Because it's not working that sucks. It's having to work that sucks.
Much like cooking.
Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
61–70 of 152 posts
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#62Because being somewhat of a workaholic or craving power / money / achievement is how they got to be wealthy in the first place. This is roughly akin to asking "why don't strong and fit people stop going to the gym?"
If people stayed fit after getting in shape one time I think most would stop, your metaphor only works if we made some kind of capital gains scenario for fitness.
No, I really don't think they would. The gym is a lot of people's "third place[0]". Not to mention that exercise in particular releases happy chemicals independent of whether or not it is making/keeping you fit.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#63We have a real societal disconnect and it's clear that we don't communicate enough with our elder generations. While some people are content to retire and stay home in bed, not having something meaningful to do every day makes quite a lot of people absolutely miserable.
I've noticed how quickly I become depressed when I have nothing to do. It's sort of like the properties of a gas- my lethargy expands to fill the volume of space I have. When I was on a sabbatical between jobs instead of going to museums and art shows and exploring new hikes and doing other things I'd think I would enjoy I laid around and binge-watched The Wire and the West Wing. When I'm busy I actively block out ti…
I must be weird because I have never been bored in my life, working or not. I always can think of countless things I'd like to do at any moment.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#64Because being somewhat of a workaholic or craving power / money / achievement is how they got to be wealthy in the first place. This is roughly akin to asking "why don't strong and fit people stop going to the gym?"
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Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#65They largely do, it's just that we don't hear about it. The ones we do hear about enjoy the celebrity.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#66rich people get rich from other people's work. so if the rich "work" it's to pretend that that isn't the arrangement; to maintain the illusion that they work for their money rather that owning the surplus value created by their workers.
This reads like rich people fan fiction. Is there any evidence backing this?
backing which part?
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#67I remember when I visited the CEO's office at my first "real" job. I was sitting with my boss waiting for the CEO to show up to his massive (quiet) office with comfortable furnature, secretary who was busy organizing his personal and professional life (she asked us about gifts for his grand kids since we "knew computers"), drinks and food at the ready nearby... I said something like "Man I would find work pretty dang…
So what gift did you recommend for the grandchildren?
CEO asked us about it too.
We discussed the pros and cons of laptops vs desktops and etc (this was when laptops were still a big tradeoff vs a desktop in power and etc). IIRC we recommended a nice desktop for the kids that could be upgraded / changed they were inclined but also plenty useful if they chose not to. Also told him to get a nicer monitor than they were thinking.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#68I find that rich people, like the millionaires and billionaires, are driven people and driven not necessarily only by money. Extreme financial success is but a side effect of whatever is driving them whether it be building a huge company or a revolutionizing and industry. And if getting rich is not the end game whether entirely or partially then the work is never done. They are still on a mission and there are more c…
Having billions of dollars and continuing to work doesn't necessarily mean that you're not driven by money. It can mean that the drive for more money is insatiable.
But I agree other factors are involved; if there are rivals left to be crushed, or any capacity for increased public attention remaining, many rich people will keep grinding.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#69Because when JFK died the world stood still for a hot minute and then everybody resumed their activities as if nothing had happened
Same with MLK, Diana Spencer, Michael Jackson, John Lennon etc.
Even if you are #1 of 8.000.000.000 you are still only 1/8.000.000.000
Bezos and Branson didn't need to go up in their own rocketship, but they did so to occupy the airwaves.
Same reason why Musk tweets like a maniac
These people are like the person who climbs the Everest "because it's there", but instead of mt. Everest they see the total amount of daily waking hours that the 8 billion people on the planet spend doing their own activities and then seek to monopolize that time forcing people to genuflect and idolize them and their products.
In the past those who had this sort of social standing were forced to live in the moment.
Roman emperors woke up greatful that they were not assassinated during the night, and went to bed equally greatful that they managed to stay alive.
Today you have people with 100B dollars and 40 years of life ahead of them! Humans were never made to live in this way. We are in uncharted territory.
I don't know if we would ever be able to analyze brains in real time or postmortem but we probably won't like what we'll find in there.
Re: Why Don't Rich People Just Stop Working?
#70rich people get rich from other people's work. so if the rich "work" it's to pretend that that isn't the arrangement; to maintain the illusion that they work for their money rather that owning the surplus value created by their workers.
Your statement was only true prior to the invention of capitalism. After capitalism, its possible to gain wealth without stealing it from workers. Capitalism is more nuanced than many say it is---see the Rerum Noveram by Pope Leo XIII for an intro to the nuance of the issue: he warned owners not to abuse worker, but also called workers not to destroy property of owners or other individuals.
Oppression and wage-theft still occur, bit they are not necessary parts of capitalism per se, but rather abuses of the system. If workers are truly free to choose their jobs, they can leave a bad situation, and that puts market pressure on businesses to do better.