Money Worship
Research published in the Journal of Financial Therapy found that our personal feelings about money can indeed impact our behaviors and realities.
Our internal “money script,” a term coined by financial psychologists Ted Klontz and Brad Klontz, can affect the way we think about and relate to money in our lives. In 2011, the pair published research on money beliefs and identified four main money script categories: money avoidance; money worship; money status; and money vigilance. Hover over the four category boxes to the left to learn more.
Money Avoidance
Money Vigilance
Money Status
According to their research, they found that people who are money avoidant might think money is bad or that they do not deserve money, and may feel anxious when topics related to finance are discussed or self-sabotage their financial well-being.
Someone who has an internal “money worship” script might believe that the more money you have, the happier you are.
A person who believes that money is tied to status might think there’s an association between self-worth and net-worth, causing them to try to acquire more money than those around them.
Someone who falls into a “money vigilance” script might be very concerned about having enough money, and even worry that “financial danger” is around the corner, the researchers found.
Tap on each category to learn more.
