Optimal Finance Daily · Friday, September 25, 2026
Steve Pavlina challenges the conventional focus on accumulating wealth, suggesting that the true purpose of the 'money game' is personal growth and enjoying the experience. He posits that asking 'Am I growing?' is more valuable than 'Am I winning?' financially.
“What's the point of playing the money game? Is it to amass a fortune? Of course not. You're going to lose it all when you die anyway. The point is to enjoy the experience, have fun, and grow from it.”
“Not 'Am I winning?', but 'Am I growing?'. Because you might be able to get a bigger number, but then still be miserable the entire time. Or you can hold it a little more loosely, take the setbacks as a learning experience, and actually enjoy the process.”