Being wealthy means your assets grow larger, and their value increases too. The purpose of all economic activity is to secure assets. The more assets you have, the more opportunities you create. Assets represent the total of what one owns and borrows from others. In other words, it is the complete amount of resources available for earning time. Resources serve as the foundation for acquiring additional resources. It’s like using small earthworms as bait to catch fish. Thus, it is said that money makes money. This is referred to as financial income. Income is primarily categorized into earned income and financial income. If you have a substantial earned income but lack financial income, you are more likely to face poverty in the future. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
One reason for the Dutch’s wealth was the strong trust between the merchants and sailors responsible for trade. Captain Willem Barentsz failed in 1596 while attempting to open a northeast route to the Far East via Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean. An accident occurred in which 8 out of 18 sailors died after being trapped in glaciers at temperatures of -40 degrees for 8 months, marking a setback for the development of a new maritime route. However, the captain and crew did not disturb the cargo, and on June 13, 1597, they split into two small ships and escaped the glacier. Fifty days later, they were rescued by a Russian merchant ship. Captain Barentsz died on the journey home, but the crew returned the consigned cargo to its owners intact after getting home. Trust means taking your life as collateral. Business is built on this trust. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”