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Choose your status game wisely

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Re: Choose your status game wisely

#11

Post by smitty1e »

scandox wrote: post #3

> I know some of you will say “Just ignore the status game altogether,” but this is easier said than done. Like many other animals, we are biologically wired to respond to status. Ignorance is not the way out. It's not ignorance to overcome our biology. It is possible to control our desire for status and to live better lives and be happier as a result. Also different cultures are much more competitive about status: A…

Status is a temporal, worldly thing.

Among the better ways to "win" this game is to seek status in the metaphysical. In a way, this is "winning" through "not playing".

By some measures, I'm doing OK at it, if money is the scoring basis.

OTOH, I've lived with the same house/car/wardrobe for a couple of decades.

Do these oligarchs/celebrities really have more joy than I?

Maybe.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#12

Post by petercooper »

mherdeg wrote: post #2

I always wonder why folks with 9-figure net worth (or high 8) keep doing any job at all. People do not get very many quality-adjusted life years -- why would you spend 8+ hours per day doing CEO work when you could spend that time with family and friends?

I used to wonder that too. Having got to know a handful of people who've become very wealthy through their own efforts, though, I suspect being proactive is enjoyable for them ("thrill of the chase" and all that) in a way that undirected leisure is not. Some business people seem to be as compelled to strike deals or build companies in a similar way to how prolific authors or artists feels compelled to engage in their art.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#13

Post by brimble »

mherdeg wrote: post #2

I always wonder why folks with 9-figure net worth (or high 8) keep doing any job at all. People do not get very many quality-adjusted life years -- why would you spend 8+ hours per day doing CEO work when you could spend that time with family and friends?

They probably enjoy it. Being a CEO or whatever doesn't look like sitting in a cubicle all damn day. Even the latter's much better if you know you have the money to quit whenever you feel like it. That alone makes a big difference, but they also have a lot more say in how they spend their time, and do completely different stuff.

Making the big calls, having people who'll go do all kinds of stuff when you ask them to, meeting and hanging out with other important people, et c., probably feels awesome, and if you've got enough money socked away to never need to work again, all the "risk" is as real as playing poker with pennies.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#14

Post by fdgsdfogijq »

brimble wrote: post #13
mherdeg wrote: post #2

I always wonder why folks with 9-figure net worth (or high 8) keep doing any job at all. People do not get very many quality-adjusted life years -- why would you spend 8+ hours per day doing CEO work when you could spend that time with family and friends?

They probably enjoy it. Being a CEO or whatever doesn't look like sitting in a cubicle all damn day. Even the latter's much better if you know you have the money to quit whenever you feel like it. That alone makes a big difference, but they also have a lot more say in how they spend their time, and do completely different stuff. Making the big calls, having people who'll go do all kinds of stuff when you ask them to,…

I was going to say this. It's fun when you are that high up.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#15

Post by brimble »

fdgsdfogijq wrote: post #14
brimble wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They probably enjoy it. Being a CEO or whatever doesn't look like sitting in a cubicle all damn day. Even the latter's much better if you know you have the money to quit whenever you feel like it. That alone makes a big difference, but they also have a lot more say in how they spend their time, and do completely different stuff. Making the big calls, having people who'll go do all kinds of stuff when you ask them to,…

I was going to say this. It's fun when you are that high up.

It's also the case that someone with quite a bit of money doesn't have as much non-work work to do. If you can afford to pay someone to do: all shopping (that you don't enjoy doing), all cooking (ditto), all cleaning (doing the laundry including putting it away, doing the dishes, cleaning your house, cleaning your car[s]), to drive you around so that time's not lost, et c., that recovers a ton of time. You can put quite a bit of that back into your job and still come out ahead in leisure and family time, compared with a worker bee who still has to do all that shit themselves, outside work hours.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#16

Post by swagasaurus-rex »

Who is more cool?

Somebody who makes it clear they're wealthy or well connected or attractive or smart or etc...

Or somebody who is upbeat and friendly with no desire to display anything about themselves?

There's a minority of people who go by their own compass. The things that gratify status seekers don't do it for them. That's not to say they don't have needs. They need friends, stimulation, hobbies, achievements. But they recognize it as a personal thing.

There's also people who are so far down the status chain that they don't relate to it any more, and have stopped trying.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#17

Post by csa »

mherdeg wrote: post #2

I always wonder why folks with 9-figure net worth (or high 8) keep doing any job at all. People do not get very many quality-adjusted life years -- why would you spend 8+ hours per day doing CEO work when you could spend that time with family and friends?

> why would you spend 8+ hours per day doing CEO work when you could spend that time with family and friends?

Your family and friends are usually busy working.

The only exception is if you roll with other wealthy (early) retirees. If you have ever spent time around these folks, you might see why it’s not necessarily that compelling.

I would humbly suggest that it’s easier to meet and hang out with interesting people under the guise of owning or working in some sort of business. If you actually like that business (many people do), then it’s a double win.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#19

Post by LAC-Tech »

Honestly I wish I had paid a bit more attention to status in my life.

Our culture tells you don't need to follow the crowd or play the game and you can march to the beat of your own drum.

But honestly, that's overrated.

Re: Choose your status game wisely

#20

Post by phpnode »

swagasaurus-rex wrote: post #16

Who is more cool? Somebody who makes it clear they're wealthy or well connected or attractive or smart or etc... Or somebody who is upbeat and friendly with no desire to display anything about themselves? There's a minority of people who go by their own compass. The things that gratify status seekers don't do it for them. That's not to say they don't have needs. They need friends, stimulation, hobbies, achievements.…

> Who is more cool?

> Somebody who makes it clear they're wealthy or well connected or attractive or smart or etc...

> Or somebody who is upbeat and friendly with no desire to display anything about themselves?

The first one. It's the first one.

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