<p>Then that's all that matters to me.</p>
<p>Though, I don't see anything wrong with making your child take out at least some loans to pay for school, or having a part-time job.</p>
<p>Having a part-time job as a teen is critical to your development as a human being in my opinion. My part-time job (even though it is working concession at a movie theatre!) has taught me a lot about myself and what I <em>really</em> want out of life.</p>
<p>Actually going out and having a full-time job and living on my own has shown me just how far money can go, and how much you can do with very little.</p>
<p>I'm about as far from a liberal touchy-feely money-doesn't-matter tree-hugger as a person can get, but I find Hotpiece's post #79 to be about the most ridiculous/pathetic/disturbing thing I've read on this site.</p>
<p>
well, i do have a part-time job.
i can accept your opinion. i mean, it's easy to think that 500K is enough when you don't have that much. i mean, i think that 2 million is enough, although some of my more wealthy neighbors will disagree. it's all a matter of perspective. besides, at this point in my life, i'm just a selfish teenager. i want what i want when i want it.</p>
<p>hotpiece,</p>
<p>Ask yourself the more important question: How can I be happy?</p>
<p>You can have a huge house, 12-cylinder MBZ S-Class, private jet, and still be miserable.</p>
<p>I think Gates once suggested that his money is a liability more than an asset at times.</p>
<p>hotpiece101 - "i can accept your opinion. i mean, it's easy to think that 500K is enough when you don't have that much. i mean, i think that 2 million is enough, although some of my more wealthy neighbors will disagree. it's all a matter of perspective. besides, at this point in my life, i'm just a selfish teenager. i want what i want when i want it."</p>
<p>I have to wonder, what profession are you looking to?</p>
<p>
[quote]
hotpiece,</p>
<p>Ask yourself the more important question: How can I be happy?</p>
<p>You can have a huge house, 12-cylinder MBZ S-Class, private jet, and still be miserable.</p>
<p>I think Gates once suggested that his money is a liability more than an asset at times.
[/quote]
oh, wow, i feel like everyone is attacking me now (that may not be the case, but that is how i feel). UCLAri, don't worry, i already know what i want in life and hope to succeed. i've already asked myself that question in regards to college, careers, and other important decisions i've made. you don't have to worry, i have thought about how i see myself in 20 or 30 years and what things i hope can make me happy.</p>
<p>MrPayne,
well, i plan on majoring in economics at harvard. originally i wanted to be premed (it was like my dream to become a thoracic surgeon) but now i am wondering if i should enter the business world like my dad. which is why i'm doing economics, so i'll have choices after college (just in case i don't do med school)</p>
<p>When I said in my last post I wanted all those things, I was kidding. I just want to make mid- to high-six figures or low seven figures ($500k-$2MM) so I can travel first or business class when I go to Europe and stay in nice hotels and live in a palace for my main residence and have 1 or 2 second homes and drive nice cars and wear nice clothing and stuff. :)</p>
<p>so, futurenyustudent, will you stop after 2MM?</p>
<p>In the past week, I talked to 2 college friends of mine who are lawyers. The first one I talked to grinds out a decent living (probably about $120,000 per year) in a 3-lawyer firm in a suburb. He told me "there's no money in law" and that he envies his high school buddies who went to business school and have made tens of millions of dollars with big Wall Street companies. </p>
<p>My other lawyer friend works at a very prominent and large firm in a large East Coast city, and makes several times what the first lawyer makes. I told him about the first lawyer saying "there's no money in law." I THOUGHT he would laugh and say "Of course there is no money in law if you're in a tiny firm in the suburbs, but us boys in the big city make tons of dough." But he said that the guys in his firm, all of whom make lots of money and live in one of the richest counties in the country, all gripe about how they aren't making enough, and how so-and-so in whatever field makes the REAL money. Moral of the story: if you're foolish and greedy, the grass is always greener on the other side of the mountain, no matter how amazingly green yours happens to be.</p>
<p>hotpiece: absolutely not. Greed will take over at that point. People want more money than what they have/make at that point and thee's nothing economic theory can do about it. But personal finance theory dictates that it's a bad idea to drastically change lifestyles at that point :)</p>
<p>and that is basically what i said, TourGuide. if you notice i wrote:
and you wrote
so yeah, we basically said the same thing...</p>
<p>ps, i'm glad you realize that once you have some, you'll probably want more, futurenyustudent.</p>
<p>Yes, hotpiece, you're like the lawyers in both firms...and I think you and they are quite blind to how the whole desire>attainment>boredom>desire cycle works. In other words, how many times can you seek happiness by trading up to a bigger house or faster car before you realize that those aren't the sorts of things produces any satisfaction or happiness? Chasing those sorts of things is like being thirsty and drinking a type of beverage that will never quench your thirst, and only makes you more thirsty.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Yes, you're like the lawyers in the second firm...and I think you and they are a quite blind to how the whole desire>attainment>boredom>desire cycle works. In other words, how many times can you seek happiness by trading up to a bigger house or faster car before you realize that those sorts of things aren't the type of thing that produces any sort of satisfaction or happiness? Chasing those sorts of things is like being thirsty and drinking a type of beverage that will never quench your thirst, and only makes you more thirsty.
[/quote]
once again, i accept your opinion, but really it doesn't change what i want in life (as previously mentioned).</p>
<p>Here's my take on the whole cycle:</p>
<p>desire>attainment>desire. Repeat ad infinitum :)</p>
<p>Ok. At least you're honest about it. Just be aware that nearly every philosophy and religion from every culture and era tries to steer people AWAY from exactly what you're diving into.</p>
<p>Ah, I love the moral bankruptcy that unyielding greed leads to at times.</p>