Greatest treasure

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." - J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter)

I believe that knowledge, understanding and wisdom are the greatest treasures, not material things. If these would be our values and not material stuff, the world would be very different. I believe it would be much better.

In our society, people want as much as possible, it's never enough. A very rich man was asked how much is enough and he answered: "just a little bit more". What if people would want as little as possible?

Most children want to be like David Beckham or Lady Gaga. What if their role models would be Einstein or Gandhi or Marie Curie or any other exceptional person who has lived? Our role models are rich people, celebrities, these are our values.

I never understood why a football player earns more than a scientist. A scientist can save millions of lives by discovering a cure for a disease or by improving agriculture.

Our values should be inner wealth, not material wealth.

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An interesting example is Diogenes, a man who lived in ancient Greece (412 - 323 BCE). He slept in a tub and made a virtue out of poverty. I believe that Diogenes was revolted by the absurdity of the society, so he wanted to mock all that was sacred to them. He used to carry a lamp in the daytime, claiming to be looking for an honest man.

Make no mistake, Diogenes was an intelligent, well educated, wise man. He chose to be poor. He chose to revolt against the society and not only by words, but by deeds, because he believed that virtues are better revealed in action than in theory.