Choosing Not To Work

I was just talking with my girlfriend about how she has encountered varying instances of judgment since she decided, at the age of 27, to stop working. She is a very intelligent, freethinking individual with a Masters in Social Work. However, when presented with the means to stop working (read: producing), she began to question why she should. Six years after choosing not to work, criticisms that she’s “wasting her potential” or “not doing her fair share” have not subsided. Not coincidentally, she is the happiest person I know.

Her story makes me curious about something. Why do people feel such a strong need to produce and consume? Those who choose not to participate in the production/consumption process, or at least refrain from participating in it to some degree, frequently deal with having negative labels assigned to them. If you don’t work, you’re not “lucky,” you’re “lazy.” If you don’t spend, you’re not “discerning,” you’re “cheap.” But where do these labels come from?

I think the most logical answer to that question is to say that these labels have been passed down through the generations. They have survived because so few people have paused to ask if they’re still necessary. Human evolution depends on teamwork for survival. The earliest humans had to “do their fair share” to ensure that they, and the rest of their tribe would survive. Wealth was so limited that no one was afforded the luxury of choosing not to participate in the process of production, which really is nothing other than the creation of wealth.

But today, that’s not the case. Some are wealthy enough that, from a survival standpoint, they have nothing to directly gain by producing. Many people in this situation still choose to produce. Just think of all the athletes, movie stars, and CEOs who make enough money, some of them in just a few weeks, to ensure that they would never have to “work” again. I put “work” in quotes for a reason. Most athletes and movie stars probably enjoy what they do. And as long as you enjoy what you do, then you’re not really working.

Others, however, do not enjoy what they do. But rather than save and invest every dime they earn, they sabotage themselves by creating children and making frivolous purchases that ensure they will need to keep “producing” for much of their life in order to survive.

Could it be possible that the negative connotations surrounding a young person’s decision not to produce is merely a byproduct of bitterness from those who have cornered themselves into needing to produce in order to survive? When you’re neck-deep in debt with mouths to feed, you do have to work!

If you ever choose not to participate in this process, just know that you have my utmost respect and deepest apologies for whatever judgment you encounter. It takes a lot of guts to stare the world in the face and ask “why?” Thanks to my girlfriend for teaching me that lesson by example.

Risk-Free Short

Here's one of the more cut-and-dry examples of how to make money off of others' poor decisions. Apparently, a couple years ago, there was a market to sell Arnold Schwarzenegger's chances of becoming the Republican Presidential Nominee at rates as high as 4%. I'd love to hear some rationalizations on that purchase.

"If someone gives you 25:1 on the Terminator... you take it."

Macsnobs

Maybe it's just the people I'm exposed to, but this notion that Apple is god and everything else is crap seems to be at an epic high. I suspect the hype surrounding the release of the iPhone, and now the iTouch (which is basically just an iPhone without the phone part - what's the big fuss?), have infected the population with this propensity to be "Macsnobs".

Everyone seems to say, "Apple is the only way to go." I can't help but ask, "is it? ...and if so, why?" It's as if these Macsnobs are incapable of holding Apple to the same high standard they hold most other products. Anecdotally, iPhones seem to be full of problems (freezing screens, poor phonecall quality), overpriced (though maybe not anymore), and way too prone to damage. The same can be said for the iPod. Personally, I have not had one of them remain functional for more than a year. Macbook users are also restricted from enjoying many things PC users take for granted (for me, anyway, not the least of these is Bodog Poker, see: $35k+ database of gross cashes).

I recently purchased a Toshiba laptop with Windows Vista. So far I'm quite impressed. It cost me $700. An Apple laptop, provided you're not willing to settle for a ridiculously ineffcient 13-inch screen, starts at $2,000, but can get as high as $3,000. And the Macsnob would say of my decision, "have fun when yours breaks down in a year!" Even if I expect the Toshiba to break down within a year (which, admittedly, given how much I'll be using it, I do), I still stand by my purchase.

For the same price as a Macbook, I can replace my current computer once a year for 3-4 years (and that's if I just keep my computer-buying money under my mattress). That means I'll be using less outdated technology four years from now, provided our "Macsnobs" are hypothetically restricted from buying anything new while I spend years working towards reaching their spending level.

But I'm not knocking on Apple. They are clearly an incredibly smart company. But that's just it. They're smart... not necessarily great. And although I don't have much extensive use with their products, they would have to be, across the board, significantly better than their competitors to justify the significantly higher prices. The basic structure of logic behind the phrase, "exceptional claims require exceptional evidence," isn't just useful in arguing against religion.

Apple has succeded in turning their brand into a fashion. People flock to fashions, because they fear they might be judged if they don't. But all fashions eventually die. If Apple is unable to stay one step ahead of these changes, their company's image could go the way of bellbottoms [1].

Amidst all those who think that "Mac is the only way to go," I'll continue quietly making a yearly 15 minute trip to Best Buy to pick up the latest shitty (but affordable) PC.

From my vantage point, these people relentlessly touting Apple seem like nothing more than victims of some incredibly brilliant marketing. I'm way more impressed with how they've built their brand than I am with their products.

[1] I should state for the record that I think Apple is smart enough to successfully market their products in a way that they will continue to be wildly consumed well into the distant future.

Lackluster Update

To the six of you who actually visit this blog with any regularity, I feel compelled to write a "real" entry (if you can call this one).

This blog hasn't been too interesting lately. (That's not to suggest it ever was.) It's easier to maintain an interesting blog when your life is interesting. This summer I was gambling constantly, traveling constantly, and somehow actually doing stuff that, at the time, seemed generally interesting enough for good blogging material. Lately, life's been a little less interesting. I suppose that's not a bad thing. It's given me more time to exercise, read, play with my dog, and work on my beer pong skills (6-0 last weekend with an 18 year old first-timer girl as my partner, HOLLAAA!!); but those activities don't exactly make for interesting blog material.

It reminds me of Barack Obama's memoir, Dreams from My Father, where he writes 465 compelling pages about the first 24 years of his life, then closes by saying "...and oh yea, after that I went to Harvard Law. The end." Only I'm not at Harvard Law. I'm trying to throw ping pong balls into plastic cups.

I don't really know where this entry is going, so I'll close by saying that my friend Ray took down the Super Tuesday on Stars last night for a cool $77,000. Nice job, Ray!

I'm Mature

While stopped at a red light, I couldn't help but notice a kid changing a business sign and giving himself some jollies in the process. I probably only got honked at twice while I scurred to take a picture with my camera phone after the light turned green.