You don't really want a million dollars • Hacker News Board

Re: You don't really want a million dollars

#131

Post by klbarry » Mon, Dec 20, 2010, 11:53 PM UTC

shock-value wrote: post #104

oz wrote: post #69

No, you don't. I'm really tired of anti-money meme. Why is it so difficult for people to admit that many things in life come down to money? This isn't about being Gordon Gekko. You could have the purest heart, but it still takes cash to care. Some are fine with minimalism. More power to them. But I don't want to exist. I want to thrive. I'm 24. I realized a few years ago that my highest value in life is autonomy. I w…

I'm sorry, but you are so naive about your own nature. Allowing yourself to focus on getting money, and even worse, fantasizing about what you will do with it, just ingrains this habit deeper in your consciousness. If you keep doing this, and you are as much a slave to money as you come across as in this post, I suspect one of two things will happen to you... One: you'll somehow get all this money you want, start spe…

I definitely respect people for being financially successful if they added value to the world doing so (wealth creation). Also, my own life experiences do go against what you're saying - as I've made more money, I've always become more satisfied with my life, and don't see why that would change in the future.

Re: You don't really want a million dollars

#132

Post by maxawaytoolong » Mon, Dec 20, 2010, 11:57 PM UTC

jimbokun wrote: post #130

Alex3917 wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Alex, do you have any idea how the bottom 95% live?" Statistically or qualitatively? In all seriousness though, I have no aspirations of living the elite-NYC-preschool lifestyle. That being said, life is about tradeoffs and while some of the expenses might seem patently absurd, others seem like things that anyone might reasonably want for their children: to play sports, go to summer camp, to be able to get a chemist…

"to play sports" Ever notice how many of the highest performing athletes in the world tend to come from exactly the kind of environments where parents don't have a lot of money to spend on things like sports? So, maybe it's possible to play sports without spending a ton of money?

Maybe in basketball and soccer, where you just need a ball.

In sports like golf, gymnastics, figure skating, hockey, gridiron football, tennis, skiing and snowboarding it's another story.

Re: You don't really want a million dollars

#133

Post by pjhyett » Tue, Dec 21, 2010, 12:04 AM UTC

Growing up with two parents constantly stressed and fighting about money, having financial security is about the most calming thing I could imagine.

For me, it's less about being able to do extravagant things, and more about never having to worry about it.

Do you need a million dollars to achieve financial security? Perhaps not, but it certainly wouldn't hurt.

Re: You don't really want a million dollars

#134

Post by mbesto » Tue, Dec 21, 2010, 12:11 AM UTC

edw519 wrote: post #98

Interesting post. Let me rephrase the question: What amount of money would it take to solve my biggest problems? Here are my biggest problems: 1. My father had a massive stroke and died. I miss him. 2. My mother has severe dementia and now acts like a toddler. I miss her too, in a strange way. 3. In the past 8 years, I have lost 5 close friends and family members including the cousin I grew up with who died very youn…

6. Need to educate the refs on the cheapness that is Revis island and Chromartie

Re: You don't really want a million dollars

#135

Post by timwiseman » Tue, Dec 21, 2010, 12:13 AM UTC

pjhyett wrote: post #133

Growing up with two parents constantly stressed and fighting about money, having financial security is about the most calming thing I could imagine. For me, it's less about being able to do extravagant things, and more about never having to worry about it. Do you need a million dollars to achieve financial security? Perhaps not, but it certainly wouldn't hurt.

I have to agree. Knowing that you have enough money to not worry about money would be incredibly liberating, even if I only maintained my current standard of living and changed nothing about what I actually do. Even if I never exercised the options, having that kind of money would give you options you wouldn't have otherwise.

Re: You don't really want a million dollars

#136

Post by ams6110 » Tue, Dec 21, 2010, 12:20 AM UTC

jimbokun wrote: post #130

Alex3917 wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Alex, do you have any idea how the bottom 95% live?" Statistically or qualitatively? In all seriousness though, I have no aspirations of living the elite-NYC-preschool lifestyle. That being said, life is about tradeoffs and while some of the expenses might seem patently absurd, others seem like things that anyone might reasonably want for their children: to play sports, go to summer camp, to be able to get a chemist…

"to play sports" Ever notice how many of the highest performing athletes in the world tend to come from exactly the kind of environments where parents don't have a lot of money to spend on things like sports? So, maybe it's possible to play sports without spending a ton of money?

My kids play sports but not because I realistically think they are ever going to earn a living at it. It'd be nice if they could get a college scholarship, but even that is a long shot. The main reasons I have them in sports is that it's activity that keeps them fit, it's a social opportunity that allows them to make friends, and it helps them learn an important part of American culture.

Re: You don't really want a million dollars

#137

Post by shortlived » Tue, Dec 21, 2010, 12:20 AM UTC

run4yourlives wrote: post #38

I find it rich (no pun intended) that a bunch of single folk can somehow assume it's easy to live these type of lifestyles if you have a wife and 2 kids. Sorry, but I'd rather have a million.

It's like if you're a parent then you shouldn't be reading HN or something...

Re: You don't really want a million dollars

#138

Post by ams6110 » Tue, Dec 21, 2010, 12:29 AM UTC

didip wrote: post #127

ryanwaggoner wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A million dollars is actually not enough to secure a dignified existence in the US. Nonsense: http://ryanwaggoner.com/2010/08/how-to-retire-at-30-on-1-mil... Not to face bankruptcy if a major health problem arises? Health insurance isn't that expensive unless you have a pre-existing condition [1]. I won't talk about the college and home ownership questions other than to say that families have figured out how to live…

"pre-existing condition" what does it mean? And how can old people avoid having pre-existing condition? Does that mean one has to be insured continuously to make sure no pre-existing condition arises in-between insurance gap? I'm new in the States and I hear this term is mentioned a lot.

Yes, generally by staying continually insured you avoid waiting periods for coverage of pre-existing conditions.

Old people are on Medicare which doesn't, to my knowledge, exclude pre-existing conditions.

Re: You don't really want a million dollars

#139

Post by ams6110 » Tue, Dec 21, 2010, 12:43 AM UTC

klbarry wrote: post #131

shock-value wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sorry, but you are so naive about your own nature. Allowing yourself to focus on getting money, and even worse, fantasizing about what you will do with it, just ingrains this habit deeper in your consciousness. If you keep doing this, and you are as much a slave to money as you come across as in this post, I suspect one of two things will happen to you... One: you'll somehow get all this money you want, start spe…

I definitely respect people for being financially successful if they added value to the world doing so (wealth creation). Also, my own life experiences do go against what you're saying - as I've made more money, I've always become more satisfied with my life, and don't see why that would change in the future.

What else has changed in your life as you've made more money? Correlation does not imply causation. Are you sure it's the money that has made you more satisfied?

As a counterpoint I have more money now than I've ever had, and am at an all-time low in satisfaction with my life.

Re: You don't really want a million dollars

#140

Post by Alex3917 » Tue, Dec 21, 2010, 1:22 AM UTC

maxawaytoolong wrote: post #132

jimbokun wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"to play sports" Ever notice how many of the highest performing athletes in the world tend to come from exactly the kind of environments where parents don't have a lot of money to spend on things like sports? So, maybe it's possible to play sports without spending a ton of money?

Maybe in basketball and soccer, where you just need a ball. In sports like golf, gymnastics, figure skating, hockey, gridiron football, tennis, skiing and snowboarding it's another story.

Not to mention rowing, cycling, biathlon, triathlon, sailing, equestrian, mountaineering, etc. I don't know the exact numbers offhand, but it seems like the vast majority of elite athletes come from wealthy families and go through colleges like Yale and Stanford. The only sports that have even nominal representation from low-SES backgrounds are made-for-TV sports, but if you look at the overall picture it's not nearly as egalitarian.