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

[MMMMMM]

I pretty much agree with your general thrust here, Goodie54.

If I got 300 million dollars I would give money to the people closest to me so that their lives would not be spent in never-ending financial struggle.

I really have a hard time imagining what I could do with more than 50 million, anyway. So for me the difference between having, say, 60 million and 90 million would be fairly nonexistent in terms of my own personal utility value. If I were in a position beyond complete personal financial freedom and security, I would certainly want for the people closest to me to not have to bust their butts working the rest of their lives, all the while worrying about health expenses and retirement as well as all the little other stuff.

[Goodie54]

How would you take care of them then? Cutting them a check seems like the best and easiest way.

I trust my friends and family would be responsible with the money I gave them, but even if they weren't, I couldn't care less what they do with the money.

Peace

Goodie

[Greg (FossilMan)]

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.

Some historical figure said something about good intentions. Something like there's nothing worse than a man of conviction with good intentions, and how such a man is much more trouble than a a man who is merely evil. Good intentions cause more trouble, in the end, they say. Probably because it's easy to fight and gain support to oppose somebody who is evil, but how to you oppose somebody with good intentions who is mistaken? Much harder to do. Your intentions may be good, but I think your implementation of those intentions would cause more harm than good to your family and close friends.

Somebody will surely chime in and give us an accurate quote for my poor memory. Thanks in advance for doing so.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[MMMMMM]

Hi Greg,

I see your points, and I'm not one to think that a few million is enough to be just giving away large sums of money. Personally, if I had a really huge amount, say 100 million, I think it would help my closest family and friends rather than hurt them were I to give them a couple of million each. And it wouldn't hurt me at all.

I'm not suggesting you should give a million to your parents, or any money to anybody else--what you've earned and won is yours, and you have a family to take care of, and I'd guess your parents are probably doing just fine anyway.

Many people are finding fulfillment in their careers or otherwise and wouldn't need the money either.

A lot of people really struggle, though, and have for many years. If I ever came into really huge money--many tens, or even hundreds, of millions--not just a few million--there are a few close people I'd want to help out. Besides, wouldn't I want them to be able to take vacations etc. with me too sometimes, and be able to be healthier and freer, instead of keeping their noses to the grindstone all the rest of their lives?

I'm not saying you're wrong, even about extremely large fortunes, if that's the way you feel. I just would feel differently if I ever were to get to the point where I had far more than I could ever reasonably spend--such as a hundred million. And I feel pretty confident that certain people I know would be more benefitted than harmed by a small portion of such a windfall.

Anyway, just thought I'd chime in. It was fun watching you versus Devilfish on that episode in that hand. Well done hehe.

[Greg (FossilMan)]

I'm not trying to say it's a mistake to help people, especially the people you love. But, in many cases, it is going to be a mistake to just give them money.

Buy them a house instead. Pay their tuition to college. Now, they're in a spot to help themselves the rest of their lives, even if this money is eventually gone for some reason.

Plus, if you give to your parents, but not your siblings, will they resent you for it? If you give to your siblings also, that problem goes away, but now will your aunts, uncles, nieces, or nephews resent you for not giving to them as well? No matter where you stop, those people on the next level out might be resentful and angry, even though they have no right to be like that.

Even if this example isn't a perfect analogy, I really do believe that those people who have good intentions are sometimes the most harmful. PETA and some of the really fringe eco-warrior groups are a good example. When you hear a story about a group like this breaking into a lab and freeing a bunch of lab animals, and then it turns out that those lab mice have been bred to require specific nutrients in their diet or they die, you realize how silly extremism can be. And it's not most of us who are extreme, it's the true believers who are certain they know what is best for you and me, and will force it upon us to "help" us. Those people scare me a lot more than a criminal-type.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[4_2_it]

[ QUOTE ]

Somebody will surely chime in and give us an accurate quote for my poor memory.

[/ QUOTE ]

Here are a few gems that I found (and yes I do need to get alife):

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"It is difficult to say who does you the most mischief: enemies with the worst intentions or friends with the best."

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-- Edward George Earle Bulwer-Lytton

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"The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding."

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-- Albert Camus

I rather like this one from Mark Twain:
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"Half of the results of a good intentions are evil; half the results of an evil intention are good."

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Greg -- If one of these quotes is what you remembered then please share your reading list [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Zetack]

[ QUOTE ]
How would you take care of them then? Cutting them a check seems like the best and easiest way.

I trust my friends and family would be responsible with the money I gave them, but even if they weren't, I couldn't care less what they do with the money.

Peace

Goodie

[/ QUOTE ]

I think its a bit of a straw man argument you're making there Goodie. Its one thing to talk about life changing money in the range of several million dollars. Its another to talk about simply silly, more than most of us could possibly spend in a life time, money.

Look, if I suddenly came into 20 billion dollars, I'd have no problem divying up a billion or so between the rest of my family. if I came into say, 3 million? I'm probably not giving money to my family unless somebody got into financial difficulty.

I notice in you example you leave yourself with 50 million. Not too shabby. But what do you do if your windfall is just a 3-5 million to begin with?

Maybe you still give it away, in which case good on you. Just apples and oranges is all I'm saying.


--Zetack

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.

Greg with all due respect, if you didnt give your parents a buttload of money, you need to rethink your priorities. Seriously man, im happy you won, i really am, i was pulling for you since day 2 of the ME, but when you say "i'll do what I can to help if they need anything" thats just messed up. Anyway, congrats on all your winnings, and maybe see you at Casino AZ or the Fort if your ever in AZ. Later

[GrunchCan]

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I would be trying to create the highest level of happiness for all the important people in my life.


[/ QUOTE ]

So money can buy happiness now?

Funny, I thought it only bought gratification.