The Psychology of Money: Nobody Is Crazy (Part 1)

HSK 3 · 469 characters · The Psychology of Money

Grandpa hides cash in a box, his grandson keeps everything on his phone — and neither of them is crazy.

小李xiǎo lǐ的de爷爷yé ye有yǒu一个yī ge奇怪qí guài的de习惯xí guàn。Xiao Li's grandpa has a strange habit.他tā把bǎ现金xiàn jīn放在fàng zài家里jiā lǐ的de一个yī ge旧jiù盒子hé zi里lǐ。He keeps his cash in an old box at home.银行yín háng就jiù在家zài jiā门口mén kǒu，可是kě shì他tā不bù愿意yuàn yì把bǎ钱qián都dōu放fàng进去jìn qù。The bank is right outside his door, but he refuses to put all his money in it.小李xiǎo lǐ觉得jué de爷爷yé ye太tài奇怪qí guài了le：“钱qián放在fàng zài家里jiā lǐ，多duō不bù安全ān quán！”Xiao Li thinks grandpa is so strange: "Keeping money at home — how unsafe!"

小李xiǎo lǐ自己的zì jǐ de钱qián都dōu在zài手机shǒu jī里lǐ。Xiao Li's own money is all on his phone.他用tā yòng手机shǒu jī付钱fù qián，用yòng手机shǒu jī存钱cún qián，口袋kǒu dài里lǐ常常cháng cháng一块yī kuài钱qián都dōu没有méi yǒu。He pays with his phone and saves with his phone; often there isn't a single yuan in his pocket.爷爷yé ye看了kàn le直zhí摇头yáo tóu：“钱qián在zài手机shǒu jī里lǐ？看不见kàn bù jiàn，摸不着mō bù zháo，这zhè才不cái bù安全ān quán呢ne！”Grandpa just shakes his head: "Money inside a phone? You can't see it or touch it — THAT's what's unsafe!"爷爷yé ye和hé孙子sūn zǐ，每个人měi ge rén都dōu觉得jué de对方duì fāng疯fēng了le。Grandpa and grandson each think the other one is crazy.可是kě shì，真的zhēn de有人yǒu rén疯fēng了吗le ma？But is either of them really crazy?

有yǒu一本yī běn书shū叫jiào《金钱jīn qián心理学xīn lǐ xué》，作者zuò zhě是shì一位yī wèi美国měi guó作家zuò jiā。There is a book called The Psychology of Money, written by an American author.他说tā shuō：关于guān yú钱qián的de决定jué dìng，很少hěn shǎo是shì数学shù xué问题wèn tí，更多gèng duō是shì心理xīn lǐ问题wèn tí。He says decisions about money are rarely math problems — they are mostly psychology problems.每个人měi ge rén都是dōu shì在zài不同bù tóng的de世界shì jiè里lǐ学会xué huì钱qián的de意思yì si的de。Everyone learned what money means in a different world.

爷爷yé ye年轻nián qīng的de时候shí hou，日子rì zi很难hěn nán，东西dōng xi一yī年nián比bǐ一yī年nián贵guì。When grandpa was young, life was hard and things got more expensive every year.他tā亲眼qīn yǎn看见kàn jiàn邻居lín jū的de钱qián在zài几个jǐ ge月yuè里lǐ变得biàn de不值钱bù zhí qián。He watched with his own eyes as a neighbor's money became worthless within months.所以suǒ yǐ对duì他tā来lái说shuō，看得见kàn de jiàn、摸得着mō de zháo的de现金xiàn jīn才cái让ràng人rén放心fàng xīn。So for him, only cash he can see and touch feels safe.小李xiǎo lǐ长大zhǎng dà的de时候shí hou，生活shēng huó越来越yuè lái yuè方便fāng biàn。When Xiao Li was growing up, life kept getting more convenient.

他tā从来没有cóng lái méi yǒu丢diū过guò钱qián，手机shǒu jī里lǐ的de钱qián也yě从来没有cóng lái méi yǒu出chū过guò问题wèn tí。He has never lost money, and the money on his phone has never once gone wrong.所以suǒ yǐ对duì他tā来lái说shuō，现金xiàn jīn才是cái shì麻烦má fan：会huì丢diū，会huì脏zāng，还要hái yào找zhǎo零钱líng qián。So for him, cash is the hassle: it gets lost, it gets dirty, and you have to make change.你nǐ看kàn，两liǎng个人gè rén都dōu没有méi yǒu疯fēng。You see — neither of them is crazy.

他们tā men只是zhǐ shì在zài用yòng自己的zì jǐ de经历jīng lì做zuò决定jué dìng。They are simply making decisions from their own experience.你nǐ觉得jué de别人bié ren的de决定jué dìng很hěn奇怪qí guài，常常cháng cháng是shì因为yīn wèi你nǐ没有méi yǒu过guò他的tā de生活shēng huó。When someone's decision looks strange to you, it's usually because you never lived their life.那天nà tiān晚上wǎn shang，小李xiǎo lǐ问wèn爷爷yé ye：“您nín年轻nián qīng的de时候shí hou，钱qián出chū过guò什么事shén me shì？”That evening, Xiao Li asked grandpa, "What happened with money when you were young?"

爷爷yé ye讲jiǎng了le他tā年轻nián qīng时shí的de故事gù shì，小李xiǎo lǐ第一次dì yī cì安静ān jìng地de听tīng完了wán le。Grandpa told the story of his younger days, and for the first time Xiao Li listened quietly to the end.后来hòu lái，小李xiǎo lǐ还是hái shi用yòng手机shǒu jī付钱fù qián，爷爷yé ye还是hái shi用yòng他的tā de旧jiù盒子hé zi。Afterwards, Xiao Li still pays with his phone, and grandpa still uses his old box.可是kě shì他们tā men不再bù zài觉得jué de对方duì fāng疯fēng了le。But they no longer think each other is crazy.关于guān yú钱qián，没有méi yǒu人rén是shì疯子fēng zi——每个人měi ge rén都dōu只是zhǐ shì相信xiāng xìn自己zì jǐ见过jiàn guò的de世界shì jiè。When it comes to money, nobody is crazy — everyone simply believes the world they have seen.