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I am rich and have no idea what to do

vinay.sh

491–500 of 1001 posts

Re: I am rich and have no idea what to do

#491
post #423

> I should work for Elon and Vivek at DOGE and help America get off its current crash to defaulting on its own debt I’ve got an idea: take some good economics courses so that you learn how government spending actually works.

I don't fault this guy for wanting to join DOGE and make a difference. The fact that he was able to make a few phone calls and actually get hired into an influential position despite having zero background in government, civics, economics, finance etc. should, however, tell you everything you need to know about the department and its brain trust. I wonder what will happen to all these Signal conversations when the in…

> The fact that he was able to make a few phone calls and actually get hired into an influential position despite having zero background in government, civics, economics, finance etc. should, however, tell you everything you need to know about the department and its brain trust

I have no interest in defending Elon, but this assessment is unfair. Recall how during the Obama transition, a bunch of Silicon Valley'ers got hired in to help modernize government tech (and doubly so after the disastrous obamacare website rollout). Very few of those people had experience in govt, civics, etc.

Re: I am rich and have no idea what to do

#493
I remember the feeling of being 12 or so and lamenting that I no longer enjoyed the same kind of play in the (literal) sandbox any more; a bit of sorrow at the loss of a source of joy in my life that I had grown out of. It was an interesting realization that growing up means changing desires and priorities and that I should expect to reach plateaus where I would need to pick a new direction to go in. I've always followed my personal interests and hobbies since then; there seems to be a fairly broad line between nonproductive hedonism and goal-driven productivity where there's plenty of room for personal satisfaction without risking an identity/purpose loss when big goals significantly drop in priority.

Working on a particular goal to exclusion of all else sounds like quite a shock when that's no longer a driving priority.

Re: I am rich and have no idea what to do

#496
post #106

I don't think you have to have Fuck You Money to get to this point. Most people eventually become disillusioned with work enough that they reevaluate what matters to them. Getting a very profitable exit is just one way to trigger that experience. In my experience, a lot of people who get into this state start self-sabotaging hard as a way of rejecting what feels, ironically, like losing control. Sudden freedom can fe…

As someone who has not been successful in life but who is relatively intelligent do you have any recommendations as to how I can get my life on track? I am asking because you said you like developing people. My persistent experience in life for almost 20 years post college has been nobody wants to develop me. I am not in tech but I am generally interested in the area if it can lead me to greater independence and more…

> life for almost 20 years post college has been nobody wants to develop me.

Is that really possible? I have often thought that the only person that can develop you, is you.

Sure you might get some good advice from some people, maybe a helping hand, a business loan or grant etc. but I don't view that as development.

Your biggest asset is you. Don't be reluctant to use it.

Re: I am rich and have no idea what to do

#497
post #77

Seems like the author could do well to spend some of their millions on a therapist?

[flagged]

It certainly did for me. Practically the first thing my therapist said to me was exactly what he said to someone else before, since apparently it really helped the first person.

The next session was my last, when I told him I had figured out the issue. I don't even know what he said any more, but I haven't had that particular kind of depression recur for like 6 years now.

Gives no guarantees for your own experience of course, just wanted to give a different perspective.

Re: I am rich and have no idea what to do

#498
post #469

I think that a lot of people with money need to be reminded that having wealth is a social responsibility in itself. If you can live just from passive income maybe you should just gift interesting people the excess money and have them accomplish their goals. Talk to a bunch of people and realize what you want to support. If some of them need 10k to start a business just give it to them. Or, if you want some equity, p…

> Humans need activities that produce meaningful outcomes, they don't need careers or work. Human needs purpose in life, does not matter whether it activities for meaningful outcomes, careers, work, family or God, it's in our very nature. The blog post appeared to me of someone who have achieved mostly what they have aspired to become (rich and freedom from jobs) and at their top apex from their own perspective, howe…

> Human needs purpose in life

Not sure if I agree with it in this form, as I think people can get by quite well without an explicit purpose. My grandparents were farmers, and I've never pictured them to feel any specific purpose. They were still content with their lives, as they simply didn't even considered the question of what their purpose was.

Modern success is all about fixating on a single measurable goal, and grinding that out. What if there is no single purpose but rather a diffuse set of meanings? Even worse, half the battle is you figuring out what this set of meaningful goals is, where before the goal was given to you (make lots of money).

Re: I am rich and have no idea what to do

#500
If your problem is that you're rich and have no idea what to do, why not just spice it up and give away _all_ of your money, with no way back? That's too difficult? Well, try it. If you're lost and can't figure out any other option...increase difficulty level in this game and start again. Good luck!
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