approval from:
nishiko7 
| reply to tdouglas22
Re: What I just don't understand.... Unfortunately, we remain monkeys, and I think most money grubbing has less to do with the material benefits than with the human obsession with social rank/position. It becomes a game in which the numbers are simply abstractions to rank people in the social hierarchy. People, especially males(and lets be clear most females desire these types of males), want to be top dog, alpha male, have the choicest pick of the juicy mates, and so on. This desire to feel superior to others and be ranked higher than others is a much bigger driver of human economic behavior than the possessions that can be bought with the money.
If everyone has a million dollars I want 10 million.
If some people have 10 million I want 1 billion.
If some people have 1 trillion I want 10 trillion.
Why? Because I want to be ranked ahead of and superior to everyone else.
It used to be considered a moral issue to control ones animal appetites. Succumbing to lust used to be a sign of moral failure. Not controlling one's rapacious greed used to be cause for social opprobrium, not worship.
As western civilization unwinds we wallow in and glorify all the animal instincts that civilization and religion used to teach us to control and temper for the purpose of maintaining a stable social order. It would be nice if we could find a balance between rigid rules and shameless self-indulgence but we seem to be doomed to swing from one extreme to the other. |
 The LimitPremium
join:2007-09-25
Greensboro, NC
kudos:2 | And it's only going to get worse, as our federal spending attests to this.
I agree with everything you state above, and I also think there should be a happy medium. I think this resembles alcoholism, that one drink gets many, but few are able to "drink responsibly".
Everyone wants more, more, more. Basically, that's what my future and my children's future is moving towards? Can't afford that 250k house? Just FINANCE IT for only $500 a month! Bad credit?? How about a %20 mortgage loan that you can NEVER repay in your lifetime!
How about that brand new dodge charger that you have always dreamed of having! Just FINANCE IT!
Everything is revolving around credit these days. I hate credit, I wish I could do without credit but it's getting to the point that I MUST have credit in order to obtain a decent loan on a house that I can repay in 10 years.
I really don't want to sound all doom and gloom but really, take a look at the numbers, the future is in the numbers. Sure, there are anomalies, but just take a look at the nation's deficit and the sheer wall that has to be climbed in order to just START paying off principal.
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Do or do not, there is no try! - Yoda |
