The majority of the world values stupidity.
As they flock to the nearest bell tower, tugging each other along the way, they find empty promises, or short-term pleasure over long-term success. In his article Delayed Gratification, James Surowiecki says, “Our economic system is set up to encourage overspending.”
Spending more than we have is usually encouraged in times of prosperity. These are the times when interest rates are low, credit is available. More purchasing power is given to the common man and thus, more room for failure to pay back is given. However, this is not something new. Every good time is followed by bad times. Vice versa.
But the question remains, why does the world as a whole value reckless spending?
For one, it allows more interest to be charged to the common public. They make more money. And two, it boils down to our inability to control ourselves.
Do Nothing
In the essay On Tea and the Art of Doing Nothing, Thomas J Bevan opens:
It is a rare person who can do nothing- purely and without guilt- especially in our current culture of busywork. Even meditation- which is ostensibly the practise of doing nothing- is now timebound and purpose-driven, is reduced to another metric to be tallied, another endeavour to be gamed and hacked for the purpose of improvement and getting a leg up on the supposed competition.
When you are poked to do something, think first. if you cannot find a good reason to do it, don’t. A better way to put it would be that you don’t do it unless you want to.
Pascal said that humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone. And there might be some wisdom there.
Value
Our inability to see what is valuable is what gets us in trouble. Twain said it wasn’t what we know was wrong got us in trouble. Instead of butchering the sentiment, this re-worked Mark Twain quote needs heeding:
It is not what we don’t value that gets us in trouble. It is what we value that’s just not valuable.
We see it everywhere. Fashion is given more importance than comfort and durability—riches over wealth and insanity over happiness. What we see is what we desire. Whatever we desire, we end up paying attention to. Always and everywhere. All the time.
To change what we pay attention to, we need to change what we value. That only comes from asking the right questions.
Perspective (Current over the Wind)
Seth Godin says the current is more persistent than the wind. The wind is loud and gets the attention. The wind gusts. It bellows and toys with the waters. Yet the current is what dictates the wind. The current is what moves the waters in the first place. Perspective on the Current is what gives you leverage to change.
Focus on the current instead of the wind.
Start saving more than you spend over trying to make more money outside your main job. Focus on your finances instead of the economic trends. Focus on the current that dictates the wind. Focus on the underlying history of the company instead of the price of the hottest stock on the street.
Instead of focusing on what gets attention, focus on what’s valuable.