You make a good point here, and I'm trying to think of a way to earn more
money without giving up too much of the lifestyle I love. So far, my
experience has been that when I want something I'm able to get it one way or
the other--not always by spending money. Sometimes I barter; other times I
work out a way to enjoy assets without owning them. For example, I kept an
airplane for my brother for a couple of years while he was away. He didn't
want to take it with him, and it was better for the plane to be flown than
to just sit.
I've talked to my friends a lot about the value of liquid assets a person
must have available in order to feel comfortable. It varies quite a bit
from person to person, which I would have expected. But here's something I
found really interesting: people who tend to save money for some undefined
future expenditure (as opposed to saving for some definite purchase such as
a boat) also tend to never feel really "safe," no matter how much they
accumulate. Now I have to confess I don't have any close friends who are
billionnaires, so maybe once you hit the billion mark you feel safe. I
doubt it, though, based on what I've seen of people whose net worth is in
the millions. Another thing I've noticed is that once a person goes into
debt above an amount that can be repaid within a year or so, the debt tends
to grow to the point where most of the person's income goes to service the
debt. Long-term house mortgages, which were uncommon until the mid-20th
century, are a major cause of a decline in the quality of life for most
Americans IMO.
Bonnie
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-extropians@extropy.com
[mailto:owner-extropians@extropy.com]On Behalf Of James Rogers
Sent: Monday, June 05, 2000 1:49 PM
To: extropians@extropy.com
Subject: RE: Living Below Your Means (was: Re: The Pause that Refreshes)
If I optimized my life for maximal pleasure, I am quite certain that I
could live on an order of magnitude less money than I currently earn. The
downside is that doing so would create an unnecessary resource limitation.
In fact, what you are describing is a resource stasis of sorts. My
interest in money is only to the extent that I can fund cool projects that
interest me in the future. I view simple living largely as a way to
promote wealth and well-being -- a means rather than an end. My
curiousity and ambition would never be satisfied unless I was involved in
some type of hill-climbing behavior. I just pick my hills more carefully.
-James Rogers
jamesr@best.com
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