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  • The Addiction No One Talks About: Breaking Free from the Money Trap

The Addiction No One Talks About: Breaking Free from the Money Trap

Most people are addicted to money—and they don’t even know it. If your mood depends on your paycheck, you may already be hooked. Here's how to escape the cycle.

The lesson starts:

Rich Dad used to tell us, “Money is like a drug.” That’s why he never paid us when we worked for him as kids. He didn’t want us to become hooked on the habit of earning money from a job. He knew that once we got used to depending on money, we’d start craving it like an addict.

Years later, when I called him from California as an adult asking for money, he didn’t cave. He stuck to the lesson he began teaching us at age nine—don’t become dependent on money earned from others. He stayed tough, not because he didn’t care, but because he wanted to protect us from falling back into the money addiction.

He called money addictive because he noticed people’s emotions were tied to their wallets. They were happy when they had money and anxious or angry when they didn’t—just like a drug addict going through highs and withdrawals.

He warned us: once you get used to receiving money a certain way—like as an employee—it becomes hard to change. That’s why people often stay stuck in jobs, or even on government support, simply because they’re used to that method of income. It’s not just a habit—it’s a full-blown dependency.

So instead of training us to work for money, Rich Dad focused on teaching us how to build systems that generate money for us. That’s the key difference. And breaking free from the addiction starts with changing how you earn it.

📌 Key Lessons:

  1. Money Can Be Addictive
    Your emotional state may unknowingly be controlled by your income stream. Recognizing this is the first step toward freedom.

  2. Dependency Keeps You Trapped
    Whether it's a paycheck, a business you run solo, or government aid—getting used to any one source of income makes change feel impossible.

  3. Don't Work for Money—Build Systems
    True financial freedom starts when your money comes from assets or systems, not constant labor.

  4. Emotional Detachment is Critical
    Being overly attached to how you earn limits your growth. Detaching allows for new paths to wealth.

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Action Guide: Break the Cycle in 5 Steps

Step 1: Identify Your “Money Source Dependency”

  • Ask yourself: "Where does my money come from?" Is it a job, freelance work, government support?

  • Reflect on how you feel when that income stops or reduces.

Step 2: Observe Your Emotional Triggers

  • Notice if money (or lack of it) drastically changes your mood. This awareness reveals the depth of your dependency.

Step 3: Learn About Systems That Generate Money

  • Read up on business models, investing, or passive income sources like rental property, royalties, or digital products.

Step 4: Start Building One Income System

  • Create something small: a side hustle, an investment plan, or a digital product that brings income without daily effort.

Step 5: Rewire Your Mindset Weekly

  • Set a weekly reminder to ask: “Am I working for money, or is my money working for me?”

  • Review your progress and expand your system gradually.

Hi everyone,

I am reading Rich Dad’s Cashflow Quadrant book. This is a lesson I learnt. I wanted to share it with you. I hope you will like it.

If you are wondering where I got this lesson from, then get this book. There are many more of these types of Life changing lessons that you can learn. Grab this book for yourself and your best friends with the link below 👇:

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