What Do You Consider Wealthy?

[onthemoon]

They say money is the route of all evil! I must admit, I sometimes wish that I was an evil person!

The love of money is the route of all evil!

That may be. On the other hand, the love of money may well be the root of all evil.

[Dancealot]

They say money is the route of all evil! I must admit, I sometimes wish that I was an evil person!

The love of money is the route of all evil!

That may be. On the other hand, the love of money may well be the root of all evil.

I agree with Rsquared

In this discussion i think it is more wise to get back down to basics.

It is a human trait to desire something one does not have. Therefore the love for money(wealth) is derived from this human trait/archetype.

Evil will always remain a consensus from a certain group of people. Evil remains trivial.

[Naam]

-why a house with more than one bedroom?

Maybe you'd like some privacy for a roll in the hay?

-money is the root of all evil!

The proper quote is "The LOVE of money is the root of all evil.

Many wealthy people are not evil. Many are. Many poor people are evil and many are not.

people who mention "why more than one bedroom?" seem to have no children, never house guests or they just enjoy making stupid or irrelevant statements such as "roll in the hay".

i did not quote and nobody tells me what to write about "money and evil". understood?

[Naam]

They say money is the route of all evil! I must admit, I sometimes wish that I was an evil person!

The love of money is the route of all evil!

That may be. On the other hand, the love of money may well be the root of all evil.

I agree with Rsquared

In this discussion i think it is more wise to get back down to basics.

It is a human trait to desire something one does not have. Therefore the love for money(wealth) is derived from this human trait/archetype.

Evil will always remain a consensus from a certain group of people. Evil remains trivial.

people who think the love of money is the root of all evil don't have money.

people who have money don't love their money but they respect it. the latter for the simple reason that in ost cases it was not easy to earn and save a substantial amount of money if not inherited or gained via a lottery jackpot.

[Dancealot]

Very insightful Sir. Naam

Indeed the money earned has to be respected and be handled responsibly. When it is given to you you are more careless and perhaps naive about what you actually have. So there is a big difference between people who earned their money the hard way and people who have been given the wealth.

I never perceived it this way. I agree.

But i think it is very important to emphasize wealth is not about being rich but having enough to secure your future. Unfortunately we live in a monetary system so we have to adapt to live together with money.

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a system where money is non existent?

[Naam]

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a system where money is non existent?

that is only possible in science fiction movies Sir Dancealot. but these movies never reveal how those who work hard are rewarded compared to lazy bàstards who exist as parasites in nearly every society nowadays and in future.

[Naam]

It's not about the "objects". It's about having more choices and more freedom.

Education gives choices and freedom. For me money just brings greed and selfishness and the lack of freedom and choices that greed and selfishness brings.

it's just the other way round my good man! those who have ample money enjoy ample freedom and are less greedy and less selfish than those who are trying to amass ample money or envying those who have money.

money does not buy happiness, but it buys not only freedom from serfdom and the rat race employment as well as a zillion other things which are only available in exchange for money.

anybody who does not realise these simple facts will also doubt that "two plus two equals four" and trying to tell others that a bowl of rice with prikh nam pla is much tastier than a steak with lobster tail.

gimme a break dear Sir and tell me about freedom, choices, greed and selfishness when your medic tells you after a thorough examination "it's either a quadruple coronary open heart surgery as soon as possible or the crematorium. i trust you have the choice of spending a couple of million selfish and greedy Thai Baht?"

[Dancealot]

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a system where money is non existent?

that is only possible in science fiction movies Sir Dancealot. but these movies never reveal how those who work hard are rewarded compared to lazy bàstards who exist as parasites in nearly every society nowadays and in future.

I agree with you sir Naam. But your words do not take away the conditioned idea that working hard for money is a good thing to do. Is working hard really necessary to be able to appreciate and respect its rewards?

What if you were given a million euro when you where 15 years of age? What would be different in your life then in comparison to the one you have led now.

Humbly i recognize and identify with your frustration. But i remain wonderous and curious.

[onthemoon]

Very insightful Sir. Naam

Indeed the money earned has to be respected and be handled responsibly. When it is given to you you are more careless and perhaps naive about what you actually have. So there is a big difference between people who earned their money the hard way and people who have been given the wealth.

I never perceived it this way. I agree.

But i think it is very important to emphasize wealth is not about being rich but having enough to secure your future. Unfortunately we live in a monetary system so we have to adapt to live together with money.

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a system where money is non existent?

No. In our society, we put value on goods and services, as we have evolved from barter trade. That value is measured in monetary currencies. If you want to make money non-existent, you literally go back to the stone age. Or you put something else in its place, such as airline miles. (Google for 'airline miles as a currency'.)

There was an interesting SciFi movie recently in which the currency is not money but time, in the sense of time left you have to live after your 25th birthday. Workers got just enough time as their daily wage to live for another day, so that they come back to work tomorrow. Rich people had hundred and thousands of years in their accounts.

Ah, just found it, it's called "In Time": IMDB, wikipedia,

.

[onthemoon]

That may be. On the other hand, the love of money may well be the root of all evil.

I agree with Rsquared

In this discussion i think it is more wise to get back down to basics.

It is a human trait to desire something one does not have. Therefore the love for money(wealth) is derived from this human trait/archetype.

Evil will always remain a consensus from a certain group of people. Evil remains trivial.

people who think the love of money is the root of all evil don't have money.

people who have money don't love their money but they respect it. the latter for the simple reason that in ost cases it was not easy to earn and save a substantial amount of money if not inherited or gained via a lottery jackpot.

I was just playing with words and did not mean to put you into the defensive.

Maybe it's the love for (rather than of) money that causes problems. It's people who want to have more than they have now that will resort to corruption, blackmail, kidnappings, or simple exploitation of workers. Cheating, robbery and other kinds, be they of greed or other reasons. Yes, believe it or not, people do commit crimes for the love of money.

If you are saying (in another post in this thread that people who are rich relax and don't bother any more, you may be right about yourself and some other people. However, I would not say it's a general truth. I say that many people who have a lot of money do want more.

[NeverSure]

The best time of my life was when I was self employed. No, I didn't own a business that tied me down long hours. I did network consulting for doctors, dentists and attorneys (still do part time.) Some days I had little to do and other days there was a lot to do but never did I have a boss or worry about my job. I have another guy in a similar situation and we trade making calls if the other is busy, so I can have blocks of time off.

The hourly rate is fantastic, some work can be done remotely, and I could make a basic middle class income working just 10 hours a week.

Freedom from worry about a boss or paying the bills is a type of wealthy to me. Making my time my own is a type of wealthy to me.

[AntMan1]

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a system where money is non existent?

that is only possible in science fiction movies Sir Dancealot. but these movies never reveal how those who work hard are rewarded compared to lazy bàstards who exist as parasites in nearly every society nowadays and in future.

Ive read about you claiming to be a currency trader, now if that isn't the very essence of being a parasite i fail to see what is.

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

Many people who are already wealthy continue to work hard because they like what they do and not because it will generate more money. I know several wealthy retired people who provide their services for free or give the proceeds to charity. I am not wealthy in absolute terms but I often help people for free because in my view I have all the money I need for a comfortable life. You can only drive one car at a time and wear one suit at a time!

[Naam]

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a system where money is non existent?

that is only possible in science fiction movies Sir Dancealot. but these movies never reveal how those who work hard are rewarded compared to lazy bàstards who exist as parasites in nearly every society nowadays and in future.

I agree with you sir Naam. But your words do not take away the conditioned idea that working hard for money is a good thing to do.

1. Is working hard really necessary to be able to appreciate and respect its rewards?

2. What if you were given a million euro when you where 15 years of age? What would be different in your life then in comparison to the one you have led now.

3.Humbly i recognize and identify with your frustration. But i remain wonderous and curious.

1. i am convinced of that, of course exceptions prove the rule.

2. an unrealistic question which can't be answered.

3. did i sound frustrated? i don't think so.

[Naam]

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a system where money is non existent?

that is only possible in science fiction movies Sir Dancealot. but these movies never reveal how those who work hard are rewarded compared to lazy bàstards who exist as parasites in nearly every society nowadays and in future.

Ive read about you claiming to be a currency trader, now if that isn't the very essence of being a parasite i fail to see what is.

i'm not a currency trader but i invest in assets denominated in different currencies to diversify risk. that's something that a lot of participants in this forum missed and are now complaining that their Dollars, Euros, Pounds have lost in value vs. Thai Baht and/or calling a prudent investor a "parasite"

true, if i'm not happy with the performance of a currency i switch to another one to prevent or limit losses or to achieve a higher yield. if you call that "being a parasite" i can only feel sorry for your utmost ignorance

[Naam]

Many people who are already wealthy continue to work hard because they like what they do and not because it will generate more money. I know several wealthy retired people who provide their services for free or give the proceeds to charity. I am not wealthy in absolute terms but I often help people for free because in my view I have all the money I need for a comfortable life. You can only drive one car at a time and wear one suit at a time!

you spoiled your posting with the last sentence. what's wrong with owning 2, 3 or a dozen cars or more than one suit?

[Naam]

I was just playing with words and did not mean to put you into the defensive.

Maybe it's the love for (rather than of) money that causes problems. It's people who want to have more than they have now that will resort to corruption, blackmail, kidnappings, or simple exploitation of workers. Cheating, robbery and other kinds, be they of greed or other reasons. Yes, believe it or not, people do commit crimes for the love of money.

If you are saying (in another post in this thread that people who are rich relax and don't bother any more, you may be right about yourself and some other people. However, I would not say it's a general truth. I say that many people who have a lot of money do want more.

basically you are right and there are various reasons for people wanting more money. in many cases people who own "a lot" of money don't consider it "a lot".

the simple reason is that "a lot" cannot be quantified. the poor Farang who works his àss off for 11 months, saving "some" money and is then holidaying for one month in Thailand is considered "rich" and having "a lot" of money by the accompanying girl or the room maid making his bed in the hotel.

that same Farang who works for very modest wages of let's say 1,500 Euros in his home country will consider another Farang who works in Thailand on a "package" and paying for each of his three children half a million Baht school fees as having "a lot" of money.

i could go on and work my way up to Señor Carlos Slim, Mr Warren Buffet or Mr William Gates but i think you get the gist of my posting.

[onthemoon]

The best time of my life was when I was self employed. No, I didn't own a business that tied me down long hours. I did network consulting for doctors, dentists and attorneys (still do part time.) Some days I had little to do and other days there was a lot to do but never did I have a boss or worry about my job. I have another guy in a similar situation and we trade making calls if the other is busy, so I can have blocks of time off.

The hourly rate is fantastic, some work can be done remotely, and I could make a basic middle class income working just 10 hours a week.

Freedom from worry about a boss or paying the bills is a type of wealthy to me. Making my time my own is a type of wealthy to me.

What you describe is everybody's dream. At least I personally think I would do that if I could.

[Heng]

Many people who are already wealthy continue to work hard because they like what they do and not because it will generate more money. I know several wealthy retired people who provide their services for free or give the proceeds to charity. I am not wealthy in absolute terms but I often help people for free because in my view I have all the money I need for a comfortable life. You can only drive one car at a time and wear one suit at a time!

Well, there's always the next generation and the next generation after that to consider. A certain segment has to plan to grow (and often subsequently employ the rest of the population) because there is certainly no shortage of folks that aren't planning very far ahead.

[Gary A]

Try to have that love returned if you have no money. A lady has to be a little dim to accept a poor man and who could blame them for not wanting a poor man?

I am sorry to hear that this is how you think of yourself.

Would you prefer your daughter to marry a man who could take care of her or would you prefer her to marry a man she has to take care of? A man who can't take care of himself has no business getting married.

[mania]

Would you prefer your daughter to marry a man who could take care of her or would you prefer her to marry a man she has to take care of? A man who can't take care of himself has no business getting married.

I know what you mean & I am sure you mean well but, having daughters I was most happy that they married men they loved with their hearts foremost & the same for the men that married them.

I would say both daughters are in marriages where they take care of each other & never felt like it was one or the others job/duty.

I also remember when they were kids so many asked them as usual what they wanted to be when they grew up. I never did.

One day they asked me, Daddy what do you want me to be when I grow up? I replied... "Happy"

Edited December 3, 2012 by mania

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

Many people who are already wealthy continue to work hard because they like what they do and not because it will generate more money. I know several wealthy retired people who provide their services for free or give the proceeds to charity. I am not wealthy in absolute terms but I often help people for free because in my view I have all the money I need for a comfortable life. You can only drive one car at a time and wear one suit at a time!

you spoiled your posting with the last sentence. what's wrong with owning 2, 3 or a dozen cars or more than one suit?

There is nothing inherently wrong in having possessions but there is a point where such accumulations appear ostentatious and vulgar. My comment " You can only drive one car at a time and wear one suit at a time" is not a judgment on the behaviour of others, it's simply my own perspective on life. As it happens, I own a number of suits but this same fact restrains me from buying even more.

[crazykopite]

I have financial freedom, good health and a wonderfull farang wife so anything more is of no interest !!!!!!!!!!!

[chiangmaikelly]

I have financial freedom, good health and a wonderfull farang wife so anything more is of no interest !!!!!!!!!!!

Why would your wife being a Farang have anything to do with anything?

[cdnvic]

I have financial freedom, good health and a wonderfull farang wife so anything more is of no interest !!!!!!!!!!!

That was an awesome post until you said "farang".

A wonderful wife is priceless, be she Thai, Japanese, Hungarian, Irish, or South African. Race/nationality matters not.

[Naam]

Many people who are already wealthy continue to work hard because they like what they do and not because it will generate more money. I know several wealthy retired people who provide their services for free or give the proceeds to charity. I am not wealthy in absolute terms but I often help people for free because in my view I have all the money I need for a comfortable life. You can only drive one car at a time and wear one suit at a time!

you spoiled your posting with the last sentence. what's wrong with owning 2, 3 or a dozen cars or more than one suit?

There is nothing inherently wrong in having possessions but there is a point where such accumulations appear ostentatious and vulgar. My comment " You can only drive one car at a time and wear one suit at a time" is not a judgment on the behaviour of others, it's simply my own perspective on life. As it happens, I own a number of suits but this same fact restrains me from buying even more.

i own more than a dozen tailormade suits. none of them fit, they all shrank. is it the Thai climate?

[Pacificperson]

I own one suit. It is the one that i was married in twenty years ago. Since then, I think that I have worn it about twenty times, So, it is hardly worn out. The good thing is that it still fits and I have no need or desire to replace it. If I could have this same attitude about all material things, then I would be a wealthy man.

[Naam]

I own one suit. It is the one that i was married in twenty years ago. Since then, I think that I have worn it about twenty times, So, it is hardly worn out. The good thing is that it still fits and I have no need or desire to replace it. If I could have this same attitude about all material things, then I would be a wealthy man.

lucky you!

[rgs2001uk]

Many people who are already wealthy continue to work hard because they like what they do and not because it will generate more money. I know several wealthy retired people who provide their services for free or give the proceeds to charity. I am not wealthy in absolute terms but I often help people for free because in my view I have all the money I need for a comfortable life. You can only drive one car at a time and wear one suit at a time!

you spoiled your posting with the last sentence. what's wrong with owning 2, 3 or a dozen cars or more than one suit?

There is nothing inherently wrong in having possessions but there is a point where such accumulations appear ostentatious and vulgar. My comment " You can only drive one car at a time and wear one suit at a time" is not a judgment on the behaviour of others, it's simply my own perspective on life. As it happens, I own a number of suits but this same fact restrains me from buying even more.

i own more than a dozen tailormade suits. none of them fit, they all shrank. is it the Thai climate?

More like shoddy Thai workmanship, hope you didnt buy from the hub of sartorial elegance that is Pattaya.

[Pacificperson]

I own one suit. It is the one that i was married in twenty years ago. Since then, I think that I have worn it about twenty times, So, it is hardly worn out. The good thing is that it still fits and I have no need or desire to replace it. If I could have this same attitude about all material things, then I would be a wealthy man.

lucky you!

Nah, I was chubby when I got married. It is the wife who has gained since then.

Edited December 3, 2012 by Pacificperson