Remember, faux wealth destroys real wealth

[juan917]

Somehow the stars aligned in over the last day and a half and I talked with / hung out with pretty much every sidewalker I know. One thing was the same about all of them. Lots and lots of bragging and then disappearing (maybe to avoid a web of lies?). One person remarked "I'm renting a multi-million dollar fortress" (HAS to be living paycheck to paycheck), another said "forget the $77 airbnb, let's rent the $200 airbnb" (I refused to do the $200 one but it would only take a few more hours before he asked me to borrow money telling me that he would get paid tomorrow).

Please. Don't do things like this

 

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[grindmode]

You can't lead a horse to water....

When I RARELY see someone I know from my past and at 30 or older which typically the first thing out of their mouth is somewhat worded or related to something like this "BRO!!! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??? OFF THE RADAR MAN! JOEY IS HAVING HIS BIRTHDAY AT TGIF FRIDAY!!! COME GRAB SOME BREWSKIES WITH US MAN!!!"....

Sad sad sad but to each his own...

 

[grindmode]

How about that GUY.... EVERYONE knows or has known "THAT GUY" sometime in their life....

"Wanna smoke some herb...?"

"Sure..."

"COOL!!! Where's your stash I brought a .79 cent grape swisher that's waiting..."

"Ummmm....."

Yup, THAT GUY

 

[MidwestLandlord]

"I got my tax return! Check out my sweet new ride!"

 

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[G-Man]

I find I'm not as judgemental about these folks as I used to be and here's why:

1. I had the advantage of being raised by responsible slowlane parents who modeled responsible spending
2. I got a business degree from a #1 program on scholarship without any debt
3. I still found TMF eye-opening.

My point isn't to brag, it's to say this: If someone like me that had every conceivable advantage can still be so blind to readily observable realities (like the fact that Dave Ramsey didn't get rich off of his mutual funds), I really shouldn't look down on people that do things that seem so obviously silly.

Also, I'm trying to just not be such a cynical, sarcastic and unpleasant bastard in general.

 

[GMSI7D]

My point isn't to brag, it's to say this: If someone like me that had every conceivable advantage can still be so blind to readily observable realities (like the fact that Dave Ramsey didn't get rich off of his mutual funds), I really shouldn't look down on people that do things that seem so obviously silly.

obvious things are all arround us but we can't see them

that's why a stratagem is actually used with success in our society to gain advantage

this is called stratagem number 1 : hide in the open

Traditional name: Fool the emperor and cross the sea.

modern name : Hide in the open

quote :
"
"People presuppose that what is done in the open does not need scrutiny - and conversely, what is done in secret is suspect ".

" Act casual about what you might normally hide or act secret about something that is not"

from Kenrick Cleveland " how to use the 36 chinese stratagems".


by the way, this is so efficient that when someone uses this stratagem the result is victory most of the time

this is the case in our society but i won't go further according to the rules of the forum ( political correctness)

manipulators vs society : 1-0

 

[Argue]

"Yo bro, McDonald's just paid me my first check!" "Tomorrow's Saturday and I'm gonna go buy those new Jordan's and some Hennessy." - 35 year old living with his moms

 

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[Drew D]

"Yo bro, McDonald's just paid me my first check!" "Tomorrow's Saturday and I'm gonna go buy those new Jordan's and some Hennessy." - 35 year old living with his moms

You just described me a year ago before I started reading books and changed my mindset completely. I was all about high fashion, old school luxury cars and expensive alcohol making minimum wage. A wannabe wall street banker/CEO. As a result I have all these nice things and no savings.

Except I was 19, not 35. So it's kind of acceptable.

It's refreshing seeing like minded teens and people my age on this forum that are making an effort to become something and not pretending to be something.

 

[ljean]

There is a lot of condescension toward slowlaners & sidewalkers on this board. Just remember these people are the glue that hold our society together - police, firefighters, garbage men, janitors, retail & restaurant workers, plumbers, carpenters, etc.

They answer your phone, package your goods, code your websites, and paint your rental units...

They buy your widgets, subscribe to your services, rent your apartments...

 

[lowtek]

There is a lot of condescension toward slowlaners & sidewalkers on this board. Just remember these people are the glue that hold our society together - police, firefighters, garbage men, janitors, retail & restaurant workers, plumbers, carpenters, etc.

They answer your phone, package your goods, code your websites, and paint your rental units...

They buy your widgets, subscribe to your services, rent your apartments...

Yes, this. A society full of entrepreneurs would fall apart.

It's one thing to not walk their path, it's another to treat them with snootery just because you think you're better than them (you're not).

 

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[Daytraderz]

Aside from "these people" holding together the mechanisms of our society, they are still humans and connected to everything else in life and should be regarded in the same manner as anyone and anything else. As much as this forum focuses on the Fastlane in wealth and lifestyle choices, don't forget about your souls. As much as we develop and work on our financial choices and entrepreneurial abilities, it is just as important to continuously work on how we see life and each other.

I recently read the book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse which spoke of a stone. A stone to which Siddhartha regarded with the same level of respect, love, attention, etc... that he gave himself, that he gave his friends, strangers. His explanation was because that stone in the past was a dinosaur, was a fish, was a tree, was life, was death. In the future it will be a person, an animal, another stone. It ties into the old theory "matter can neither be created nor destroyed, it can just change forms". Everything is matter and at that level of material, we are all the same thing. Look at everyone how you look at yourself, and seek to enlighten and aid those less fortunate.

 

[juan917]

It's one thing to not walk their path, it's another to treat them with snootery just because you think you're better than them (you're not).

what is the alternative? Encourage poor decision making? Say nothing? That's far worse IMO

seek to enlighten and aid those less fortunate

Not everyone want's help. I have constantly tried to help these in my first post.. They don't like it when I do

 

[Daytraderz]

what is the alternative? Encourage poor decision making? Say nothing? That's far worse IMO



Not everyone want's help. I have constantly tried to help these in my first post.. They don't like it when I do

I don't think you can force anyone to change their ways, they have to want it themselves. You can offer guidance I believe if they want it, but you can not change people.

 

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[David Kotevski]

Yes, this. A society full of entrepreneurs would fall apart.

It's one thing to not walk their path, it's another to treat them with snootery just because you think you're better than them (you're not).

Not entirely true, if they were to be no more paper money wouldn't it go back to before when money wasn't even made yet and people had to each provide individual value and barter for goods and services.

 

[lowtek]

Not entirely true, if they were to be no more paper money wouldn't it go back to before when money wasn't even made yet and people had to each provide individual value and barter for goods and services.

I argue that's incredibly unlikely, even in the event of a total collapse of modern society.

Money solves the "coincidence of wants" problem in economics. Just a fancy way of saying that exchanging chickens for veggies is a tough trade if the farmer already has chickens. Sure, he could trade them out, but then he's gotta find someone else who wants chickens and not his veggies. It's too much hassle.

In such an event, we would revert back to using some other hard to counterfeit item that is fungible. Doesn't really matter what. Virtually every people for the past few thousand years has used some sort of money. Gold, Silver coins, colored beads - it doesn't have to be paper or digital representations of debt.

Heck, even in prison people use currency that is independent of the common fiat. Cigarettes serve as a form of money in the joint, or so my degenerate cousin tells me. I'd rather take his word for it than go find out on my own. I'm too pretty for prison.

Besides, if society collapses and there's no more fiat currency, we have bigger problems than selling our widget to the guy down the street. It would be a full on fight for survival.

I stand by my original statement. All legitimate businesses require employees, and it is counterproductive to slam the people you depend on. It's far better to understand that risk aversion exists on a continuum, and there is no one right part of that spectrum to be on. Either morally or practically.

 

[lowtek]

what is the alternative? Encourage poor decision making? Say nothing? That's far worse IMO

How is being an employee poor decision making? If you struggle for the next 20 years to be an entrepreneur, and end up with nothing because you busted out... is that a better decision than someone who worked for a corporation and saved their hard earned money over the years, and gets to retire with a decent nest egg? I would argue no.

Just because people don't want to risk getting nothing in return for their efforts, in exchange for the possibility for making millions, doesn't mean they can't make good decisions. It just means they have a different level of risk aversion.

Remember, fastlane IS NOT starting a business. Fastlane is the mentality of creating real wealth. It doesn't matter if you have a business that kicks off $1 million in profit per month, if you're blowing $2 million a month on a lavish lifestyle.

Poor decision making is not endemic to the lower economic classes of society. This fact explains why so many doctors and lawyers go bankrupt, while joe schmoe the teacher retires with a chunk of change at the end of his working life.

As long as people aren't being assholes, I don't find a reason to criticize them. I assume they have more information about their lives than I do, and can therefore make better decisions about what to do with their lives.

 

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[Kak]

I am far more interested in having money than looking like I have money.

 

[juan917]

How is being an employee poor decision making?

I'm not talking about working for someone else, it's definitely a necessity. I'm talking about spending what you don't have.

As long as people aren't being assholes, I don't find a reason to criticize them

There's lots of materialistic people who put their faux wealth in your face and brag about it like an a**hole. people with real wealth are usually very nice. Just my experiences

 

[Ninjakid]

Every time I see one of those Gucci belts with the huge Gucci logo as buckle (YOU KNOW which ones I am talking about) I want the person wearing it to take it off and hang themselves with it.

 

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[juan917]

Every time I see one of those Gucci belts with the huge Gucci logo as buckle (YOU KNOW which ones I am talking about) I want the person wearing it to take it off and hang themselves with it.

I use a Gucci wallet that I got as a gift. Am kind of embarrassed to take it out.

 

[KLaw]

Every time I see one of those Gucci belts with the huge Gucci logo as buckle (YOU KNOW which ones I am talking about) I want the person wearing it to take it off and hang themselves with it.

Why do you even care? Genuine question.

 

[Ninjakid]

Why do you even care? Genuine question.

Genuine answer: the amount of interest that you take into me right now, if you divide it by 3 and take the average of it's two gcf's, I care less than that.

 

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[lowtek]

I'm not talking about working for someone else, it's definitely a necessity. I'm talking about spending what you don't have.



There's lots of materialistic people who put their faux wealth in your face and brag about it like an a**hole. people with real wealth are usually very nice. Just my experiences

I misunderstood you. I think we largely agree.

 

[Ninjakid]

I use a Gucci wallet that I got as a gift. Am kind of embarrassed to take it out.

nah homey, those are fine. When you got guys who are broke af trying to use the Gucci belt to act like they're flossin', those are really embarrassing. The wallets like nice though. I have a theory right now that the belts aren't even made by Gucci actually, they seem to be marketed to entirely different people.

 

[Argue]

Side walkers: society, the status quo, emphasizes that luxury/high end items symbolize status and wealth. If you don't follow this doctrine, you are believed to be a loser.

So, side walkers buy the new fashion and max out their credit cards to buy luxury vehicles-- to save themselves from ridicule.

A culture is born. The higher ups realize this and exploit the naive side walkers to pursue their ego more, to buy more, to be more cool.

I don't hate side walkers or look down on them. It's not their fault they were raised and nurtured to be this way. We need them to keep the Fastlane machine operating.

I just dislike that side walkers are delusional. Some of them are egotistical and brag about how cool they are. Personally, I don't want to here you gloat, my mindset is different from yours. I don't care about your leased 2013 Hyundai Genesis.

Like Jim Rohn says, "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."

 

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[malindi]

Aside from "these people" holding together the mechanisms of our society, they are still humans and connected to everything else in life and should be regarded in the same manner as anyone and anything else. As much as this forum focuses on the Fastlane in wealth and lifestyle choices, don't forget about your souls. As much as we develop and work on our financial choices and entrepreneurial abilities, it is just as important to continuously work on how we see life and each other.

I recently read the book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse which spoke of a stone. A stone to which Siddhartha regarded with the same level of respect, love, attention, etc... that he gave himself, that he gave his friends, strangers. His explanation was because that stone in the past was a dinosaur, was a fish, was a tree, was life, was death. In the future it will be a person, an animal, another stone. It ties into the old theory "matter can neither be created nor destroyed, it can just change forms". Everything is matter and at that level of material, we are all the same thing. Look at everyone how you look at yourself, and seek to enlighten and aid those less fortunate.

Amazing insight, so deep, thank you

 

[jlwilliams]

I read that the percentage of the population who are entrepreneurs is some ridiculously small number. Some single digit percent. The number isn't important, the point that not everyone is inclined to create business is important. It's important because in a world of many people, those of us in a ridiculously small sub category have to realize that other people don't all want what we want.

Some people work their jobs because they are too afraid to step up and live their dreams, and that's sad. Other people work their jobs because they like the team they work with, or they believe in being a nurse (for example) or because they like walking away from their work at quitting time. It's their life. There is nothing wrong with entrepreneurs not understanding that way of life, they don't understand us either. What's disturbing is talking about people who are happy working a gig, maybe doing a side hustle like plowing snow or even an MLM as if they aren't any better than a shaved primate.

It's good to be ambitious. It's not good to be a dick.

 

[Drew D]

I use a Gucci wallet that I got as a gift. Am kind of embarrassed to take it out.

Nothing wrong with gucci. It's a good brand.

Just don't flip burgers and wear it from head to toe or brag about a belt and how you get money.

 

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[luniac]

I'm cool with sidewalkers and slowlaners as long as they are humble and don't complain about money and aren't status whores.

If u happy im happy for u. I just hope ur not happy from ignorance, cause a rude awakening might kill u.

what pisses me off is when i see some slowlaner think he's the F*ckin hot shit cause he makes 50k a year or something and parties all the time... im like dude yea ur hot shit in the tiny bubble u live in, not globally... ur ego is pathetic... u don't wanna be humbled by a truly rich individual, itll shatter your self esteem...

 

[juan917]

I'm cool with sidewalkers and slowlaners as long as they are humble and don't complain about money and aren't status whores.

If u happy im happy for u. I just hope ur not happy from ignorance, cause a rude awakening might kill u.

what pisses me off is when i see some slowlaner think he's the F*ckin hot shit cause he makes 50k a year or something and parties all the time... im like dude yea ur hot shit in the tiny bubble u live in, not globally... ur ego is pathetic... u don't wanna be humbled by a truly rich individual, itll shatter your self esteem...

people will still think they are hot shit when they make even half that.