wealth with several different people. It is quite interesting how Clason integrated the story of some archeologists in the story who supposedly found the original clay tables from Babylonian times which contained the five principles of gaining wealth. If you are interested in what exactly these are — go get the book. As far as my learnings are concerned, here we go.
- Wealth and Wisdom
The entire book is, of course, about sharing the knowledge behind gaining wealth or at least accumulating financial resources. I do have the feeling that this topic is gaining more attention in our times as well. I do not mean this in a way that people are starting to read some fantasy stories by finance gurus. Well, they have always been doing this anyways. What I mean is some more down-to-earth education about the basics of finances and financial precautions. For sure, Covid aggravates the issue but I also think that this topic has been suffering much in general education which is why there is a need for more information. Yes, some people know a lot about finances because they are totally into business. Many others have no idea and rely on some dubious financial advisors. Again, there is hardly any middle ground — or maybe I just do not see it.
The passage about the son whose father gives him a bag of gold and asks him to return with more after ten years is a wonderful example of how financial success is usually not achieved at the first attempt. It takes many failures and stupid decisions before you learn the true wisdom of not losing money. And the wonderful thing about books like these is that they sell financial wisdom as knowledge that anybody can attain. I do believe in this. Otherwise humanity would have died out already, probably. You do not have to look at Babylon in particular to learn about the importance of financial whit and the art of trade.
All prosperous cities in the world have some historical record of financial wisdom that was passed on from generation to generation. Yes, this also always means that there are some that are very rich and others who are very poor. The idea of the book is, of course, to encourage those with very little money to aim at making more. And this means: You have to shift your attention to learning how to do this in the first place. This is no bullshit, it is true. I can confirm that awareness of the importance of financial gain and the acquisition of hands-on knowledge about it is the first step towards actually making more money. You find this in practically all denominations and spiritual stories, not just Biblical ones. Again, perspective is everything.
2. Helping Others
This is a really interesting fable in the book. It is about an ox that is too worn out and sore to work. So, the ass advises him/it to go on strike the next day and show that he is unable to work in the field. The ox follows the advice and then the farmer ends up hitching the ass for plowing the fields. Hence, the ass suffers from his own advice and the morale is described in the passage above.
The story really struck me because I felt caught. This might be a women’s issue again and also a problem that humanists have in common but the buttom line is: It does not help anybody in the end. You cannot just run around trying to help others and thus work yourself to death or into poverty. You might say now: “Yes, it does help the person you are trying to support or protect.” My experience is: No, you would like to believe that but really, all these measures are simply a drop in the bucket. It will not save others, neither will it truly alleviate their pain.
This insight is something that I will have to take to heart more dearly. I am just at the verge of getting into this helping mode again which never proved helpful for anybody in the end, even though I always had good intentions. What you can do to help others is share with them the “how to” wisdom so they can help themselves. That is it. If you are the one paying for them, there is something wrong. But at least, it will be a lesson in your personal financial education that you will hardly forget.
3. Self-Worth
This passage is about seeing financial success as problem solving. That is certainly true. But in a more fundamental way, gaining financial success and thus independence is about self-worth — at least from my perspective. And the story above hints at this by playing on the status of the slave and the free man. By paying off all his debts, Tarkad not only breaks free from slavery, he also gains inner freedom again. This is something that some people, especially those with very little money, might even understand better than those with a lot of financial resources.
Being in debt and even owing to close friends of yours is a thing that makes you feel small and bad. I am lucky to not have been in this situation but I know how it is to not have any money. You feel like the last dumb head in society — trash. Especially if you then, like the man in the story, are able to pay back your debt, every single penny, this is an achievement that means more to you than just financial gain. It means that you successfully fought the devils that you yourself conjured up. This is the most wonderful thing for anybody to become stronger and more wise.
Consequently, on the surface, the book might be about becoming rich. As with any book that holds wisdom, this is just the surface. Underneath the cover, you learn much about human nature and happiness. For sure, this is what thousands of studies have shown, money is not the most important ingredient for happiness. But it is a necessary condition for personal liberty. And breaking free from the chains of internal and external prisons is a wonderful thing to experience. I dearly wish that many people still gain inspiration from stories like these to explore what life looks like in different colors. As the successful camel trader Dabasir who once was a slave explains:
“Well, I know it to be true for I myself have seen the world all of a different color from what it really is and the tale I am about to tell relates how I came to see it in its right color.” — Clason 96
Reflection Questions
1) What does financial success mean to you?
2) Where do you seek help regarding financial issues?
3) The most fundamental recommendation in the book is to save at least 1/10 of your income every month — do you already practice this?