Do you think you can be wealthy?

March 20, 2009

We put so much importance in money (not because we are in Pinoymoneytalk) but because it has been made an intermediary of trade. Something that we regard with value because in the first place it has to have worth, otherwise how can we use it as medium for our exchanges? It is NOT the pursuit of money that made Celso delos Angeles or Madoff or our corrupt officials for that matter, evil men. But HOW they accrued the money, the MANNER by which they were able to procure such wealth that made them wicked human beings. Afterall I don’t think you can say the same thing for Oprah?

Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to have more or most (but with wanting to have less – e sakit ata yan, hehehe). But again, with how you are planning to amass such wealth that determines if it is greed or not. Though it is true that we need only air, water, food, and shelter to exist, they are not the ONLY things man needed to survive not to mention PREVAIL. And It is the pursuit of money or should I say what we can do with it (besides, can you still tell the difference) that makes man, ironically - CREATE, INVENT, and INNOVATE.

E sandali nga, e di kung di mayaman e ano ngayon? Hehehehe. It will not be the end of the world (but perhaps "my" world)

As for the question, who wouldn’t want, wish, pray and hope, (least think) they could be wealthy? The question is WHEN and HOW? (Next week, pag nanalo ako sa lotto)

Seriously though, it is easier said than done.

At last some Good News in the Philippines

March 14, 2009

quote from an irritated depositor of the late legacy bank

"at last some good news pewwwwwww i never thought id be glad to read this .IN the Philippines, a one-meter rise in sea level, for example, is projected to affect 64 out of 81 provinces, according to Greenpeace Southeast Asia. Higher sea level would cover at least 703 of 1,610 towns and inundate almost 700 million square meters of land wowwwwwww somethink to look forward to while watching the news in uk see the philippines go under the water. so god will have justice on this country. wahay burn more coal run mor cars on petrol lets get them ice packs melting faster the better ."

in response, i said:

Hehehe, I know and understand where this is coming from. But ironically, you see, even if the whole country goes under water, our officials who manage to get away with their corruption, or the crooks who scammed your money, won’t go down with it (except for the small time snatchers, or some big-time catch – pray they don’t get pardoned first).

Having taken someone else’s money or should I say the people’s money, they would have put it out of sight, hidden it – under a different name? Unless you are Erap - who by the way, was awed (who made the whole country in total disbelief in return) after he was convicted despite such brilliant strategy as signing in a differentname (with witnesses a foot away) while he was President of the Philippines?

Of course, it takes not so much of an intellect (or more ? – clearly it varies from person to person) that if you were to rob some huge amount of money (say some 3B) you would have to conceal it by smuggling it (in a suitcase – another brilliant idea) to some far away soil (like the US and Europe)?

And oh, going in and out, or staying for that matter (which by the way is their long term plan after retiring from corruption or scamming), is not a problem after having gotten a dual citizenship not only for themselves but for their whole family (who are living there already by the way). Such that if it is revenge to sink some land (to drown the villains along) which countries do you think should go first?

Clearly, global warming is not such a good idea to get justice. Hehehe. The innocents will surely get drowned first. As I’ve been saying again and again. As if life can never be full of ironies.

Besides I don’t know how to swim.

Is it called Financial Freedom or Greed?

March 13, 2009

Me difference pala? Hehehe.

In psychiatry, a psychological disturbance becomes a disorder, when it impairs the functioning of the individual, be it in the activities of daily living (like eating, bathing, etc), or in the more complex functioning as decision making. I guess we can use this tool to tell when financial freedom becomes already greed. But in this case, the individual we are pertaining to is not only the one who is in pursuit of it, but the people who might get affected in the pursuit as well.

For me there is nothing to discern. For one, they belong at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Financial freedom is something that is good, while the other is bad (absolutely and not relatively). The former is an end. While the latter is more of a means to achieving an end.

However the parallelism exists between the two because one is a matter of perspective while the other is not. Because of our individuality, the definition of financial freedom is viewed at many context, such that its pursuit may resemble that of greed. But when it does, it is not financial freedom anymore, but, greed, actually.

Financial Freedom means different things to different people. It entails a spectrum of definition from having nothing at all,no possessions, staying under the government’s mercy, commuting and not having the burden of owning a car, for example at one end. For some it simply means being debt free, having a decent salary, having enough money for retirement or earning (a lot) from passive income. And at the other, being extremely wealthy – being able to buy anything, wanted or needed, having the money to take lavish vacation, the power to buy expensive cars and jewelries. You see, the latterdefinition is the one responsible for the ambiguity.

Being greed as an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth, and since that clearly what one needs is but a matter of opinion, it then confounds us as to what makes greed andfinancial freedom different from one another? It is the denial of the same goods (food, power or wealth for this matter) to others that completes the meaning of greed and that which makes it distinct fromfinancial freedom.

Thus when money is pursued to have the power to buy dignity or life for example, now that one is greed. But when it is used to buy a diamond, well that one is a matter of opinion. Hehehe