The essence of money: what you earn is not "money," but "debt." In the modern monetary system, most currencies are not scarce assets but are created through credit and debt. When central banks continuously expand the money supply, the purchasing power of money is diluted, which is inflation. Under this system, saving is not a neutral act: the "money" you stash away is essentially debt created by others; inflation silently transfers your wealth. Therefore, relying solely on saving cannot preserve value in a system that keeps printing money in the long run.

How does stable income tame ordinary people? The core function of wages is not to make people wealthy but to reduce uncertainty. People rely on wages not because they love their work but because of fear: fear of not having enough money to pay bills, fear of unemployment, fear of losing a stable cash flow. This fear causes people to focus only on certain figures (monthly or annual salary) and give up long-term freedom and choices. So, wages are more like a "safety valve for anxiety," stabilizing life but also limiting imagination.

What is the structural reason for working hard yet becoming poorer? Most people are guided along a fixed path: school → find a job → work hard → save money → pay off debt → long-term investment. This path was effective in the past, but in an era of high financialization and rapid currency devaluation, risks are rising. The problem is not "hard work" itself but whether the effort can generate scalable value or if it’s just trading time for linear income. Therefore, effort alone does not guarantee results; the structure determines the upper limit.

How to redefine "what is an asset"? There is only one true criterion: whether it continuously puts money into your pocket. By this standard, anything that requires you to keep spending money to maintain, pay off loans, or pay taxes is essentially a burden. Even if society calls it an "asset," it might just be a wrapped debt. Many people's biggest "goal" in life is simply to replace long-term renting with long-term mortgage payments. So, the name doesn't matter; cash flow direction is what truly matters.

Why does the system discourage you from making mistakes? The modern education system emphasizes correct answers, avoiding mistakes, and obeying rules. But in the real world, value creation often comes from trial and error; cognitive upgrades come from failure; risk management comes from personal experience. Therefore, a person who is afraid of making mistakes will find it hard to develop true judgment.

What happens when there is no salary? Without a fixed income, anxiety and pressure are amplified, but it also forces people to observe opportunities more keenly, learn new skills faster, and face market feedback more directly. So, uncertainty is both a risk and an amplifier of capability.

Regarding wealth, bankruptcy, and mindset? Bankruptcy is a temporary financial state; poverty is a long-term cognitive and behavioral pattern. If a person can extract lessons from failure and turn losses into costs for understanding the system, then failure is no longer the end but part of the upgrade path.

In summary, inflation dilutes your savings, stable income tames your choices, misunderstood assets devour your cash flow, and what truly determines your long-term position is whether you have the ability to understand the system, endure uncertainty, and learn from failure.