Looking back on that post from the other night, I thought I'd be regretting posting it by now just because it was so "heat of the moment." But I'm not yet, it just has me thinking more.
I remember something from Estonia that actually had a larger impact on me than I initially thought. When we met with Dr. Andres Arrak to discuss the Estonian economic model, he quoted himself in his presentation that got my wheels turning, so to say.
It went something like this:
"This is not a housing crisis. This is not a financial crisis. This is not an economic crisis. This is a crisis of values."
I completely agree with this. Nowadays, everyone's got to have the BEST thing, the newest thing. That's why you see smartphones in everyone's hands, and why you see huge houses being built for people who can hardly afford it.
Sure, I'm one of the very few college aged students who still lacks a smartphone and doesn't see a need for it. I would also personally rather live in a tent in the middle of the wilderness than in a nice house in the 'burbs of Minneapolis half the time. I still own my first generation iPod touch from like, 5 or 6 years ago. It works, why would I need a new one? Because of these personal thoughts and views, I've probably saved myself a good amount of money over the years, unlike a lot of my peers.
So I may be a bit biased when I say this, just because of my personal views, but what has caused our society to suddenly need the "best" of everything? Is it a status issue? I don't really know, but it's just something I've been thinking a lot about.
It also ties in with my post the other day. Because we all want the best, that means we need more and more money. So, naturally, college students are feeling more and more pressure to focus on school and internships, etc, so they can get that killer job right after graduating and start paying off those student loans so they can be wealthy in the future and eventually afford all the best things. (the student loan issue is another thing in itself...)
In the end, it seems to me, out of pure observation, that our society thinks it's all about the money. I'm currently trying to live my life in a different way. Granted, I've grown up in a fortunate enough position where I personally don't have to struggle to pay my way through school or work out my own budget or finances. And this factor may set me back, since I really don't HAVE to worry about my money as much as other kids my age. In fact, it also acts as an incentive for me to work harder at school and work so I don't upset or disappoint my parents. Then again, if I were paying for my entire education, I may be working even harder, but also may find more opportunities to "live." It's all something for me to think about more I guess.
Still. I'd like to see everyone take a step back and ask themselves if they're doing it for the money, or for themselves and their own lives. Personally, I'm going to try to create a balance of being financially stable and yet still doing what I want with my 20 year old life while I still can. I mean, YOLO, right?
So chew on that. Happy Hump Day, folks.
I remember something from Estonia that actually had a larger impact on me than I initially thought. When we met with Dr. Andres Arrak to discuss the Estonian economic model, he quoted himself in his presentation that got my wheels turning, so to say.
It went something like this:
"This is not a housing crisis. This is not a financial crisis. This is not an economic crisis. This is a crisis of values."
I completely agree with this. Nowadays, everyone's got to have the BEST thing, the newest thing. That's why you see smartphones in everyone's hands, and why you see huge houses being built for people who can hardly afford it.
Sure, I'm one of the very few college aged students who still lacks a smartphone and doesn't see a need for it. I would also personally rather live in a tent in the middle of the wilderness than in a nice house in the 'burbs of Minneapolis half the time. I still own my first generation iPod touch from like, 5 or 6 years ago. It works, why would I need a new one? Because of these personal thoughts and views, I've probably saved myself a good amount of money over the years, unlike a lot of my peers.
So I may be a bit biased when I say this, just because of my personal views, but what has caused our society to suddenly need the "best" of everything? Is it a status issue? I don't really know, but it's just something I've been thinking a lot about.
It also ties in with my post the other day. Because we all want the best, that means we need more and more money. So, naturally, college students are feeling more and more pressure to focus on school and internships, etc, so they can get that killer job right after graduating and start paying off those student loans so they can be wealthy in the future and eventually afford all the best things. (the student loan issue is another thing in itself...)
In the end, it seems to me, out of pure observation, that our society thinks it's all about the money. I'm currently trying to live my life in a different way. Granted, I've grown up in a fortunate enough position where I personally don't have to struggle to pay my way through school or work out my own budget or finances. And this factor may set me back, since I really don't HAVE to worry about my money as much as other kids my age. In fact, it also acts as an incentive for me to work harder at school and work so I don't upset or disappoint my parents. Then again, if I were paying for my entire education, I may be working even harder, but also may find more opportunities to "live." It's all something for me to think about more I guess.
Still. I'd like to see everyone take a step back and ask themselves if they're doing it for the money, or for themselves and their own lives. Personally, I'm going to try to create a balance of being financially stable and yet still doing what I want with my 20 year old life while I still can. I mean, YOLO, right?
So chew on that. Happy Hump Day, folks.
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