Security vs. Freedom€™. It is Your Choice
By Robert Kiyosaki
Most of us would like to believe we can have both security and freedom.
But in Rich Dad® terms, these are two opposing values. My rich dad said,
"Freedom and security are not the same ideals. In fact, in many ways,
freedom and security are exact opposites. The people who have the most
security are people in prison. Prisoners have the least freedom and the
highest security. People in prison do not need to provide housing, food,
recreation, health care, or education for themselves. They have a lot of
security but at the price of their freedom."
One advantage of living in a free society is the freedom to make choices.
There are two big choices according to my rich dad: the choice of freedom
and the choice of security. Both choices have appeal, both have strengths
and weaknesses, and both come with a price. If you choose freedom, the
price is paid up front, at the beginning of your life. If you choose
security, you pay a huge price in the form of excessive taxes and interest
payments. Often the price is paid later in your life.
Look at the bankruptcy debacle of Enron, one of the world's largest
corporations. The price the loyal, hard-working, security-seeking
employees paid is very high: they lost their jobs and their retirement
plans. Unfortunately, many are paying this price at the end of their
working years, just when their options diminish because of age or health.
Security vs. Freedom: It's Your Choice
Today, many employees are learning their jobs are not secure and neither
are their retirement plans. In the coming years, 75 million baby-boomers
may discover that their stocks and mutual funds were not as secure as they
thought, forcing them to retire to a lower standard of living that their
parents enjoyed. With the prospects of downsizing looming over their
heads, some have taken the initiative to start their own businesses.
Should you be one of them?
My rich dad said, "Somewhere along the way, people become more desirous of
security and have paid the price by selling their freedom. You may have
noticed that schools today focus primarily on job security rather than
financial freedom. The problem is most people do not know that the cost of
that security is their freedom." He continued to say, "If you choose
security, someone is always telling you what hours to work, how much you
make, and even when you can eat your lunch. That is the price of security."
Freedom means having more choices, not security. You have a choice to be
poor, middle class, or rich. If you choose to be rich, then you need to
learn a whole new game. But it requires a different mindset and financial
intelligence. You will be free to work or not to work. Your knowledge will
bring you freedom from work because you will learn how to make your money
work for you. The choice is yours.
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