At the time when this is most needed external forces conspire to make it most difficult. Our jobs demand more time and concentration. We need to recognize the poisonous nature of these forces and we need to find ways to circumvent them. Wealth and power are essential. Without them we can do nothing.
Money is the measure of all things.
It is no longer just a tool. This is intellect pushing past the point that it works. Money is a simple quantitative measure of success. It is a goal intellect can focus on, but it is an empty goal that leads nowhere. Without a religious sense of connectedness to something beyond one's individual existence nothing has an enduring meaning.