The Fear of the Rich. 157

A man clutches gold—
Not for the wealth itself,
But for the fear of losing it.

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The Man in the Corner Office

The office had no clocks.

Not because time didn’t exist here, but because it wasn’t meant to be acknowledged. The world outside moved in hours, days, years. Inside, everything was measured in profit, in percentages, in the slow climb of numbers on a screen.

He sat behind a glass desk that reflected the city skyline, his reflection distorted in the curve of the window. Below, people moved like ants, scurrying in and out of taxis, through revolving doors, across pedestrian crossings.

A decade ago, he had been one of them. Running. Reaching. Wanting.

Now, he had everything.

And yet, he had never been more afraid.

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The Weight of Having

People believe that wealth is freedom. That once you have enough, the fear will disappear. But money doesn’t erase fear—it sharpens it.

• The poor man fears hunger. The rich man fears losing his appetite.
• The poor man dreams of more. The rich man wakes up afraid of less.
• A man who has nothing can move freely. A man who owns the world is trapped inside it.

He had spent his life climbing, convinced there was a summit where the fear would end.

But now, standing at the top, he realized there was no summit at all. Just a thin ledge—and a long way down.

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Wabi-Sabi and the Art of Letting Go

Wabi-sabi teaches that all things are temporary, incomplete, imperfect.

A river does not hold onto the water that passes through it.
A tree does not mourn the leaves it sheds.
A man who understands impermanence does not fear losing what was never his to keep.

What if wealth was not something to protect, but something to release?

What if security was not in holding on—but in knowing when to let go?

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Lessons from a Man Counting What He Cannot Keep

• Money can buy comfort, but never peace.
• The fear of loss is proof you are not free.
• Wealth is not in what you have, but in what you can afford to give away.
• If you live only to protect, you have already lost.
• The richest man is the one who could walk away tomorrow.

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The Office, the City Below, the Realization

He closed the laptop, the numbers still glowing in the dim light.

Outside, the city pulsed. People moved through the streets, laughing, talking, living. They had nothing compared to him. And yet, in that moment, he wondered if they had something he didn’t.

He reached for his phone. The market was still open. He could check the latest reports, the newest investments.

Instead, he placed the phone face down.

And for the first time in years, he just sat there.

Not counting. Not calculating. Just existing.

For a moment, it almost felt like freedom.