The cycle of prosperity and decline was known even to the ancients.

In the Hebrew scripture the kingdoms of Judea and Israel cycled between good and bad kings, as the good kings who turned to God brought prosperity, but the next generations would forget God and fall into decadence, bringing chaos and ruin, until another good king came along to bring the people back to God.

Thomas Cole also immortalized the cycle in a series of paintings known as the Course of Empire.

The Savage State In which the untamed land is depicted

The Arcadian State In which the untamed land is cultivated by a pastoral culture

The Consummation of Empire In which the culture has grown to a state of decadence

Destruction In which the culture is overthrown by internal and external fighting

Desolation In which the land has returned to an untamed state, but with the remains of the destroyed empire

Throughout history, prosperity and decadence have been understood to be great dangers that beget tragedy. This is why the Bitcoin ethos of stay humble, stack sats is so appealing to me. It is so important for people to stay humble and have a long term outlook that values taking small steps towards success.

Yep. Kids with trust funds very often go off the tracks. It seems concerning, especially in the context that I hear a lot about from bitcoiners, which is creating "multi-generational wealth". What this seems to mean is...your kids are wealthy, without having to work for it. I don't think people have thought this through.

Why do these types of kids sometimes go off the tracks? Well, if everything you want is easily within reach, handed to you on a silver platter, you don't have to work for anything. Working for something makes the end result so much sweeter. Not having to work can mean not having a daily routine, maybe not getting out and about with people, not actually doing things that other people find productive (are willing to pay you for). No "proof of work".

The same factors apply to people who are unemployed (but getting supported via unemployment insurance, etc.) Being unemployed is a huge risk factor for all kinds of negative things - depression, self-esteem problems, health problems, etc.

And often the same thing applies to retired people. People who have worked all their lives, saved, and then retired with enough money to not work - these people can be unhappy, and feel at a loss for meaning. Not always, of course. But I've seen it quite a bit.

I visited a religious community once - Hutterite. It was a really interesting visit, and one thing they emphasized is WORK. They use a lot of machinery to do things, but they make sure that everyone has work to do. Sometimes this seems to take the form of cleaning things to excess, but anyway - they prioritize it. They've probably seen what happens when people have too much leisure, too much unstructured time.

Fulfillment requires security, but security does not imply fulfillment.

I think as you move up the hierarchy of needs, they become less tangible and so theres some mental effort to appreciate the higher levels.

Yes, this happens, I've lived it.