All of us are smart enough to ingratiate ourselves with a “rich uncle”, particularly if he has no obvious heirs. In fact, a wealthy rich uncle who’s a bachelor can be more greatly beloved by nieces and nephews than their own parents.
This is a normal, natural appreciation of the potential flow of assets into our own possession. “Uncle Bob is so nice, kind, loving, intelligent, wonderful, and one of the finest human beings it is my great privilege to know.” may seem to be laying it on a bit thick, but, as Disraeli said, “Flattery should be laid on with a trowel.”
Most of the time, the proverbial rich uncle will be twenty to thirty years older than we are. Most do not realize that he is very aware both of the flattery he receives and the reason for it. Still, most rich uncles enjoy it and are not about to shut it off by saying “In my will, I’m leaving every penny I have to _______ , a cause which is much more important to me than any person in the world.”
He may say that as a test. Those who then ignore him, and try to find greener pastures, may be the ones cut out, while those who continue to profess the desired admiration are selected as heirs. We simply don’t know what he’ll do, but the smarter people keep on trying.
Now, our rich uncle, being twenty or thirty years older than we, will probably die when we have twenty or thirty years of our own lives remaining. We may find that we have spent well over half our lives kissing up and be disappointed. He may lose his money in bad investments, he may marry a younger woman and have children, or, worse yet from the prospective heir’s point of view, marry a younger woman who has children and who is using all her wiles to her, and their, advantage regarding the estate.
Nonetheless, collectively, billions of hours are spent every year by people kissing up to someone who may be able to give them something that they may be able to enjoy for, at most, two or three decades. There are more unproductive ways to spend one’s time.
On the other hand, if Catholic Fundamentalists, and most Christians, are right, our Father in Heaven, is far wealthier than any rich uncle. He can provide us with an eternal joy that far surpasses any short-term earthly pleasure. We may consider spending even a tenth as much time seeking His favor as our “rich uncle’s”.
