How do you feel about people outright asking you for money?

[Jorge10]

Well its obviuous you are a gimmick account, but anyway.

If I had a dollar for every story I read of guys developing drinking problems, getting divorced, or just screwing up their lives after winning the lottery itd have those 100 million already.

If you just give people a bunch of money its going to be really bad and you might say, but they are getting a bunch of money how can it be bad? Well money usually changes people, there are very few that can stay grounded.

Also as Greg said, if you give someone money then someone else gets angry that you didnt give them money, and its a never ending chain of anger and jealousy not really directed at you, but at the people that got money.

The reality is this, life isnt that simple as ill just give millions of dollars away and everyone will be happy. Life is much much more complex than that. Giving someone money will just make them quit everything and decide that they want to do nothing, but just live off the money you gave them. I like what Greg said, buy them a house, pay their tuition, do something positive for them, but dont just give them money randomly if they dont need it, it will only make things much worse.

[Goodie54]

Just to be perfectly clear. I am not in the same category or even close to the extremists you describe.

Your point about your parents ripping up the check and being insulted at the thought of you handing them money is well taken. I certainly see your point and to be honest, my parents would definetly feel the same way and if I didn't know that the money I gave them would allow them to live happier for the rest of thier lives, I certainly would not argue with them. I would take back the money I offered. I do, however, disagree with your thoughts about good intentions. I don't think they apply to the example I outlined. If I were to come into hundreds of millions of dollars, spliting a good portion of that up with friends and family is the only way I see to live the rest of my life. I honestly can't see how someone could consider not doing this. If there were some of my friends or family that were proud and did not want to accept the donation, I would honor thier wishes, but to not offer, I couldn't live with myself.

Back to your original point which was that people assumed that you had given some of your new found fortune to your parents. I don't particularly have a problem with this assumtion since I do believe that most people that have a good releationship with they're parents would do so. This is originally what I was speaking to and I stand by that assertion.

Peace

Goodie

[Greg (FossilMan)]

Thanks for supplying some good quotes, all of them on point. None of them was exactly what I was thinking of, but they all say essentially the same thing.

You can't argue with righteousness, and the righteous man who decides to "help" you, may easily do you more harm than the evil man who tries to help himself at your expense. And most importantly, you know where you stand with the evil man, and you can possibly get help from others to defeat him. How do you convince people to help you defeat somebody with obviously good intentions? It's much harder to do, and thus harder to stop.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[Greg (FossilMan)]

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Just to be perfectly clear. I am not in the same category or even close to the extremists you describe.

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I did not mean to imply that you were close to these sorts. But you were giving the impression that you were in the same category. You seemed to be implying that I was wrong, and that you couldn't see how anybody could think like me. That any good person would do as you say you would do. And that sounds like righteousness, and I consider righteousness to be a form of evil, but one that is very well disguised.

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I do, however, disagree with your thoughts about good intentions. I don't think they apply to the example I outlined. If I were to come into hundreds of millions of dollars, spliting a good portion of that up with friends and family is the only way I see to live the rest of my life. I honestly can't see how someone could consider not doing this. If there were some of my friends or family that were proud and did not want to accept the donation, I would honor thier wishes, but to not offer, I couldn't live with myself.

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Again, you are putting yourself in my shoes, rather than seeing me for who I am, and the shoes I am in. I am not you, and my family is not your family. That must be why you can't see how I "could consider not doing this".

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Back to your original point which was that people assumed that you had given some of your new found fortune to your parents. I don't particularly have a problem with this assumtion since I do believe that most people that have a good releationship with they're parents would do so. This is originally what I was speaking to and I stand by that assertion.

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Again, you come across as a bit condescending and righteous here. This paragraph almost says that I must not have a good relationship with my parents, or I would have given them money. And that is absolutely a mistake. I have a very good relationship with my parents, but neither of us would ever consider giving money to the other absent something close to an emergency. We believe in self-sufficiency, and that just giving things to people tends to make them lazy as opposed to happy. Teach people, help people improve themselves, but don't just give them money; that is the way we tend to think.

My parents would have gone through a lot of hardship to put me through college, if that had been necessary. And I would go through a lot of hardship to help them in such a manner, if they needed it. But neither of us expects a penny from the other barring such need.

Maybe your family would be happier if you gave them a bunch of money. However, once past the short term, I doubt it would work.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[Jorge10]

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If I were to come into hundreds of millions of dollars, spliting a good portion of that up with friends and family is the only way I see to live the rest of my life. I honestly can't see how someone could consider not doing this. If there were some of my friends or family that were proud and did not want to accept the donation, I would honor thier wishes, but to not offer, I couldn't live with myself.


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You couldnt live with yourself if you didnt give them money?

Wouldnt you feel worse if a chain of hatred and jealousy was created because you didnt give the friend of your friend money? Or wouldnt you feel guilty because now all the people in your family that once were happy are splitting up and generally just fighting over the money they got? Or disappointed with the fact that a lot of them do nothing anymore?

I dont get why you cant see that giving a bunch of money to certain people can really screw up their lives, not everyone thinks like you and is going to make good use of the money, some will snap and decide they no longer should follow the law or remain with their families. I would feel much worse if the money I gave out caused families to end and landed some people in rehab or jail.

Im not saying all will just snap, but some will. Thats why you dont give people money blindly, you help them by paying for their homes or something along those lines, but handing out money is madness, plus a point no one ever made is that, some are going to blow thru the money and ask for more.

[MMMMMM]

All good points, Greg--and I very much like your idea about giving them a house or college tuition instead. Such things are of lasting value, and would help that person substantially; and with less risk of dissipation, or of arousing envy in others.

By the way, the classic quote by a PETA spokesperson, which sticks in my mind, is: "Every day is 9/11 for chickens."

Also, there was a fund-raising event at a Florida aquarium. One of the hors-douevres or snacks served was sushi. PETA issued a statement saying that eating sushi in the presence of fish was offensive, and that doing so would be akin to to eating poodle-burgers in the presence of dogs at a dog show.

[Python49]

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In my honest opinion, you are greedy as hell. You make tons and tons of money sitting at a computer playing a game, and you WONT EVEN GIVE YOUR FRIENDS ANY MONEY? My gosh, how cheap can you be, please... your no friend. Thos guys are college students (you dont count cuz your making good money) and they need the money more that you do. Books, tuition, entertainment, they need help man. Im being serious, you need to start loaning/giving your friends some money. Whats $300, please, how cheap can you be.

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For your own sake I hope you are indeed a gimmick accont. If not you just need to learn more about life in general.

[Goodie54]

I apologize if my posts have been condescending. I certainly was not intending them to be. I guess my problem comes from not seeing your point of view. I have not encountered someone in my lifetime that considered having a great deal of money, even if not earned, would make them lazy. From my perspective, life is not about working. It's about living and raising a family and treating people with respect. Now, in my experience (which of course is limited to playing poker with you and reading about you on the internet), I am confident that you perform these tasks quite well.

My standpoint is that raising a family, treating people with respect and what not, for a good person, is much easier to do when you have a good deal of money. Money doesn't cure all ills, but it certainly makes it easier to live a full life and help those closest to you.

I guess we'd have to agree to disagree on this subject.

Please accept my apology for implying that you don't have a good releationship with your parents. From your response, it just seems like you have a relationship with them that I have not encounted and had not considered.

Peace

Goodie

[bwana devil]

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In my poker career theres been times where id literally loan my mom tons of cash.

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Damn, unless it was pennies, you are a weathy, weathy man.

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uh, weathy??

and its ok b/c my mom has a good real estate business and is just cash poor, ya know...'bout 24k all tolled to the laon...she also did at one point take care of me for well...my entire life lol...so that earns her no interest although she says she'll pay the full tax on it for me...i say thats fine.

Barron

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Mr. Baio, nice one. running it in slow mo for Dcif.

bwana

[Temp Hutter]

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Goodie, you're making a common mistake. You think that if you think something is the right thing to do, then everybody should think it is the right thing to do. And then you're casting dispersions on us for not feeling as you feel.

If I had given my parents a check for 1M, they would have torn it up and told me not to do that again. They would be more insulted than happy with my offer. They would appreciate the offer, but would want to know why I'm giving money to them when they're perfectly well off on their own. Yet you assume something different to be the case, because this is not in alignment with YOUR life, and the way YOU see things.

As I said in my prior post, if my parents ever need anything, I will do anything I can to help them. That was true before I won a lot of money, and it's still true now. But for me to just give them a bunch of money, well, I don't think that would make them happy. Some people think you should earn what you have, and are not comfortable with things they haven't earned. Maybe you and your family don't feel that way. Maybe me and my family do feel that way. Does that make me selfish, or does that make you lazy? No, it doesn't.


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I have to agree with Greg here. Giving someone money does not necessarily make them happy. I won a decent amount of money last year in poker tournaments and the thought never even crossed my mind to give my parents money. They have other priorities in life that make them happy and they are not in need of money. If their situation would somehow change, then I would be first in line (along with the rest of my family) to jump in and help them.

If you have ever seen the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and his dad keep trying to give each other money - that is what would happen if I tried to slip my parents some extra cash. It would turn into a comedy routine because they don't want my money - I am their son and they still want to give me money even though I am fine financially.

The other thing I thought of is age. This issue may be seen differently depending on your age and what stage of life you are in. My relationship with my parents is far different now that I have two kids of my own then when I was living with them or when I had only been out on my own for a few years.

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