4 ms·

My greatest wish, now that I am retired and learned a few new things, is that my fellow Americans (I can't speak to other cultures) would stop putting the focus

My greatest wish, now that I am retired and learned a few new things, is that my fellow Americans (I can't speak to other cultures) would stop putting the focus on money. Money and the things it can buy are not that important in the larger scheme of things. If Americans didn't make life a competitive sport, then more would realize this. Near the end, it's all about what you do with time and doing what it takes to remain healthy to live longer and enjoy this time.

paulpauper 5y ago
Easy to say when you are retired and have $. Everything is getting more expensive. Healthcare especially. having more money and the peace of mind that comes with it is important. I would rather err on the side of earning too much than run out and be stuck.
- anon9001 5y ago
  So true. I don't see how anyone could feel financially secure with less than a few million in net worth. Everyone else is one accident away from drifting down into poverty.
  - tbihl 5y ago
    Satire?
    - ghaff 5y ago
      Almost certainly not. A lot of people here seem to be convinced that, even if you can afford (admittedly expensive) health insurance, you're one slip on a banana peel away from bankruptcy. One can doubtless dredge up horror stories of one sort or another but they're circulating stories for a reason. (What is true is that people who can't work because of illness have an issue of income not coming in but that's somewhat separate from the healthcare costs themselves.)
  - okareaman 5y ago
    I'm living below the poverty level in Silicon Valley on a fixed social security income and I've never been happier. California Covered takes care of health insurance for almost no out of pocket money. I am healthy. I'm having fun exploring the online world, finding interesting things I never had time for before. I'm also exploring the Bay Area by throwing my bike on Bart or the Caltrans Train and getting around that way cheaply. I have almost no material things and no money anymore, but don't miss either. I realize a lot of people would be unhappy with no money, but I'm here to say I'm not. That's all.
    - pdonis 5y ago
      > I'm living below the poverty level No, you're not, because you are getting all kinds of benefits from living in a rich area of a rich country (you name a number of them in your post) that don't appear explicitly in your income but have a huge positive impact on your quality of life. Try living on the same income in a much poorer area or a much poorer country where none of those benefits are available and see how you like it.
      - okareaman 5y ago
        "Poverty level" is an official number used as a standard put out by the American federal govt. It's not based on quality of life, but only on income. I was referring to that. I've lived in areas of grinding poverty and hated it, but I'm more interested now in how William Gibson's quote "The future is here, it's just not evenly distributed." Silicon Valley is the future. Those other areas of deprivation are in the past. In the future, many of our needs will be taken care of, freeing us up to be creative. You are right, I am lucky to live where I live. I am astonishingly rich compared to what people had 40 years ago, within my own living memory. I have a supercomputer on my desk connected to the world's information. I have a device in my pocket that lets me communicate with anyone on the planet. Long-distance charges no longer apply. My local library has every magazine I'd ever want to read. I'm awash in free music from around the world. I can view University level courses, free of charge. Have an idea for a 3D design? Download Blender for free and 3D print it for very little cost. The device in my pocket is a phone, voice recorder, video camera, still camera, mapping system and much more. I tend to agree with Louis C.K. - "Everything is amazing, and no one is happy"
pdonis 5y ago
> Money and the things it can buy are not that important in the larger scheme of things. Some things that money can buy are important in the larger scheme of things. Money can buy you the ability to spend time in person with family and friends who live far away from you. Money can buy you the ability to change where you live if where you live now isn't working for you. Money can buy you the ability to make some problems just go away instead of having to constantly worry about them. All of those things (and many other things money can buy you) can be huge improvements in your quality of life. In short, money is more choices, and more choices means more freedom. The fact that many people use the choices money gives them to do things you don't like does not mean all choices that money gives you are bad or unimportant. Nor does the fact that some very important things can't be bought with money detract from the value of many things that can.

paulpauper 5y ago

Easy to say when you are retired and have $. Everything is getting more expensive. Healthcare especially. having more money and the peace of mind that comes with it is important. I would rather err on the side of earning too much than run out and be stuck.

anon9001 5y ago
So true. I don't see how anyone could feel financially secure with less than a few million in net worth. Everyone else is one accident away from drifting down into poverty.
- tbihl 5y ago
  Satire?
  - ghaff 5y ago
    Almost certainly not. A lot of people here seem to be convinced that, even if you can afford (admittedly expensive) health insurance, you're one slip on a banana peel away from bankruptcy. One can doubtless dredge up horror stories of one sort or another but they're circulating stories for a reason. (What is true is that people who can't work because of illness have an issue of income not coming in but that's somewhat separate from the healthcare costs themselves.)
- okareaman 5y ago
  I'm living below the poverty level in Silicon Valley on a fixed social security income and I've never been happier. California Covered takes care of health insurance for almost no out of pocket money. I am healthy. I'm having fun exploring the online world, finding interesting things I never had time for before. I'm also exploring the Bay Area by throwing my bike on Bart or the Caltrans Train and getting around that way cheaply. I have almost no material things and no money anymore, but don't miss either. I realize a lot of people would be unhappy with no money, but I'm here to say I'm not. That's all.
  - pdonis 5y ago
    > I'm living below the poverty level No, you're not, because you are getting all kinds of benefits from living in a rich area of a rich country (you name a number of them in your post) that don't appear explicitly in your income but have a huge positive impact on your quality of life. Try living on the same income in a much poorer area or a much poorer country where none of those benefits are available and see how you like it.
    - okareaman 5y ago
      "Poverty level" is an official number used as a standard put out by the American federal govt. It's not based on quality of life, but only on income. I was referring to that. I've lived in areas of grinding poverty and hated it, but I'm more interested now in how William Gibson's quote "The future is here, it's just not evenly distributed." Silicon Valley is the future. Those other areas of deprivation are in the past. In the future, many of our needs will be taken care of, freeing us up to be creative. You are right, I am lucky to live where I live. I am astonishingly rich compared to what people had 40 years ago, within my own living memory. I have a supercomputer on my desk connected to the world's information. I have a device in my pocket that lets me communicate with anyone on the planet. Long-distance charges no longer apply. My local library has every magazine I'd ever want to read. I'm awash in free music from around the world. I can view University level courses, free of charge. Have an idea for a 3D design? Download Blender for free and 3D print it for very little cost. The device in my pocket is a phone, voice recorder, video camera, still camera, mapping system and much more. I tend to agree with Louis C.K. - "Everything is amazing, and no one is happy"

pdonis 5y ago

> Money and the things it can buy are not that important in the larger scheme of things. Some things that money can buy are important in the larger scheme of things. Money can buy you the ability to spend time in person with family and friends who live far away from you. Money can buy you the ability to change where you live if where you live now isn't working for you. Money can buy you the ability to make some problems just go away instead of having to constantly worry about them. All of those things (and many other things money can buy you) can be huge improvements in your quality of life. In short, money is more choices, and more choices means more freedom. The fact that many people use the choices money gives them to do things you don't like does not mean all choices that money gives you are bad or unimportant. Nor does the fact that some very important things can't be bought with money detract from the value of many things that can.