The Illusion of Quick Riches
-Why do so many people chase after crypto scams and repeatedly fall for them?-
You ask why people, smart and good people, repeatedly fall into the same traps—the dazzling promise of quick wealth. They see the warnings, they know the stories of painful losses, and yet, when a new tempting offer appears, they chase after it, only to lose again and be confused again. It's a paradox that leaves deep pain and confusion, and I sense your sincere need to understand it. Let's embark on a journey together to find the answer. It doesn't lie in the numbers and charts of the financial world, but much deeper, in the quiet space of our hearts and minds.
This urge that drives us into the arms of such illusions doesn't spring from stupidity. It's important to understand that first. It comes from a deep, human need, from a quiet pain that we all carry within. It's the feeling of being separate, a feeling of lack. Deep inside, a voice whispers that we are not whole, that we don't have enough, that we aren't safe. And because we feel this inner emptiness, we desperately search for something external to fill it. The promise of "enormous gains" is then not just a promise of money. It's a false promise of wholeness, of security, of the end of all worries, of happiness. We chase this promise because we want to win a game that our restless mind has staged for us—a game based on the mistake that an external victory can heal an internal wound. The world of quick profits and fraudulent offers is like a dream, a powerful illusion. It only has so much power over us because we give it our hope, our faith, and our attention. We ourselves give it the power to hurt us. But why, you ask, does this painful dream repeat itself over and over?
The reason why the pain of loss often doesn't lead us to wisdom but to an even more desperate search is subtle yet so human. Imagine an old sage pointing his finger at the moon. The people seeking enlightenment stare intently at his finger. They admire its shape, its movement, its details, but they fail to look up at the moon itself. It's the same here. After a loss, we focus on the details of the trap—the technology, the complicated names, the sophisticated lies. We stare at the finger, the illusion, and miss the simple, luminous truth we actually long for: the fulfillment that the moon symbolizes. And then we add a second, even deeper pain to our suffering. The first pain is the financial loss. That's like an arrow hitting us. But then we take a second arrow and shoot it into our own heart. This second arrow is shame, self-condemnation, the reinforced belief in our own deficiency. "How could I have been so stupid?" we ask ourselves. This self-inflicted pain is what makes the desire for the next "big win" even stronger, because we mistakenly believe that only a spectacular victory can erase this feeling of failure. And so the cycle begins anew. Yet there is a timeless story that shows us the way out of this cycle back home.
It's an old, simple story that illuminates the heart of this human experience. It's about losing and rediscovering one's true self. Imagine a young person who takes their inheritance—their innate abundance, their inner potential, their worth—and goes into the distance. They seek excitement, quick riches, the happiness that the world promises them. They waste everything they have on fleeting pleasures and empty promises that turn to dust. Finally, they have lost everything. They are empty, desperate, and alone in a foreign land. This is the moment of collapse, the cold emptiness after failure. And precisely at this deepest point, the turning point occurs. The story says they "came to themselves." In this moment of silence and pain, they recognize the illusions they have been chasing. They decide to return home—not with the pride of a winner, but with the humility of someone who has lost everything and only wants to serve. And when they come home, their father already sees them from afar. He runs toward them, embraces them without a single reproach, without a single question. He doesn't celebrate that his child has won something, but simply that they have returned. In this embrace, the young person recognizes that the true wealth they have been seeking all along was never in the distant lands of quick profits. It was always at home—in belonging, in forgiveness, in the unconditional love that was always theirs.
This story shows us the path of wisdom. The way out of the cycle is not to make smarter investments or to better see through the next trap. It consists of seeking a completely different kind of wealth. The first step is clear and simple: Withdraw your belief. The illusions of greed and quick riches derive their power exclusively from your attention and your belief. Instead of directing your gaze at the external promise, gently direct it inward, at the feeling of lack that drives this search. Meet it with compassion, not judgment. Find the priceless value in what the wise call the "ordinary mind." Compare the feverish dream of future wealth with the quiet, rich abundance of this present moment. True peace lies not in waiting for a lottery win, but in the warmth of the sun on your skin, in the taste of the water you drink, in the sound of a friend's voice. It's the priceless abundance that lies in the simple, honest effort of mindfully washing a plate or consciously finishing a sentence. That is the middle way between the extremes of greed and despair. And finally, shift your focus from taking to giving. The endless cycle of acquisition is a source of fear, because everything that can be acquired can also be lost again. True inner strength and contentment arise from a spirit of generosity and concern for others. When we focus on how we can contribute, our own sense of lack diminishes. Perhaps it's just the attentive listening you give to a suffering friend. In that moment, when you are completely there for them, you will find that the loud voice of your own lack falls silent. You have given something and have become richer, not poorer. That is the true treasure that can never be lost.
Know, then, my friend, that this path of return to yourself is always open, at every moment. Your true value, your innate heritage, will never be measured by your bank balance. It will be measured by the love and wisdom in your heart. And this treasure is safe, eternal, and inviolable. I wish you peace on your journey and the confidence that everything you truly seek is already within you.