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The Fallacy of Money As A Means

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Re: The Fallacy of Money As A Means

#61

Post by calinet6 »

hosh wrote: post #48
C1D wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with most of the things you said. In fact there are two major reasons why I want to start a company. Number 1 being that I want to be able to get my kids a great education and the other is that I want to innovate something that will help everyones life, I want to majorly contribuite to society.

Does the startup have something to do with getting your kids a great education?

The prospect of a good exit, or a successful company which would basically allow you to be "set for life" would do this. Being able to select freely where to live, what schools to go to, and what colleges to have as options will greatly affect the education prospects of your children.

Re: The Fallacy of Money As A Means

#62

Post by smartician »

calinet6 wrote: post #4

This is a generally short-sighted article, that looks inward but not at the bigger picture. I want to make a lot of money because I want to start a family, and I want them to have the best life and the best opportunities available. Not to be spoiled, but simply to have a good life. And that's just the start. I want to make money so I can help people. To be able to invest in things which might cure diseases, solve hun…

> But you never responded to it. It's because it's the real reason. Money is a means to create the biggest impact possible. It is a means to create. Full stop.

From the article: Starting a multi-national company is only one way to achieve impact that a small subset of people can accomplish.

In other words, if your rationale is "I'm going to start Tumblr for Cats, and turn it into a multi-billion enterprise, and then I'm going to go all Bill Gates and become a philanthropist!", you're probably deluding yourself. (1) It's probably not going to happen. (2) Even if it happens, many people never end up following through with their plan. The money might be tied up in a trust fund on the British Virgin Islands, or there are other investment opportunity coming up. "Just one more billion, then I have enough to donate!"

If you're honest with your goals, a better way to make an impact would be to join a biotech or clean energy company, or even start one yourself (not a contradiction with the article, because your primary motivation would not be to make huge amounts of money).

Re: The Fallacy of Money As A Means

#63

Post by dragonwriter »

michaelochurch wrote: post #57
calinet6 wrote: post #4

This is a generally short-sighted article, that looks inward but not at the bigger picture. I want to make a lot of money because I want to start a family, and I want them to have the best life and the best opportunities available. Not to be spoiled, but simply to have a good life. And that's just the start. I want to make money so I can help people. To be able to invest in things which might cure diseases, solve hun…

Spot on. Money is a conflation of two social processes or decisions: a. Who gets to have private jets and get into hot nightclubs. b. Who gets to build things of importance to the world. Most of us are smart enough to have limited interest in (a)-- if that's what you're into, you'll never have enough-- but have an obsessive, sometimes anger-inducing and debilitating, focus on (b).

> Money is a conflation of two social processes or decisions:

> a. Who gets to have private jets and get into hot nightclubs.

> b. Who gets to build things of importance to the world.

No, its not. Those two are two of the many aspects of the one thing that money is a determinant for: power. Or, "who gets to do what they want to do".

"Have private jets and get into hot nightclubs" is just one of things people might want to do. "Build things of [or, that they think of as having] importance to the world" is another of the things people might want to do.

There are more, of course.

Re: The Fallacy of Money As A Means

#64

Post by [deleted] »

calinet6 wrote: post #4

This is a generally short-sighted article, that looks inward but not at the bigger picture. I want to make a lot of money because I want to start a family, and I want them to have the best life and the best opportunities available. Not to be spoiled, but simply to have a good life. And that's just the start. I want to make money so I can help people. To be able to invest in things which might cure diseases, solve hun…

[deleted]

Re: The Fallacy of Money As A Means

#65

Post by Zelphyr »

calinet6 wrote: post #4

This is a generally short-sighted article, that looks inward but not at the bigger picture. I want to make a lot of money because I want to start a family, and I want them to have the best life and the best opportunities available. Not to be spoiled, but simply to have a good life. And that's just the start. I want to make money so I can help people. To be able to invest in things which might cure diseases, solve hun…

> I want to make a lot of money because I want to start a family, and I want them to have the best life and the best opportunities available.

That's the short-sighted part. Money doesn't buy a great life. Sure, a good one. But it's no guarantee of a great life. (think of all the rich people who have committed suicide, for example)

If you want to give your family a great life then experience life with them instead of building a life for them. And that simply does not always require a lot money. Key words being "a lot". Sure, trips to Disney World require money but not "Oh my God I just sold my useless social network for a billion dollars!" money.

> I want to make money so I can help people.

Sorry, not buying it. This can be done on a daily basis for free.

> I want to make money so that I can change the world. Not in the superficial way that people think you mean when you say that, but in real ways; in ways that create true value for humanity.

You mean like how Woz invented the PC when he was a broke (by comparison) college dropout working at HP?

Re: The Fallacy of Money As A Means

#66

Post by Zelphyr »

thedufer wrote: post #56
lsc wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I want to start a family, and I want them to have the best life and the best opportunities available. Not to be spoiled, but simply to have a good life. This... does not always work out how you think it will. I'm the oldest of six. (Divorced/remarried parents, 3 kids each). I'm dramatically more successful than any of my siblings, adjusted for age. According to the tests, I'm not any smarter than them; according to…

Anecdotes are fun, but the data suggests over and over again that financially successful parents have more financially successful children.

Your statement erroneously associates financial success with happiness. Provably untrue.

Re: The Fallacy of Money As A Means

#67

Post by autotravis »

bdreadz wrote: post #24

Seriously this article just angers me. What about the person that wants to make some good money while also enjoying the process. Wanting nice things and seeks financial freedom so as to provide a exceptional living for him/herself as well as for their family. I dream big. I am realistic and I take time to enjoy what I have. It's not just reaching the summit that will be that moment. The journey is fantastic and it's…

Troll? So now people that honestly want to help others and offer advice are trolls? He wrote the article because his introspection lead/is leading to a better life for himself. Is sharing that with other people such a bad thing?

Re: The Fallacy of Money As A Means

#68

Post by manmal »

ryguytilidie wrote: post #19
Afforess wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the article: If people without families to support are brutally honest with themselves So you are not the audience.

Wanting to start a family and having a family to support are two different things. I imagine the goal of a ton of people without families is to generate the capital necessary to start a family.

Having started a family a year ago, I wonder what kind of capital is necessary to start a family is? For diapers? Or do people really want to save up for college when they have barely left college themselves?

Until age 3, a child doesn't even need a dedicated room, so basically any apt suitable for 2 people will do.

Disclaimer: I'm in Austria, maybe it's easier here.

Re: The Fallacy of Money As A Means

#69

Post by nrivadeneira »

bdreadz wrote: post #24

Seriously this article just angers me. What about the person that wants to make some good money while also enjoying the process. Wanting nice things and seeks financial freedom so as to provide a exceptional living for him/herself as well as for their family. I dream big. I am realistic and I take time to enjoy what I have. It's not just reaching the summit that will be that moment. The journey is fantastic and it's…

I think this point isn't made enough. Everyone wants to "make a dent in the universe" and excelling for the simple sake of excelling is almost looked down upon. There's something to be said about the enjoying the process - getting enjoyment out of working to be better. Money is just one of many measurements of "better". I want to make money because I enjoy climbing the god damned mountain.

Re: The Fallacy of Money As A Means

#70

Post by Psyonic »

dnautics wrote: post #44
acjohnson55 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh? So you're suggesting setting the bar low for your inner-self just so you can avoid intimidating partners of a lower standard? That makes no sense to me. If I were single (which I'm not, because I have a satisfying relationship built on mutual admiration), I would want people of low aspirations to self-select themselves out of my dating pool.

Why? People with "low aspirations" are not necessarily bad people, nor unsuitable mates. Everyone needs something different in their lives. All I'm saying is that "self-improvement for the sake of dating" is terrible advice. Most people want to go on dates with people who are attractive, and self-improvement is often an anti-pattern for that. Yes, we'd like to think that everyone has real standards (versus superficia…

"Most people want to go on dates with people who are attractive, and self-improvement is often an anti-pattern for that."

I don't see the contradiction. I'm fairly obsessed with self-improvement and my body and health are a big part of that. I'm certainly more attractive now than I was 5 years ago, for example.

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