Why can't you just become filthy rich and then just keep it to yourself? Is the latter harder to do or something?
I agree... the less you watch TV or listen to the radio, I should emphasize the "LESS COMMERCIALS and PRODUCT PLACEMENT ADS" you watch. The less likely you are to be unhappy about things you don't have. Because, the intent is to get you to buy things, regardless if it's clothes, food, medication, cosmetic enhancements, hygienic products (thinking about those ridiculous AXE commercials ... it's the worst smelling cologne in history), and cars. How does McDonald's of all of the places in the world, with rather mediocre cuisines, lead all restaurants in sales? It's weird, because people in real life are ATTRACTED to people who have certain things or buy certain products. I'm going to be honest, if you are a guy and go out a buy some s#itty expensive car, you are bound to attract more women. The best way to sale things to people is getting them to need products ... and the most efficient way to do that is play on their insecurities. Companies spend billions doing research on what people like, love, hate, and things that make them feel uncomfortable (I work for such a company before). The questions often started off fairly tame and soft, and then some of them became more invasive and beyond personal. Exploiting every angle possible.
I'm too charitable, that's why. 5 years ago, I'd have kept it to myself but now days I give to more people, granted I won't just give it away, especially to people who really aren't trying to do something positive.
You can be both. More money would just mean I'd have more to give away but while I don't, I can still do volunteer/charity work. But even still, I would prefer not to get where people know I can't ever say I'm broke. People start feeling entitled when they know you can help them if they've known and helped you over the years. It's not the end of the world if I get to that point as it beats the pooh out of being poor but as I keep saying, money isn't everything.
Yes, a family of four could survive on 46k (the median income) but they have little hope of improving their lot. It takes a huge amount of discipline to get out of that. Personally when I try to imagine myself in that situation, I don't know if I can endure it year after year for 30 to 40 years. I'm not surprise that most do not even try and just opt to live for the day.
Perhaps your issue stems from the people you know. I have been helping friends and family for years. Friends and family have been helping me for years. They don't feel indebted (or entitled) nor do I.
No, I think it's a universal issue. While most family and close friends understand they aren't entitled to a person's money once they make it big, there's always a few who do, especially if they are in dire financial straits. I guess you can pretend to be average but word can still get out in a small circle. And FTR, most of my family doesn't feel indebted to me, they are just hoping to see me be successful (i.e. taking care o9f my responsibilities).
I used t focus on money, but when I walk into work everyday and realize that I'm a teacher, I have to accept that I'll be poor until America values teachers and public education. But hey, I'm rich in knowledge and making an impact on the kids I teach in the slums of Phoenix. They give me infinite reasons to return to my place of employment day after day. Until you've been through the rigor of Common Core curricula and attempt to modify it for English Language Learners, you won't understand. So, I guess, I'm rich in my passion for helping my middle school kiddos.
Screw that. Life is about accumulating as many material possessions as you can and impressing as many people who don't like you for who you really are. Forget expanding your mind, exploring new activities and bringing other people happiness.
They're called status symbols for a reason. Status is deeply ingrained in or psyches and determines who we are, how we act, whom we associate with, and whether that triggers our dopamine receptors. It's beyond finding mere pleasure and can at times be conflated with the "happiness" marketers and the public says we're entitled to seek. The problem is that happiness and meaningfullness can hold mutually exclusive value streams. Happiness is centered on the pursuit of self whereas meaningfullness is derived from your contributions or actions outside yourself. The tricky part as partly witnessed here and sometimes religious topics is when people need to derive meaning from actions in order tojustify their relative status. As complex and sometimes paradoxical creatures, we'll often blur those lines of happiness and meaning when we look at ourselves over time and compare the greener grass beyond our borders. Which is why it's not only your net worth (a collection mostly held by paper and digital bytes) that determines your status but what you can show off or brag to other people. Being happy is not an evil thing. It's a state where you've achieved an equilibrium with your natural side. But it's also fleeting since our bodies are in a state of constant change if only by aging. THAT is the emptiness that follows temporary happiness, which marketing exploits by telling us to upgrade. There are annual surveys in happiness where parents consistently rank at the bottom. Which makes sense after the above. but if you ask them if they're happy years later or whether it's worth all of it, they will say yes. So in the long term they're at least satisfied if not happy even though what they're going through at present is hellish and exhausting. Yet another paradox we go through in life...
Just brieflt reading through this, I conclude that caltex must be a woman who was not treated graciously for the favors she gives.She must be a high class friend with benefits. What "favors" renders a "gift" of a car? That's much more than "roses" given to escorts.
Nope, I'm a guy. I started this thread: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=233325 (personally I prefer a 7 or 8 unless I luck up and find a dimr that's down to Earth but I digress.) And that car example was extreme but constantly pointing it out is missing the point of my overall message. Do you realize how spoiled I was growing up? I always had whatever I needed and tons of wants within reason. I grew up and attended schools in CCISD, one of the best school districts and areas to live in Texas. I'm not a trust fund brat but hardly someone that can't be rich one day if I so choose. It's amazing people can't understand that to some, money isn't everything.
