I’m generally suspicious of anyone who worked in the Nixon administration.  That’s one of the many reasons why I can’t take Pat Buchanon seriously even on those rare occasions when he actually makes sense.

I’m equally suspicious of people who have affiliations with game shows.  Although St. Elsewhere was a fairly critically-acclaimed program, I have developed a strong bias against Howie Mandel over the last few years for that very reason.

In light of those two personal biases, it came as quite a shock to me when I read an article by none other than Ben “Buehler, Buehler, Buehler” Stein and found myself nodding along in agreement.

The article in question, “How to Ruin Your Morning“, was a somewhat rambling account of what Mr. Stein is currently buying as he attempts to adjust his investment portfolio within the ugly current economic climate.  Bookending the details of Stein’s planned approach is a recognition that it’s all too easy to allow these days of roller coaster markets and troubled big industries to decrease the quality of your life a little too much.

I experience a lot of this firsthand.  I deal with a few people every day who are spending the bulk of their time engaged in hand-wringing and compulsively staring at monitors tuned to CNBC.  I’ve seen how the big Dow drops have completely upended their lives.

I can completely understand why that’s the case, but I can’t escape the feeling that they should be able to draw a line that somehow separates their overall sense of personal well-being and quality of life from the day-to-day bobbing and weaving of the markets.  Living and dying with the NYSE isn’t really much of a life–and I say that with a full understanding of how devastating a series of substantial losses can be for someone.

In the end though (and I can’t believe I’m actually writing this), I agree with Ben Stein:

Lastly, I am trying to enjoy life so that I am more than the mere composite of the stocks and bonds I own. I hate myself for being so dependent on how much money I have for my self image. I am  going to change that. I do not want to endlessly think of myself as worth x dollars one day and half of that another day. I hope I am more than  that.

And he is.  And so am I.  And so are you.

Our financial identities don’t define us, even though they do have a big impact on our lives.  At times like this, it’s important to retain some larger sense of perspective–and I’m not just talking about a “what went down will go up” kind of big picture financial positivity.  It’s more than that.  It’s about re-realizing that the old line about money not being everything is true.

In a post that’s definitely worth reading, Jim at Bargaineering noted:

See, life isn’t about making more money, it’s about being happy and enjoying the time that you have with the people that you care about. The funny thing about money is that if you let it become everything, you’ll find that you never have enough of it and you always want more. And the more that you get, the more you will want. It’s an endless cycle that can easily consume you if you’re not careful. How many “rich” and “successful” people ask themselves what happened in their lives the last twenty years? How did their kids grow up so fast? How did they get so old?

Keep that in mind.  When personal finance bloggers and a former Nixon speechwriter agree on something, it’s probably worth considering.