I must confess that I was rather hoping that Rudeboy would bite rather harder than he did. 
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Blimey, HOW MUCH??? something that's less useful than Sheldona's extra top-tube...
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Posted 3 years ago #
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(The diamond) has personality and character
No, its a diamond.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I must confess that I was rather hoping that Rudeboy would bite rather harder than he did
"It is not a fish until it is on the bank", as the Irish say.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Well, that's 'cos you underestimated me as usual, BD. You took my comments as 'aren't rich people all selfish bastards', which was not what I meant.
five million quid could buy you some overpriced bling, or a yacht full of models licking MDMA-infused whipped cream off each other, or god-knows-how-much simple oral rehydration solution (diarrhea being a leading cause of mortality worldwide in children under five)
Who woon't want the former? Blimey Charlie..
But as Noteeth points out, how can you ignore something like the latter?
As a 10-year old child, I traveled to Bangladesh, with my family. The poverty and suffering I saw there, made me realise that I am not poor. Never will be, whilst I live in Britain, have a roof over my head, have benefited from a truly excellent Higher Education system, and can rely on a World-class health care system. In many respects, I am positively wealthy, compared to most other people on this planet.
I do like shiny pretty things. But I woon't want really spensive things, knowing that millions of others don't even enjoy basic Human Rights, such as access to clean water, adequate food, the right to live a life free from persecution and injustice.
Personally, I'm not bothered about being 'rich'. I'm just not motivated by greed, and the need to posess as much as possible. Just seems pointless, to me. We already have so much, to enjoy, yet we always seem to want more. Now, I dunno about you, but that dissatisfaction with what we've got, and a constant hunger for more, strikes me as a terrible insecurity, which pervades every aspect of our lives, when we could just get on and enjoy what we've got.
But I may be discounting Human Nature, here. The will to survive. The need to dominate, to ensure control of resources, etc.
I just think we've kind of lost the plot, a bit. We've forgotten our Humanity.
Ho hum.
Posted 3 years ago # -
noteeth - how much would you whore yourself for some xt thumbies, exactly?
Posted 3 years ago # -
noteeth - how much
Are they still in the original packaging?
Posted 3 years ago # -
All of what you say is fair enough. Can we probe it a little.
Now, suppose that your income from your investments produced $500million per year. In all seriousness, how much of that would you give away for malaria prevention or whatever?
Say you gave away half of it. That would be pretty generous and enormously philanthropic of you. That gives you an income of $250million to spend on whatever you want. Suppose you want to buy your special lady something lovely. You aren't (all elese being equal) going to buy it from Elizabeth Duke, or even Tiffanys. You might end up spending an amount which, right now, you regard as insane, but which would be proportionnate to your disposable income.
Perhaps, rather than spending the rest on yachts and models you spent it on doing a masters degree in philosophy and buying fine art, mature brandy and racehorses.
What I am really interested in, I suppose, is at what point you start to regard spending money as demonstrating that the spender has lost track of their humanity.
Posted 3 years ago # -
If I were to ever 'earn' £500 million a year, then I would have more money than I would know what to do with. Therefore, it would be foolish, in my mind, of me to keep all but I needed to live comfortably.
What is 'comfortable'? I spose there's as many answers, as there are people. Possibly a little bit more than I am now.
I dunno. A million quid a year? £100,000 should surely see you right, no?
As for buying trinkets; something nice, yes. something made specially. Needunt cost £5 million. Surely, you can get something really nice, for a few grand?
Sorry, I just don't value material things in that way. I live without them now, I could live without them even if I were fabulously wealthy, I'm sure. Whether or not I would want to, is another matter. Can't answer that, as I'm not (and never likely to be) in that situation.
So, I feel that I'd be more likely to give £499 million a year, to charitable causes.
Or maybe help fund the Lympics...
Posted 3 years ago # -
Suppose you want to buy your special lady something lovely. You aren't (all elese being equal) going to buy it from Elizabeth Duke, or even Tiffanys.
Damn right - Chain Reaction, here I come!
Posted 3 years ago # -
spent it on doing a masters degree in philosophy
Anyone who has studied philosophy will know that this is the educational equivalent of putting bamboo under your fingernails.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Alright, imagine that, instead of the $500million hitting you in a lump then your income increased gradually without you having to work.
You could get used to a steady increase perhaps? A slightly nicer flat to begin with? A rather better bike. A lovely sculpture that a friend had made? If you had slightly more each year you would (reasonably enough) have confidence that your personality was robust enough that wealth wasn't changing you, and that your standard of living was not excessive. Even easier if you have a wife and kids I reckon, or an aged mother to look after.
I know people who do not really take on board the fact that being hit by the lastest 50% tax rate will mean they are in the top 10% of wealth of all the humans who have ever lived.
I agree that it is hard to see how one gets into the position of thinking that a blue diamond is a very good buy or indeed a bargain. I'm just basically not convinced that someone who can afford it spending that sort of money if they have it indicates insecurity or inadequacy any more than you spending your modest means on things not actually needed for subsistence, or me spending an equivalent percentage of my slightly greater means.
Posted 3 years ago # -
if i owned the original rough cut diamond at circa 26 carats i'd be asking lot of q's about the other 19 carats....
kinda typical for cutting losses TBH.
Posted 3 years ago # -
A major factor in feelings of unhappiness (among rich and poor) in any given society is inequality of wealth. I propose world communism as the answer. Obviously I'll look after the diamonds to stop squabbles.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Duntmatter; you could encrust the Blackpool Tower, with them. Glittery..
Posted 3 years ago #
Topic Closed
This topic has been closed to new replies.
