@cmconseils

That’s actually a very interesting statement with a deeper sense behind it. They key word is “most”, because it touches the statistical composition of the society. Just like most people aren’t violent, the very term “most” implies that there are “some” who are, and the society has to deal with them. In the same way, most people are empathic but there are “some” who are sociopaths or psychopaths, and there are “some” who are obsessed with being excessively rich because that’s how their brain is composed. At the same time, because most people tend to project their own worldview and preferences onto others, they don’t quite accept the prevalence of sociopaths or people obsessed with wealth as a statistical phenomenon, preferring instead to view it as a moral challenge. But these people are part of society and if we see these behaviours as destructive (which I believe they are), it’s the society that has to design means to control them.

@cmconseils I've seen research and convincing commentary/analysis that says this is what drives many rich people's most antisocial richperson behavior.

When do you stop worrying? When you have a middle-class income and some hope of retirement? When your retirement is enough for you to stay middle-class? When your children, if any, have ample college funds? When you have enough to deal with a tree falling on your house? A full-house robbery? The death of a loved one? A long-term disability that takes you or other loved ones out of the workforce for years? A kidnapping and ransom situation (increasingly likely the more money you have)? A cancer diagnosis? Multiple loved ones with cancer diagnoses? The collapse of the real estate market? A stock market crash taking your 401(k) with it? The collapse of the US or global economy?

The terms "enough" and "secure" aren't binary; there's no clear point at which they happen. I suspect even Bezos partly wants more money to hedge against certain low-probability but awful catastrophes. Rich people are driven by their situations just like everyone else.

This isn't to say we should stop holding people accountable for behavior--we don't have a legal/moral framework for anything else. Maybe the answer is what people have been saying for generations: stronger socialized, collective protections against the things we worry about, so there's less temptation to follow the "I need more money because I'm still not protected against some dangers" path.

And aggressively tax high wealth at the same time.

@cmconseils Exactly so.

We buy lottery tickets but openly discuss how I mean sure, we’ll of course take the $40 million (or whatever) if that’s how it plays out, but honestly, if it can clear our mortgage and let my wife finally retire, even a tiny fraction of that would be a life changer.

@cmconseils

universal 👏
basic 👏
income 👏

@cmconseils I would do my best NOT to be rich, ever

If the point comes when you have TOO much you spend it on people who NEED it

@cmconseils

Greed alters the brain. It's almost like a mental illness.

@cmconseils From observation: I find that the rich kind of slip into needing more and more because they only associate socially with the wealthy. They need to keep up with their tax accountant’s suggestions, their financial advisors recommendations, their charitable foundations, their country club and yacht fees, etc.

CEOs often don’t have ANY idea how hard the poor work just to survive.

@cmconseils true, true.

"Normal" people merely see money as a tool, as means to "grease things" and achieve tings faster, with less stress and higher success rate…

@cmconseils

We all want to pay our bills and be able to afford to live.
In the Richest country in the world, there is hardly any safety net for its citizens.
America needs Universal Free Healthcare, a Social Security system that takes into account those in need, instead of tax breaks for the rich, illegal wars and people dying because they cannot afford to access healthcare.
America, are u civilised? Or do your opinions reflect those of an Orange Rapist and convicted Felon?
You choose!

@cmconseils

i want so much money that all people have to worry...

@cmconseils I would be considered rich by some people. I dont have near enough future stability to no be worried. The fucked state of college and medical care in the US makes this true for many people.

Im not worried about food (for now), but the struggle to not return to that state is a real thing.

The crazy thing is by top whatever percent im up high, but that isn't enough in the US to not worry. The middle class is probably the 93 - 95 percentile, or something similarly dumb

@cmconseils I want enough money so that I can build my own solar powered home cabin either in the middle of a forest, mountain or a body of water and be a farmer or fisher, get my own food, only living with just a radio or a telly to watch my cartoons or whatever the antenna picks up.

I don't want friends. Heck, I don't even want computers. I don't want a big house or cars or anything expensive.

It's like living off the grid but I'd like to be left alone permanently, for the rest of my life.

@cmconseils Amen to that, I just want enough to buy my way out of having to feed the elite for my slice of the pie.

Freedom from housing costs would largely do it by my count.

@cmconseils Beyond that I feel like a lot of people want like *one or two* nice things.

They want to know that if they buy one nice thing, that's not going to be the thing that bankrupts them. Nobody wants to be the guy who treated himself to his first ever new car only to lose his job and get moralized at for not buying used.