Granted it's late and I probably shouldn't be posting this thread after a few beers, and it has sweet FA to do with Thailand per se....but, is the world only about manipulation (ie. money) ? For those of you retired here on millions, is that how to make that kind of money ? Or did some of you spread you success around as you made your fortune ? Is the world intrinscly good or bad ? Do you have to be a bad person to succeed (or at least "badder" than the people you're doing business with ?) I'm a little disillusioned and possibly naieve at the moment because I believe there is enough wealth for everyone if people are not too greedy. But I accept that not everyone thinks this way. What are your thoughts ? Do people need to be greedy <deleted> to succeed ? Many come to Thailand because these are the things we didn't like about where we were, but what did we do to get here ? Not preaching, just curious.

i came to thailand with 20K THB!

Free market vs communism?

this is not meanth to become a political diatribe and if it were to become one I would ask the mods to close this thread. Just a discussion on whether it's possible to succeed and be a "nice guy" at the same time.

Boater...20K baht, I find that hard to believe. Even harder if you told me now you had 2,000K baht, but not impossible.

Anyone can make money with a good idea, belief in that idea and hard work to back it up. But there ae always moral questions about what happens along the way. that's what this thread is about. Can you succeed by following a path which will give you enough or is the temptation to go for broke (at the expense of others who have helped you) too strong ?

Most of the negative situations that have befallen me stem from me manipulating what I see, hear and sense is bad, but telling myself "no, it couldn't be". Some people are no good, and while I can curse them for being no good, if I'm honest, I usually find it was me who gave then a way to get to me.

It's a tough balancing act between taking careof yourself and letting others, who could do you harm near you. One has to raise their level of awareness and at the same time not become cynical. And somtimes they still get to you...

I have always run an honest business, we try to be nice people to do business with and we've always made a nice living from it. So yes, I think you can suceed by being 'good'. In answer to the question, I think the world is intrinsically bad as there are more trying to 'do you over', but as always, there are exceptions to the rule.

But there ae always moral questions about what happens along the way. that's what this thread is about. Can you succeed by following a path which will give you enough or is the temptation to go for broke (at the expense of others who have helped you) too strong ?

isn't time to take your pills?

I have always run an honest business, we try to be nice people to do business with and we've always made a nice living from it. So yes, I think you can suceed by being 'good'. In answer to the question, I think the world is intrinsically bad as there are more trying to 'do you over', but as always, there are exceptions to the rule.

Agreed, I've met a few good people with successful businesses, but I've met far more total <deleted>.

Depends what you mean by success I suppose.

Do total <deleted> ever achieve satisfaction or is there always something out there that they still want?

A guy I went to college with went to jail for two years last year because he thought he could have anything he wanted because he was rich and successful.

(In this case it involved ignoring the firearms laws, a major mistake in Australia at the moment).

I'll pop in and see him when I go back and ask him how his sex life is.

A woman here won $A13million on lotto last week. The first thing she did was donate $2m to childrens hospitals and charities. Not many would do that.

Just give me 13 million bucks and see how quick I donate 2 to charity.

Depends what you mean by success I suppose.

Do total <deleted> ever achieve satisfaction or is there always something out there that they still want?

A guy I went to college with went to jail for two years last year because he thought he could have anything he wanted because he was rich and successful.

(In this case it involved ignoring the firearms laws, a major mistake in Australia at the moment).

I'll pop in and see him when I go back and ask him how his sex life is.

He went to jail two years last year?

When I first started my business, some low-lives saw how well we were doing and decided that they were going to take it for themselves. They paid people to throw feces at our store during the night and destroy our advertising, signs and other property. They spread nasty lies about me and threatened me with e-mails that could not be traced. We finally had to get the police involved.

I quickly realized that as seedy as they were, they were also very stupid and knew nothing about business. They opened stores close to my stores to try to prevent us from getting customers, but instead, most people ignored them.

We have continued to thrive while they try one useless tactic after another, year after year. I have something like 6 successsful shops now and my enemies have wasted thousands of dollars and are empty most of the time.

I have been kicking their backsides for almost 10 years. Bad guys don't always win.

When I first started my business, some low-lives saw how well we were doing and decided that they were going to take it for themselves. They paid people to throw feces at our store during the night and destroy our advertising, signs and other property. They spread nasty lies about me and threatened me with e-mails that could not be traced. We finally had to get the police involved.

I quickly realized that as seedy as they were, they were also very stupid and knew nothing about business. They opened stores close to my stores to try to prevent us from getting customers, but instead, most people ignored them.

We have continued to thrive while they try one useless tactic after another, year after year. I have something like 6 successsful shops now and my enemies have wasted thousands of dollars and are empty most of the time.

I have been kicking their backsides for almost 10 years. Bad guys don't always win.

Good to know UG - Thanks for sharing.

I've got my own idea I'm currently working on now, and would hate to see it blatantly ripped off when it goes live, but even if it does I'm of the believe that the people that do rip it off will always be the followers. Not sure what advantage if any that will give me in the real world, but I intend on finding out.

I wish you the best of luck!

Depends what you mean by success I suppose.

Do total <deleted> ever achieve satisfaction or is there always something out there that they still want?

A guy I went to college with went to jail for two years last year because he thought he could have anything he wanted because he was rich and successful.

(In this case it involved ignoring the firearms laws, a major mistake in Australia at the moment).

I'll pop in and see him when I go back and ask him how his sex life is.

He went to jail two years last year?

Was sentenced to two years jail last year?

I though Thaddeus was the resident pedant.

I though Thaddeus was the resident pedant.

I think Moss and I are interchangeable on that one.

Not sure what advantage if any that will give me in the real world, but I intend on finding out.

I too wish you luck

I though Thaddeus was the resident pedant.

I think Moss and I are interchangeable on that one.

I feel like I am wearing the 'Maillot Jaune' at the moment, there are attacks coming from all directions

I did have a little chuckle though

Yay .... I got a quote of the day award .... took it's bloody time

Yay .... I got a quote of the day award .... took it's bloody time

Congrats Thaddeus. It's all downhill for me I'm afraid. I peaked too soon:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1410105

This thread is interesting because I'm going to try my luck in business. Doesn't star until January, but I'm doing loads of market research and trying to read about the legal ins and out in PI, but this thread has given me insights about how I should conduct myself when doing business. Kudos!

Yay .... I got a quote of the day award .... took it's bloody time

Congrats Thaddeus. It's all downhill for me I'm afraid. I peaked too soon:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1410105

I'm so glad that I read that on my way back from the hong nam.

This thread is interesting because I'm going to try my luck in business. Doesn't star until January, but I'm doing loads of market research and trying to read about the legal ins and out in PI, but this thread has given me insights about how I should conduct myself when doing business. Kudos!

Just be customer focused GF and you'll do fine - oh, and be nice!

Depends what you mean by success I suppose.

Do total <deleted> ever achieve satisfaction or is there always something out there that they still want?

A guy I went to college with went to jail for two years last year because he thought he could have anything he wanted because he was rich and successful.

(In this case it involved ignoring the firearms laws, a major mistake in Australia at the moment).

I'll pop in and see him when I go back and ask him how his sex life is.

He went to jail two years last year?

Was sentenced to two years jail last year?

I though Thaddeus was the resident pedant.

Just helping out.....................heard he was away for a few minutes

This thread is interesting because I'm going to try my luck in business. Doesn't star until January, but I'm doing loads of market research and trying to read about the legal ins and out in PI, but this thread has given me insights about how I should conduct myself when doing business. Kudos!

Who's the star in January?