I know we all say it. “I’m broke,” someone asks to borrow money, or your child wants another toy, or A stranger asks for help. Oof that last one. I’ve said it mindlessly so many times, but truth; it’s not true!
I am an honest person I don’t see the point of needing to be dishonest; you don’t like my truth I can’t help that… yet countless times I muttered those words “I’m broke” I never once felt bad or dishonest when saying it because when we do it’s meaningless it’s not said in context it’s more of an excuse, dismissal or a shutdown.
Every time we make that comment it devalues it, to people who aren’t really broke; it’s deep and impactful. Yet, to most of us, it is empty words with a lost meaning. That’s called semantics.
Semantic satiation is a psychological phenomenon in which repetition causes a word or phrase to temporarily lose meaning for the listener, perceiving the speech as repeated meaningless sounds.
You can mindlessly say those words but not ever feel the true impact because you have never felt the harsh reality attached to it. The absolute definition of it:
2. ADJECTIVE [verb-link ADJECTIVE] If you are broke, you have no money.
Synonyms: penniless, short, ruined, bust [informal] More Synonyms of broke
I’m writing this article because something devastating happened to me. I’ve been investing for a while and had my money spread across three platforms. I had one big long-term investment that I got consumed with. Every single dime I had left I was dumping into this stock. I had been averaging just thrilled waiting for the end game. Excited and hopeful the prediction came through; 59 days ago someone stole my basket. Everything I had saved my whole life in an instant was gone. An actual employee at Robinhood.
Me being me; I suffered in silence. My parents were the only ones I told and they offered to bail me out, but I’m hardheaded and proud. So I kept it to myself and sucked it up. I have been so angry that I worked so hard my entire life to have a career and make good money to take care of myself. In one moment it was all gone and as the days went by with no answers and no accountability instead of dwelling on the loss; I started thinking about how I felt being “broke”. I literally have never been impacted by financial problems, so it was a brand-new feeling.
In reality, I really wasn’t broke because if I were broke; I wouldn’t have a house, food, water, lights, cable, cell phone, or games. I mean think about it; Most of you; maybe all of you have never been truly broke. As I really pondered and let it truly sink in my heart; the word “broke” for each of us means two completely different things. To some of us, it merely is a word we use to excuse ourselves from the issue we are avoiding; whereas to others it means facing the reality of poverty a.k.a “BROKE” every single day. I couldn’t imagine waking up and wondering how to pay for food or something to drink instead of walking over to my fully stocked refrigerator, and where to go if it starts raining or snowing, instead of staying in my house. What about sickness; where to go to try to feel better while I can choose to stay in bed. 20 unhoused people die every single day! That is unacceptable. It hits me in the gut to think about it.
The origin goes back to Miquel de Cervantes’ quote in 1605 by Don Quixote: “It is the part of a wise man to keep himself today for tomorrow, and not venture all his eggs in one basket.” In other words, do not risk everything on one venture, plan, idea, product or person and risk losing everything.
http://tiny.cc/v2qpwz
Cervantes’ was warning us to not ever trust and rely on one thing. You can hide all your money and savings in a mattress, and have a fire, and instantly it’s all gone. You can put all your money on a “sure thing’ and lose a bet and it’s gone. Like me, you can pour it all in an investment and wait for the payday and the stock market could crash, or be caught up in a bad investment firm and have it all taken away from you.
55-63% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and on one unfortunate day lose their job and not find one soon enough and could be homeless in an instant.
I want to make an impact on my community and hopefully spread the desire to others, so we all work together to leave this world a better place.
JaxBeachHippie 