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"When you've helped 100 little old ladies cross the road, why bother with number 101?" "When you've done so much useful work, why would you ever want to do any

"When you've helped 100 little old ladies cross the road, why bother with number 101?" "When you've done so much useful work, why would you ever want to do any more?" "If you have so many friends, why would you ever be nice to somebody new?" "You love your family so much, why not stop now?" "Michael Phelps already has a gold medal, why does he keep swimming?"

UncleMeat 5y ago
Helping a little old lady cross the road is improving the world in some manner. Acquiring bigger numbers in a bank account... not so much.
- FredPret 5y ago
  If you subscribe to the pre-modern idea that there is a limited overall amount of wealth, right. But if you fast forward to the modern age, you’ll find that almost all work creates new wealth.
  - UncleMeat 5y ago
    Even if building your wealth didn't take it from somebody else, it still hadn't improved society.
    - FredPret 5y ago
      True. Tabacco companies exist. But generally for someone to hand over money it strictly has to improve their life in a disproportionate way.
      - UncleMeat 5y ago
        Two of the largest companies in the world are advertising companies. I don’t see such a strong correlation between improving the world and making money. To me, tobacco companies aren’t the exception.
        FredPret 5y ago
        There is vast value add in good advertising. You’re essentially matching products and consumers. Without ads, it would be very much harder for consumers to find the same quality and variety of products. I, for one, have made many purchases from ads that I’m very happy with. Some were even life-changing. I would not have known that I wanted these things without the ad, and I’m better off now than before.
  - CaptainZapp 5y ago
    > you’ll find that almost all work creates new wealth. Not necessarily for the person doing the work, though. Personally I find it scandalous how we treated "essential workers" during the pandemic. But I'm afraid I'm digressing here.

UncleMeat 5y ago

Helping a little old lady cross the road is improving the world in some manner. Acquiring bigger numbers in a bank account... not so much.

FredPret 5y ago
If you subscribe to the pre-modern idea that there is a limited overall amount of wealth, right. But if you fast forward to the modern age, you’ll find that almost all work creates new wealth.
- UncleMeat 5y ago
  Even if building your wealth didn't take it from somebody else, it still hadn't improved society.
  - FredPret 5y ago
    True. Tabacco companies exist. But generally for someone to hand over money it strictly has to improve their life in a disproportionate way.
    - UncleMeat 5y ago
      Two of the largest companies in the world are advertising companies. I don’t see such a strong correlation between improving the world and making money. To me, tobacco companies aren’t the exception.
      - FredPret 5y ago
        There is vast value add in good advertising. You’re essentially matching products and consumers. Without ads, it would be very much harder for consumers to find the same quality and variety of products. I, for one, have made many purchases from ads that I’m very happy with. Some were even life-changing. I would not have known that I wanted these things without the ad, and I’m better off now than before.
- CaptainZapp 5y ago
  > you’ll find that almost all work creates new wealth. Not necessarily for the person doing the work, though. Personally I find it scandalous how we treated "essential workers" during the pandemic. But I'm afraid I'm digressing here.