4 ms·

Well, if you're poor enough that having that money means an important change in your lifestyle, then sure: In the short term, making money is a sound goal. But

Well, if you're poor enough that having that money means an important change in your lifestyle, then sure: In the short term, making money is a sound goal. But once you've got money — not even "fuck you" money, necessarily, maybe just enough to go day to day without money being a central worry – then suddenly money becomes a really shallow final goal. What are you going to do with it that you can't possibly do with the money you've got? What is that money really doing for you? Why bother hoarding when what you have is enough? Especially if you're an entrepreneur, used to turning your ideas into profit. A desire for more money can ruin a sound, integral idea. Some businesses kill themselves because even though they've got money they need more. Others don't necessarily die, but they're given a chance to do really cool things and pass up on them because they'd rather stack onto the money machine. Out of all the things in the world I could be reaching for, I can't imagine many things more boring and unnecessary to reach for than money.

revorad 16y ago
Well, I doubt anyone whose motive is money is passionate about green ink on paper. So, it's redundant to say money should not be the ultimate motive. The point is that more money brings more opportunities. You know like starting your own space exploration companies. Worked out well for Bezos, Branson and Musk. You don't make so much money without it being a motive. “Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.” - Oscar Wilde
- swombat 16y ago
  I agree that money brings opportunities, but then the opportunities are the interesting thing, not the money. So, if your ambition is to start some fabulously expensive ventures, then you will no doubt need to pursue money with the greatest energy... but even so, the money is only there to serve your ambition. To quote a story from my father's Nasrudin story site: How much In overseeing your possessions it helps to have a long term view. Not too long though. This reminds me of a story: Every child can imagine the cavern of Ali Baba. But who on earth could have been able to picture the treasuries of Tamerlane? What is robbing a caravan compared with plundering twenty-seven kingdoms? For instance, eight hundred camels were insufficient to carry the gold pillaged only from Damascus. Nobody ever counted the wealth ravished from India… Rivers of gold and silver poured over the gravel of diamond and pearls at the feet of the Master. It was said that the loot gathered by Genghis Khan’s hordes ended up in Timur’s hands too. In Samarkand, like all over the empire, endless numbers of palaces, gardens and treasury chambers belonged all to one man – the Emir. Everything belonged to him. Then, one cold winter day, on his way to conquering China, the old tyrant drunk too much arak and died. Unexpectedly, for the Iron Emir seemed immortal. After this event, Nasreddin hastened back to Horto, his childhood village. Even there, the death of the emperor was on people’s lips. Everybody wondered what wealth was bequeathed to his heirs by the great Tamerlane, richest man on earth. “Hodja,” asked Camal the barber,” you lived at Tamerlane’s court, spent your day in his presence and luxury, saw his possessions. You must know. How much did he leave?” Nasreddin, closed his eyes in concentration and counted for a while in his mind. At last he opened his eyes and said: “Everything!” see http://tenner.thinkhost.com/stories/index.php http://tenner.thinkhost.com/stories/index.php
  - revorad 16y ago
    the money is only there to serve your ambition. unless you are Felix Dennis - http://sivers.org/book/HowToGetRich http://sivers.org/book/HowToGetRich
  - revorad 16y ago
    That's a nice fable. But it also reminded me another thing we could use a lot of money for is to make such fables meaningless. Like by funding cryonics and friendly AI research - http://lesswrong.com/tag/cryonics/ http://lesswrong.com/tag/cryonics/ http://singinst.org/ http://singinst.org/
    - hackerblues 16y ago
      If you want to live forever you will certainly need to solve the problems which normally come with aging. You will also need to deal with the problem of the sun burning out in X billion years and the heat death of the universe. I hope you have a lot of money.
      - revorad 16y ago
        Like they love saying around here about scaling, that will be a nice problem to have.
- bartonfink 16y ago
  Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy options.

revorad 16y ago

Well, I doubt anyone whose motive is money is passionate about green ink on paper. So, it's redundant to say money should not be the ultimate motive. The point is that more money brings more opportunities. You know like starting your own space exploration companies. Worked out well for Bezos, Branson and Musk. You don't make so much money without it being a motive. “Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.” - Oscar Wilde

swombat 16y ago
I agree that money brings opportunities, but then the opportunities are the interesting thing, not the money. So, if your ambition is to start some fabulously expensive ventures, then you will no doubt need to pursue money with the greatest energy... but even so, the money is only there to serve your ambition. To quote a story from my father's Nasrudin story site: How much In overseeing your possessions it helps to have a long term view. Not too long though. This reminds me of a story: Every child can imagine the cavern of Ali Baba. But who on earth could have been able to picture the treasuries of Tamerlane? What is robbing a caravan compared with plundering twenty-seven kingdoms? For instance, eight hundred camels were insufficient to carry the gold pillaged only from Damascus. Nobody ever counted the wealth ravished from India… Rivers of gold and silver poured over the gravel of diamond and pearls at the feet of the Master. It was said that the loot gathered by Genghis Khan’s hordes ended up in Timur’s hands too. In Samarkand, like all over the empire, endless numbers of palaces, gardens and treasury chambers belonged all to one man – the Emir. Everything belonged to him. Then, one cold winter day, on his way to conquering China, the old tyrant drunk too much arak and died. Unexpectedly, for the Iron Emir seemed immortal. After this event, Nasreddin hastened back to Horto, his childhood village. Even there, the death of the emperor was on people’s lips. Everybody wondered what wealth was bequeathed to his heirs by the great Tamerlane, richest man on earth. “Hodja,” asked Camal the barber,” you lived at Tamerlane’s court, spent your day in his presence and luxury, saw his possessions. You must know. How much did he leave?” Nasreddin, closed his eyes in concentration and counted for a while in his mind. At last he opened his eyes and said: “Everything!” see http://tenner.thinkhost.com/stories/index.php http://tenner.thinkhost.com/stories/index.php
- revorad 16y ago
  the money is only there to serve your ambition. unless you are Felix Dennis - http://sivers.org/book/HowToGetRich http://sivers.org/book/HowToGetRich
- revorad 16y ago
  That's a nice fable. But it also reminded me another thing we could use a lot of money for is to make such fables meaningless. Like by funding cryonics and friendly AI research - http://lesswrong.com/tag/cryonics/ http://lesswrong.com/tag/cryonics/ http://singinst.org/ http://singinst.org/
  - hackerblues 16y ago
    If you want to live forever you will certainly need to solve the problems which normally come with aging. You will also need to deal with the problem of the sun burning out in X billion years and the heat death of the universe. I hope you have a lot of money.
    - revorad 16y ago
      Like they love saying around here about scaling, that will be a nice problem to have.
bartonfink 16y ago
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy options.