5 years in hell and then riches and happiness afterwards doesn’t sound like a good deal to me. That time in prison CAN be a learning experience but at what cost? I mean, what if I lose an eye? Get stabbed in the ear? Surprise buttsex? :O I’m pretty sure that some of the inmates won’t be happy to know that I’ll be living a life of luxury in 5 short years so they’ll probably do their best to make my life miserable.
Now lets say that I get out of prison in one piece and I start living the happy life of a rich man. Even then, there’s a good chance that I won’t have that protection money has to offer. There will always be that danger of falling in love with money and what it can purchase. Wealth might generate in me an appetite that is never satisfied. What if money becomes the object of my affection? I might become susceptible to all sorts of moral temptations, including lying, theft, treachery. What about acquaintances and friends? I’ll probably be suspicious of their motives. Are they after my money or do they genuinely care and want to be my friend? I’ll live happy (to a degree) and protected from the World but how will I protect myself from…myself? Maybe that ^^ will generate a false sense of happiness? Who knows.
But my main reason for not accepting the first option is because I don’t want to be denied appreciation for the value of work, a sense of self-worth, and the ability to feel rich on the inside. Imagine this: 2 boys, one boy is rich while the other is poor. The wealthy boy can have anything his heart desires but imagine he (for whatever reason) looses everything when he’s an adult, how will he cope with life’s disappointments when everything was handed to him as a kid and he probably didn‘t value anything he had. The poor boy will in my opinion stand a better chance of dealing with what ever life throws at him because he probably learned appreciation, resilience, and other good qualities that will set him up to kick this World’s ass. Point is, the most valuable things in life cannot be obtained with money.
Just my thought. =)