The big three no-no topics use to be sex, religion and money; you weren’t supposed to talk about these topics in polite company. However, if you are following the U.S. presidential race, religion has become a factor in assessing the candidates- so much so that all the candidates are openly declaring their religious beliefs. Sex-well, when Britney Spears goes around town without knickers on and the only real reaction is “what again?!?” instead of “put her in jail!” you know that we have become pretty open as a society about sex as well.

Money? I find that no one talks about it still (the personal finance blogging community is a world onto itself and cannot be considered to be the “norm” in society). I was at a mastermind meeting where we actually discussed money for about 5 minutes and a guest who was attending actually said “wow, how un-Canadian, an open conversation about money!” Thus, I am reading with interest Give Me Back My Five Bucks posts about discussing money with her new boyfriend (great blog by the way). I don’t think the writer’s feelings and observations are any different than most of us.

Think about it; when you start dating someone, you discuss things like religious beliefs, dating history (which is a polite way to discuss you know what), hopes/dreams and ambitions. Very deep topics and, to be blunt, a way to vet out potential partners (some people don’t want to be with someone with different religious beliefs or who don’t want kids etc). But a discussion about money? We can’t discuss that! It seems like our societal attitudes about religion and sex have been more “liberalized” than our attitudes about money (I use the term liberal in the apolitical sense). I have often thought that having a common belief about money is key to any successful relationship (personal, business or otherwise) but it is the elephant in the room conversation. Everyone knows it is there but some like to pretend it is not and carry on in blissful ignorance.

I sometimes think money is not value given to paper but a whole bag of emotional attachments and beliefs. The amateur  psychology 101 part of me thinks people do not like discussing money because it is, in some senses, an exercise in exposing our past and vulnerabilities attached to money.

Let me know if you feel money is, indeed, the last taboo and your thoughts on this topic.