What is all this responsibility FOR, anyway?

A great post over at Personal Financial Advice about what is the best money advice you can get. I don't normally post just to put up a link, but I think this is a really valid point. I think that failure to internalize this philosophy is part of the reason why so many people cash out their 401(k)s when they switch jobs - when they look at that pile of money, they see new furniture, new clothes, dinners at restaurants, jewelry, whatever - all they can think about is what they can buy right now with that money. But if having freedom is more important than having things, you look at that pile of money and see working part time after 60 instead of full time, or giving college tuition to your grandchildren instead of cheap toys.