February 27, 2005

• the economics of happiness???

  
  

  well…yesturday was my last day working at ESPN zone.  They didn’t know that though, I’ve been out of town the last 2 weeks, and I let them know that, but they still managed to schedule me.  Anyways…i worked my shift yesturday, and the one manager in charge of schedules wasn’t in, and I was on the schedule for the rest of the week. 

  
  

  After a few hours of working…I thought to myself, “I hate this job.”  Sure…there were some redeeming qualities, a few tables that made me smile, a decent amount of tips, but, for a large part of the day I didn’t feel “free.”  I occassionally jotted down musings to keep me occupied, but, there’s only so much I could think about.  So…i decided that would be my last day. 

  
  

  So…how did I end my tenure w/ ESPN Zone.  In the most professional manner.  I left them a note…and ran.  Even the prospect of working today to make a few more bucks just wasn’t worth having the free time i’m having today. 

  
  

  I actually had some musings about the idea of “free time.” Since “time = money” which usually means time not spent working is time that could be used making money.  However…since money is ultimately just a tool for purchasing needs and the wants, “time = needs and wants.”  Since there is nothing that I currently need, there was no need for me to work today other than to make money to buy something.  But…what I most enjoy is “free time,” and so, I’m using my time for something other than making money, I’m using it to enjoy “free time,” which is really a form of money since money is used for needs and wants, and free time falls under the wants category. 

  
  

  I believe the wealthiest people alive are those with the most free time…since it’s a form of wealth that you don’t have to work for (once your needs are met).  Wealth, or, not having to work, is also a form of freedom.  To be able to retire and have the choice whether or not to work for the rest of your life is the ultimate freedom.

  
  

  I was browsing a book, “Rich dad, poor dad,” which unsurprisingly as my life has been recently, was a book not only on how to make money, but espoused libertarian philosophy. (i think the debate is bound to follow me everywhere). 

  
  

  Some quotes:

  
  

  “The avoidance of money is just as psychotic as being attached to money.”

  
  

  “The main cause of poverty and financial struggle is fear and ignorance of what money can do.”

  
  

  “Socialists penalize themselves because the rich beat the system and the middle/lower classes are taxed more.”

  
  

  The book was an honest assessment of how to get rich.  It won’t come through work, he said, but by wisely investing your money so your dollars work for you.  You need to accumulate those assets, not the liabilities of debt,  And…you need to keep as much of your tax money from Uncle Sam as possible.

  
  

  While his book wasn’t overly political, it’s clear how his views on money would lead him to his political views.  At the same time, it was obvious that his success in the market does not mean everyone will be successful…although that was his main argument.  The advice he got as a child was that you can’t get rich by working for someone else.  His dad would say, “it’s not inherently wrong to pay your workers little…it’s their own fear of poverty that keeps them working, and their greed for a higher pay check that keeps them from leaving.” 

  
  

  The one valid point was that some socialists attempts at taxing the rich to help the poor have backfired.  The author was essentially saying that as long as there’s rich people, they’ll find a way to rig the system in their favor, so instead of trying to address that problem, might as well jump on the bandwagon and get rich.  If i did it, anyone can!

  
  

  Financially…his advice was probably pretty sound.  I mean, honestly…who doesn’t try to pay as little taxes as possible?  Whatever your income bracket…when you get your paycheck, your reaction isn’t, “this money is going to a good program,” it’s, “shit…where’d my money go, how can i keep most of it?”  Through setting up corporations, the rich have created the ultimate tax-loophole.  They can write off expenses, then they’re taxed.  Us regular Joe’s, we can’t simply write off dinner or a trip to Las Vegas. 

  
  

  The tax system is set up to benefit business.  And businesses create jobs, so this is important to some extent.  The bottom-line is profits, but is this wrong?

  
  

  The author spoke w/ an English major who was having trouble publishing her novel.  He said, “you’re probably a better writer than I am, but, look at the cover of my book.  It doesn’t say, ’best-writer,’ it says, ‘best seller.’  That’s the difference between being skilled, and being skilled in a way that makes you money.”

  
  

  The issue of wages is still an interesting one to me.  I think it sucks that some of the most important work in the world is the least paid.  I’ll be making about $65/day plus food and lodging working for Outward Bound…after 6 months, I’ll probably consider a better paying program, and of course one w/ a good insurance plan.  I might be forced to sacrifice working a certain job because of wages…but as I said before, I need to meet needs before wants.

  
  

  Craig still has a question to answer of mine, whether or not a person really has freedom if their choice is between working in a poor and unsafe sweatshop, or not working at all.  I wonder what their financial advice should be from “rich dad, poor dad.” They have no money or time to invest…there’s a reason not everyone invests, and it’s not just financial wisdom, it’s financial freedom that comes from having money in the first place.  There is no corporate ladder for them to climb. 

  
  

  I think one reason libertarian philosophy is strong is that the political influence of the rich has created an environment where there is more to gain from supporting libertarian philosophies (i believe most people develop ideologies out of experience, they don’t appear out of a vacuum or as if proven true by god).  We should lower taxes (because the rich are getting out of taxes anyways), oppose gov’t regulation (because those in charge of fed’l regulations are merely serving the interests of business anyways)…The question is, do we need more gov’t to save us from the evils of (corporate driven) capitalism, or less gov’t to save us from the evils of (corporate driven) gov’t?  Should we improve gov’t, or destroy it?  The answer…

  
  

  The answer is…psychological happiness is the most important thing, and luckily, this transcends political ideology a bit.  I want to focus a little less on politics, and more on culture (except where the two directly interact).  For example…time spent w/ friends and family (assuming we get along w/ family) I believe to lead to a higher level of personal happiness than time at work.  Therefore…I support cultures that promote “free time.”  I find the amount of time that people work to be completely arbitrary, some countries work more, some less, some jobs more, some less.  To work 9-5, 5 days a week, and have only 1-2 weeks off for vacation I believe to be an enormous obstacle to maximizing happiness.  To the extent that the gov’t or unions can give workers more “freedom,” away from work, that’s a gov’t/culture i support.

  
  

  and that was a long rambled post…

  
  

     

  
  

  • 5:39 pm
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