quote:

Originally posted by Akridrot I am asking myself this question more and more these days, and the prospect of helping to create, and living in, a society where everyone works together for an improved quality of life seems to be the path I want. Being a millionaire or billionaire doesn't really appeal to me, whether it's in this current society or even in the more social society. Does anyone else on this planet feel the way I do? I would rather be able to buy cheap and healthy food when needed; I'd rather have plenty of friends to socialize with, to learn from, and to teach; I'd rather a live a life creating and sharing all forms of Art and being involved in bringing visions to life (mine or others). Wouldn't it be better to live in a community where people fucking care about you? Where strangers aren't seen as mysterious and malevolent monsters out to hurt you? Where paranoia, conformity, and ignorance are no longer the norm? If I had a trillion dollars (!) I'd trade it all in just to be a fucking poor man in that society. What's your position?

I agree with you on all points.

Friendship and camaraderie are way more important than material crap, IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Anyway, the reason I don't care about making big piles of money is that I've known both people who make a whole lot of it and people who make just enough to be comfortable, and the first group doesn't seem any happier than the second. So why bother myself much about it as long as I keep myself out of poverty?

Some of the wealthiest people that I know are also the most miserable.

Just so long as one has good friends as well as the basic living necessities then that's all that they really need.

You make your own happiness, anyway. It's not found in financial accounts or material possessions.

quote:

Originally posted by Utencil I’ve found that most people who aren’t interested in becoming a “millionaire or billionaire” are at that point in their lives where they face the cold hard truth that they never will acquire such wealth. Hence the motivation to question “financial wealth”…

But what if they came from such wealth and then turned their backs on it in order to live their lives more freely?

What would you say to them?

quote:

"Most people seek after what they do not possess and are thus enslaved by the very things they want to acquire." - Anwar el-Sadat