Money is the center of most if not all people's worlds whether you don't have enough or have an abundance. Everyone always wants more money and are usually willing to do crazy things to get it. Have you ever watched some of those 24-hour video challenges for money? It's those exact videos that make me wonder why people act the way they do when they think of money. We will fight tooth and nail for a paper credited by stores and businesses. In all honesty the power of money just blows my mind and frankly scares me a little.
There are two main reasons money is such a driving force in society. One of these is emotions, they drive many money-making decisions due to the anxiety, guilt, fear, and more that it creates. People feel great shame for not having enough money and will go to great lengths to obtain it. All these emotions can lead to rash decisions and negative consequences so learning to be impartial when it comes to money is important. The other reason is your personal family money experiences; you usually obtain and hold your family's money experiences throughout your entire life. Maybe your family was rich, and money is nothing to you or maybe you worked like a dog for every dime. Either way those experiences shape your view and the way you handle money. Both of these reasons are demonstrate the power of extrinsic motivations. Overall, money is an odd psychological idea since and I don't think it's entirely understood, and it may never be.
Find out more about the psychology of money by reading this book: The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.