Monkeys With Money & Guns

Earlier today, I was struck by this Tom Waits quote that I stumbled across.

[su_quote]We are buried beneath the weight of information, which is being confused with knowledge; quantity is being confused with abundance and wealth with happiness. We are monkeys with money and guns.[/su_quote]

Tom Waits is an acclaimed musician, songwriter, and actor and this quote offers an interesting insight into life in our modern age. When I read it, I think about what our responsibilities are as parents. It is part of our job as parents to teach our kids the value of knowledge, of sifting through the avalanche of information that the internet gives them access to. in order to find what matters. We need to teach them the critical thinking skills to help them to not be so easily swayed by “news” and social media.

By doing this, our children will be much more valuable to society for they will stand out among their peers. They will see the truth for what it is. They will see the value in experiences and relationships over material possessions. They won’t just be monkeys with money and guns.