创客小说网

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第7部分（第2页）

〃Take　it。　Take　it。〃　I　could　not　believe　what　I　was　hearing。　Still；　I　said　nothing。

〃OK；　2　an　hour。〃

My　little　9…year…old　brain　and　heart　nearly　exploded。　After　all；　it　was　1956　and　being　paid　2　an　hour　would　have　made　me　the　richest　kid　in　the　world。　I　couldnt　imagine　earning　that　kind　of　money。　I　wanted　to　say　〃yes。〃　I　wanted　the　deal。　I　could　see　a　new　bicycle；　new　baseball　glove；　and　adoration　of　my　friends　when　I　flashed　some　cash。　On　top　of　that；　Jimmy　and　his　rich　friends　could　never　call　me　poor　again。　But　somehow　my　mouth　stayed　silent。

Maybe　my　brain　had　overheated　and　blown　a　fuse。　But　deep　down；　I　badly　wanted　that　2　an　hour。

The　ice　cream　had　melted　and　was　running　down　my　hand。　The　ice…cream　stick　was　empty；　and　under　it　was　a　sticky　mess　of　vanilla　and　chocolate　that　ants　were　enjoying。　Rich　dad　was　looking　at　two　boys　staring　back　at　him；　eyes　wide　open　and　brains　empty。　He　knew　he　was　testing　us；　and　he　knew　there　was　a　part　of　our　emotions　that　wanted　to　take　the　deal。　He　knew　that　each　human　being　has　a　weak　and　needy　part　of　their　soul　that　can　be　bought。　And　he　knew　that　each　human　being　also　had　a　part　of　their　soul　that　was　strong　and　filled　with　a　resolve　that　could　never　be　bought。　It　was　only　a　question　of　which　one　was　stronger。　He　had　tested　thousands　of　souls　in　his　life。　He　tested　souls　every　time　he　interviewed　someone　for　a　job。

〃OK；　5　an　hour。〃

Suddenly　there　was　a　silence　from　inside　me。　Something　had　changed。　The　offer　was　too　big　and　had　gotten　ridiculous。　Not　too　many　grownups　in　1956　made　more　than　5　an　hour。　The　temptation　disappeared；　and　a　calm　set　in。　Slowly　I　turned　to　my　left　to　look　at　Mike。　He　looked　back　at　me。　The　part　of　my　soul　that　was　weak　and　needy　was　silenced。　The　part　of　me　that　had　no　price　took　over。　There　was　a　calm　and　a　certainty　about　money　that　entered　my　brain　and　my　soul。　I　knew　Mike　had　gotten　to　that　point　also。

〃Good；〃　rich　dad　said　softly。　〃Most　people　have　a　price。　And　they　have　a　price　because　of　human　emotions　named　fear　and　greed。　First；　the　fear　of　being　without　money　motivates　us　to　work　hard；　and　then　once　we　get　that　paycheck；　greed　or　desire　starts　us　thinking　about　all　the　wonderful　things　money　can　buy。　The　pattern　is　then　set。〃

〃What　pattern？〃　I　asked。

〃The　pattern　of　get　up；　go　to　work；　pay　bills；　get　up；　go　to　work；　pay　bills。。。　Their　lives　are　then　run　forever　by　two　emotions；　fear　and　greed。　Offer　them　more　money；　and　they　continue　the　cycle　by　also　increasing　their　spending。　This　is　what　I　call　the　Rat　Race。〃

〃There　is　another　way？〃　Mike　asked。

〃Yes；〃　said　rich　dad　slowly。　〃But　only　a　few　people　find　it。〃

〃And　what　is　that　way？〃　Mike　asked。

〃Thats　what　I　hope　you　boys　will　find　out　as　you　work　and　study　with　me。　That　is　why　I　took　away　all　forms　of　pay。〃

〃Any　hints？〃　Mike　asked。　〃Were　kind　of　tired　of　working　hard；　especially　for　nothing。〃

〃Well；　the　first　step　is　telling　the　truth；〃　said　rich　dad。

〃We　havent　been　lying。〃　I　said。

〃I　did　not　say　you　were　lying。　I　said　to　tell　the　truth；〃　rich　dad　came

back。

〃The　truth　about　what？〃　I　asked。

〃How　youre　feeling；〃　rich　dad　said。　〃You　dont　have　to　say　it　to　anyone　else。　Just　yourself。〃

〃You　mean　the　people　in　this　park；　the　people　who　work　for　you；　Mrs。　Martin；　they　dont　do　that？〃　I　asked。

〃I　doubt　it；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃Instead；　they　feel　the　fear　of　not　having　money。　Instead　of　confronting　the　fear；　they　react　instead　of　think。　They　react　emotionally　instead　of　using　their　heads；〃　rich　dad　said；　tapping　us　on　our　heads。　〃Then；　they　get　a　few　bucks　in　their　hands；　and　again　the　emotion　of　joy　and　desire　and　greed　take　over；　and　again　they　react；　instead　of　think。〃

〃So　their　emotions　do　their　thinking；〃　Mike　said。

〃Thats　correct；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃Instead　of　telling　the　truth　about　how　they　feel；　they　react　to　their　feeling；　fail　to　think。　They　feel　the　fear；　they　go　to　work；　hoping　that　money　will　soothe　the　fear；　but　it　doesnt。　That　old　fear　haunts　them；　and　they　go　back　to　work；　hoping　again　that　money　will　calm　their　fears；　and　again　it　doesnt。　Fear　has　them　in　this　trap　of　working；　earning　money；　working；　earning　money；　hoping　the　fear　will　go　away。　But　every　day　they　get　up；　and　that　old　fear　wakes　up　with　them。　For　millions　of　people；　that　old　fear　keeps　them　awake　all　night；　causing　a　night　of　turmoil　and　worry。　So　they　get　up　and　go　to　work；　hoping　that　a　paycheck　will　kill　that　fear　gnawing　at　their　soul。　Money　is　running　their　lives；　and　they　refuse　to　tell　the　truth　about　that。

Money　is　in　control　of　their　emotions　and　hence　their　souls。〃

Rich　dad　sat　quietly；　letting　his　words　sink　in。　Mike　and　I　heard　what　he　said；　but　really　did　not　understand　fully　what　he　was　talking　about。　I　just　knew　that　I　often　wondered　why　grownups　hurried　off　to　work。　It　did　not　seem　like　much　fun；　and　they　never　looked　that　happy；　but　something　kept　them　hurrying　off　to　work。

Realizing　we　had　absorbed　as　much　as　possible　of　what　he　was　talking　about；　rich　dad　said；　〃I　want　you　boys　to　avoid　that　trap。　That　is　really　what　I　want　to　teach　you。　Not　just　to　be　rich；　because　being　rich　does　not　solve　the　problem。〃

〃It　doesnt？〃　I　asked；　surprised。

〃No；　it　doesnt。　Let　me　finish　the　other　emotion；　which　is　desire。　Some　call　it　greed；　but　I　prefer　desire。　It　is　perfectly　normal　to　desire　something　better；　prettier；　more　fun　or　exciting。　So　people　also　work　for　money　because　of　desire。　They　desire　money　for　the　joy　they　think　it　can　buy。　But　the　joy　that　money　brings　is　often　short　lived；　and　they　soon　need　more　money　for　more　joy；　more　pleasure；　more　fort；　more　security。　So　they　keep　working；　thinking　money　will　soothe　their　souls　that　is　troubled　by　fear　and　desire。　But　money　cannot　do　that。〃

〃Even　rich　people？〃　Mike　asked。

〃Rich　people　included；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃In　fact；　the　reason　many　rich　people　are　rich　is　not　because　of　desire　but　because　of　fear。　They　actually　think　that　money　can　eliminate　that　fear　of　not　having　money；　of　being　poor；　so　they　amass　tons　of　it　only　tofind　out　the　fear　gets　worse。　They　now　fear　losing　it。　I　have　friends　who　keep　working　even　though　they　have　plenty。　I　know　people　who　have　millions　who　are　more　afraid　now　than　when　they　were　poor。　Theyre　terrified　of　losing　all　their　money。　The　fears　that　drove　them　to　get　rich　got　worse。　That　weak　and　needy　part　of　their　soul　is　actually　screaming　louder。　They　dont　want　to　lose　the　big　houses；　the　cars；　the　high　life　that　money　has　bought　them。　They　worry　about　what　their　friends　would　say　if　they　lost　all　their　money。　Many　are　emotionally　desperate　and　neurotic；　although　they　look　rich　and　have　more　money。〃

〃So　is　a　poor　man　happier？〃　I　asked。

〃No；　I　dont　think　so；〃　replied　rich　dad。　〃The　avoidance　of　money　is　just　as　psychotic　as　being　attached　to　money。〃

As　if　on　cue；　the　town　derelict　went　past　our　table；　stopping　by　the　large　rubbish　can　and　rummaging　around　in　it。　The　three　of　us　watched　him　with　great　interest；　when　before　we　probably　would　ha