Who in here wants to conquer the world?

[newsbone]

[QUOTE=Michael Chui;946034]Buying is the American way.

Oh yeah...Like they buy Iraqi oil, now Libya next on line.....Oh oh oh this is a good one, like they bought AMERICA from the natives.....Yeah they bomb people into submission then 'buy' what they need (read , what remains after the robbery) from you.....I love China i wonder why some people left...LMAO!!!!

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by pyrogen

Hey, I just want a penthouse, my own Zeppelin, and a robot army.

One problem with penthouses is that they can be uncomfortably warm (due to exposure to the sunlight falling on the top). The roof gets heated up and radiates heat inwards.

Every other unit is insulated by the unit(s) above it.

[CroMagna]

I don't really get the point of this thread, no offense.

[Cado]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

It's immoral, that's why.

Until everyone is dead. Then it's perfectly okay.

It's like the old quandary with the tree in a forest-did you really commit genocide if there's no one left to scream?

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by CroMagna

I don't really get the point of this thread, no offense.

Trawling for "me, too"s.

[Cado]

Originally Posted by CroMagna

I don't really get the point of this thread, no offense.

It had a point?

[elucidate]

This sums up how I feel, and why as well...so I won't bother writing out an elaborate post, I'll just quote yours.

Oh, I do want a home in Malta, New York and the Daintree rainforest and a life where I can move around and travel whilst having a solid pad to return to.

I think we aren't doing anyone any good by staying poor. Becoming as wealthy as possible is putting yourself in a much better position to contribute to a better world for you, and others if you choose. There are projects I want to be a part of that need money, and lots of it. Money can be the root of all good.

I think having lots of money can expand your soul in ways that are far reaching. Money also provides creative freedom. I want to throw random spur of the moment massive parties, and fly all my friends in from wherever they live, and party for weeks...and then send them all home.

I want a warehouse to create in and rent out to other artists as well.

I can live well without it, but I want to live without having to worry about it. I'm not that interested in conquering the world though, just saving my own world.

Originally Posted by Agota

I want massive material wealth for two main reasons:

1. To have a freedom to do what I want to do without any concern about money whatsoever for myself. I want to meet a friend who's in London? I hop on a plane I'm there in few hours. I want to live somewhere warm? I get a villa in a nice place near the beach. I want to attend best universities and get ten degrees? I can do that. I want to run a research that could change the way humanity perceives the world? I don't need to beg for money, I can fund myself. You get the idea.

2. To have a freedom to help other people without any concern about money. Grandfather needs money to finish building a house? No problem. Mother likes seaside? Let's get her a flat there. Communities I'm involved in needs help? Let's get them anything they need. Projects I believe in would get results faster with more money? That's not a problem.You get the idea.

I don't feel very motivated to achieve what you would call massive financial success when I think only about myself, private jets and villas in different countries, since it would be nice, but it's not enough. However, what really motivates me is what I could do with the money once I got myself everything I want and I still have loads of money coming in every month. I already shared my views that lightworkers should aim for more money and power if they want to change the world faster. I think that making money for yourself is a pursuit of 20 somethings (I'm 21), which is normal since we need to get established in the "real world", but once you do make money for yourself, you have to move to the next step. Too bad that most people remain stuck in making money for themselves pursuit all their lives

I swear the world better prepare
For when I’m a billionaire

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by elucidate

I think we aren't doing anyone any good by staying poor. Becoming as wealthy as possible is putting yourself in a much better position to contribute to a better world for you, and others if you choose. There are projects I want to be a part of that need money, and lots of it. Money can be the root of all good.

There's a difference between being rich for the sake of doing stuff and rich for the sake of being rich. It's a difference between recognizing money as a means rather than an end to itself.

A lot of people who come up with get-rich-quick schemes, I've noticed, tend to fall in the latter camp. If you push them for, "Why do you want more money?" they make something up. They don't have anything in mind. "Being rich is good," is the end of their thought. When they make something up, it tends to be easy to ask, "Couldn't you do roughly the same thing with less money?"

By contrast, there are people who I think better of, who go, "There's something I want to do, and to do it, I need more money." If you point out that you can do roughly the same thing, they'll explain to you why the similarity isn't quite strong enough. Or they'll nod and say that's a step on their larger plan.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

There's a difference between being rich for the sake of doing stuff and rich for the sake of being rich. It's a difference between recognizing money as a means rather than an end to itself.

A lot of people who come up with get-rich-quick schemes, I've noticed, tend to fall in the latter camp. If you push them for, "Why do you want more money?" they make something up. They don't have anything in mind. "Being rich is good," is the end of their thought. When they make something up, it tends to be easy to ask, "Couldn't you do roughly the same thing with less money?"

By contrast, there are people who I think better of, who go, "There's something I want to do, and to do it, I need more money." If you point out that you can do roughly the same thing, they'll explain to you why the similarity isn't quite strong enough. Or they'll nod and say that's a step on their larger plan.

Yeah, I find that a weird mentality to be honest. I mean, what's the point? Do they just want to have all that money so other people will perceive them a certain way? Are they looking more for the power and respect that money can bring them, social status?

Money is there to make your life more enjoyable and to experience more of life than you can as a person without money.

It's about reaching beyond limitations and creating that feeling of freedom to do what you want without any hassles. You can still make do and have a good life without much money, and I've done that too. I make space in my bedroom to paint and I can still have the results I'm looking for...and now I want to experience having more space to do this. Somehow I suspect not having to struggle with money issues is infinitely more satisfying.

It's a challenge to overcome all those gremlins that tell us we don't deserve wealth and all the fears and wrong thinking associated with money, but I think it's worth it.

[Acting Like Godot]

Here's a simple reason to be rich

(in the absence of other more-specific plans, such as "I want to buy a helicopter so that I can fly over the African savannah so as to carry out wildlife research on the population trends of wild elephants").

At some point we become too old to work. We'll need money to support ourselves then. So you have to start accumulating money early.

I may as well add that extra money is useful as a back-up plan, for all kinds of unexpected events that can occur in the course of your lifetime. Eg you fall seriously ill, and the medical treatment required to save your life costs a bomb.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by elucidate

I think we aren't doing anyone any good by staying poor. Becoming as wealthy as possible is putting yourself in a much better position to contribute to a better world for you, and others if you choose.

Definitely.

Even if you haven't got some life vision to fulfill, your being rich means that there's a spillover economic effect benefiting all kinds of people & organisations around you.

Eg your chauffeur; your property agent; your housekeeper; your gardener; your hairstylist; your private banker; your florist; your plastic surgeon; your airline; your favourite department store etc etc.

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by elucidate

Yeah, I find that a weird mentality to be honest. I mean, what's the point? Do they just want to have all that money so other people will perceive them a certain way? Are they looking more for the power and respect that money can bring them, social status?

Nah, I think it's about having it ingrained in your value system that "money = good; more money = more good" and never being quite self-aware enough to critically examine and find something else to supercede it with.

I notice that subtext a lot. I spend a lot of time listening to the tech startup world... you know, where they ooh and aah about those hot new things that are worth billions of dollars? As if this, in itself, actually meant something? And I notice that there's an automatic valuation assigned to things based on, "Will someone give you a lot of money for it?"

Now granted, for a technologist who values quantification and metrics, it makes a lot of sense to find the simplest number to base things off. And money is incredibly important, definitely. It's just that well... money isn't the end all of value. And an unfortunately large amount of people seem to miss that.

Originally Posted by elucidate

It's a challenge to overcome all those gremlins that tell us we don't deserve wealth and all the fears and wrong thinking associated with money, but I think it's worth it.

Definitely. Something I ended up having to learn was... if someone gives you money, always take it. Even if I don't want it. Even if I don't need it. Legally offered money is accepted. And then turn around and spend it on the things that make the world better.

Because I can always use more money. Agota's list is a good one. If I could pull out 100 grand, I could pay off a friend's student loans. (Well, she wouldn't let me out of shame, but still.) But I can't because I don't have a hundred grand.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Definitely.

Even if you haven't got some life vision to fulfill, your being rich means that there's a spillover economic effect benefiting all kinds of people & organisations around you.

Eg your chauffeur; your property agent; your housekeeper; your gardener; your hairstylist; your private banker; your florist; your plastic surgeon; your airline; your favourite department store etc etc.

Right. It contributes to creating more wealth for others, or at least helping them to survive in their chosen field.

I also meant on a larger scale though, like with supporting projects that I believe in. I have worked for an organization in the past which I believe is genuinely all about creating community and is solution oriented when it comes to social justice and environmental sustainability, and they have always refused monetary help from the government, surviving for the last 30 years on peoples donations...just.

I would love to send an anonymous check to the head lady which would put them in a position where they no longer have to rely on anyone else and can concentrate on their campaigning. That would make me happy.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

Nah, I think it's about having it ingrained in your value system that "money = good; more money = more good" and never being quite self-aware enough to critically examine and find something else to supercede it with.

Hmmm, yeah I think you're right about that. The way people are programmed, it's a bit scary to think that so many people chase money based only on things going on inside their heads that they aren't even aware of why they are chasing it.

I notice that subtext a lot. I spend a lot of time listening to the tech startup world... you know, where they ooh and aah about those hot new things that are worth billions of dollars? As if this, in itself, actually meant something? And I notice that there's an automatic valuation assigned to things based on, "Will someone give you a lot of money for it?"

Yes, and the way people are so obsessed with having to have the latest gadget, that will be obsolete 3 months later, but they still have to have it because it costs a lot and is tiny, shiny and impressive, because someone has said it is impressive. Rich people (ok, generalizing) like to pay a lot for stuff so they can show off to their friends how much it cost. It becomes more about what it costs than about what it IS or what it does.

Definitely. Something I ended up having to learn was... if someone gives you money, always take it. Even if I don't want it. Even if I don't need it. Legally offered money is accepted. And then turn around and spend it on the things that make the world better.

I think it's good as a way of teaching yourself how to receive as well. You have to be able to do both give and receive with the Law of Attraction I think, and many people are terrible at allowing themselves to receive stuff, like gifts etc. It boils back to self-esteem again. Do you feel like you deserve to receive this amount, this gift out of nowhere?

The universe says that by the very fact that you are being given it, then you deserve it...so take it.

Because I can always use more money. Agota's list is a good one. If I could pull out 100 grand, I could pay off a friend's student loans. (Well, she wouldn't let me out of shame, but still.) But I can't because I don't have a hundred grand.

There are loads of things i could pay off as well, I just didn't mention all of it in my previous list. Getting all those things out of the way is just paving the way for a more relaxed life in general that isn't spent stressing about how you're going to pay for everything. Once you are relaxed, you naturally enjoy life more. But people find it hard to relax. That's something I put a lot of emphasis on creating in my own life, that attitude of being relaxed, not rushing around like a chook with it's head cut off. It can be done.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by elucidate

Hmmm, yeah I think you're right about that. The way people are programmed, it's a bit scary to think that so many people chase money based only on things going on inside their heads that they aren't even aware of why they are chasing it.

I freely admit to being a money chaser.

Making money is really quite absorbing and fun.

Lots of people play complex strategy games on their computer, where, you know, the objective is something like to build a strong empire or construct a prosperous city, or something like that.



Or even just plain old normal chess.



Essentially, the challenge is to pit yourself against a set of complicated variables and see if you can find the solutions towards achieving your goal.

Making money is the same. Look at someone like Warren Buffett. Obviously he has more than enough money to last several lifetimes (despite giving about USD 40 billion away to charity). Why does he still work?

Because it's fun. It's a kind of game. Play against the universe of market conditions. Study the data and take your position on Apple's earnings; consumer confidence; Europe's debt crisis; inflation spikes in China; the movement of gold prices etc .... whatever corner of the financial markets you choose to play in.



I love to observe all the different ways that people make money, even ways that are not my own and ways which aren't open to me, or feasible for me.

Actually, one of my "Maybe" goals is to retire early from working in a corporate organisation; and just be a full-time trader (for myself). I also hold the formal qualifications to be a personal financial adviser, although I've never worked as one. I took the exams for fun.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

I freely admit to being a money chaser.

Making money is really quite absorbing and fun.

Lots of people play complex strategy games on their computer, where, you know, the objective is something like to build a strong empire or construct a prosperous city, or something like that.



Or even just plain old normal chess.



Essentially, the challenge is to pit yourself against a set of complicated variables and see if you can find the solutions towards achieving your goal.

Making money is the same. Look at someone like Warren Buffett. Obviously he has more than enough money to last several lifetimes (despite giving about USD 40 billion away to charity). Why does he still work?

Because it's fun. It's a kind of game. Play against the universe of market conditions. Study the data and take your position on Apple's earnings; consumer confidence; Europe's debt crisis; inflation spikes in China; the movement of gold prices etc .... whatever corner of the financial markets you choose to play in.

I love to observe all the different ways that people make money, even ways that are not my own and ways which aren't open to me, or feasible for me.

Actually, one of my "Maybe" goals is to retire early from working in a corporate organisation; and just be a full-time trader (for myself).

I also hold the formal qualifications to be a personal financial adviser, although I've never worked as one. I took the exams for fun.

I do like chess.

Yes, I've heard that it helps to become slightly obsessed, in a wholesome way, with making money. At least to think about it on a daily basis. This is something I may need to work on as I just have never felt that motivated by money.

I grew up in a family where we lived pretty comfortably, though we weren't spoiled, we were taught the value of money and I will always be grateful to my father for instilling that sense of using money to enjoy life, not hoarding it and not spending it. He has the right attitude about it I think.

If I had that kind of money I would probably work, but in a business that I have created, that I enjoy doing, not just for the money, because by then, well, I won't need it.

Not sure if I could ever have the same kind of glee that you seem to have towards money ALG, but I can sure be inspired by your own success with it and see if I can make it all a game as well. Then again, I've never had large amounts of money, so maybe when I do that glee will come to me more naturally?

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Making money is the same. Look at someone like Warren Buffett. Obviously he has more than enough money to last several lifetimes (despite giving about USD 40 billion away to charity). Why does he still work?

Heh, because idleness is boring, for one thing.

But here's the thing: if you ever found making money to be boring, you'd stop working at it so hard. You'd make enough to do whatever else you wanted, and a bit extra for savings, but you wouldn't be after money for the sake of money. Because the fun of making money is more important to you than money itself.

The fun of making money isn't meaningfully different from the fun of doing anything else.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by elucidate

Rich people (ok, generalizing) like to pay a lot for stuff so they can show off to their friends how much it cost. It becomes more about what it costs than about what it IS or what it does.

You might be surprised.

The majority of rich people I know are in fact quite the opposite. They take great delight in getting a good price (read: cheap price) for something that they want.

Also they are much inclined to think about things like whether they really need to buy X; what alternatives are there to X; if they bought X, how often would they really use it.

Read, for example, books about the life of billionaire investor Franklin Templeton. You will see that his approach to buying equities is the same as his approach to buying groceries - to get the best value possible for the lowest price possible.

Also, there are at least as many rich people who like to disguise their wealth as there are rich people who like to flaunt theirs.

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Also, there are at least as many rich people who like to disguise their wealth as there are rich people who like to flaunt theirs.

Huh. I never did link the Atlantic article in this thread, did I?

Secret Fears of the Super-Rich - Magazine - The Atlantic

[elucidate]

Oh sure. I think there are lots of people like you described. I did say I was generalizing.

I've known very wealthy people who dress like bums and their only vice is really expensive vintage cars. They don't even pay for a gardener and their front yards look like a bomb dropped on it.

This one man I know will order the cheapest thing on the menu when out at a restaurant, yet will fork out millions for his daughters wedding without a care in the world.

It's the ones who like to flaunt their wealth that I am speaking of I guess.

As an artist, I could up the price of a painting based on the type of people present at an exhibition, and be confident they would sell mainly because they cost so much.

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

You might be surprised.

The majority of rich people I know are in fact quite the opposite. They take great delight in getting a good price (read: cheap price) for something that they want.

Also they are much inclined to think about things like whether they really need to buy X; what alternatives are there to X; if they bought X, how often would they really use it.

Read, for example, books about the life of billionaire investor Franklin Templeton. You will see that his approach to buying equities is the same as his approach to buying groceries - to get the best value possible for the lowest price possible.

Also, there are at least as many rich people who like to disguise their wealth as there are rich people who like to flaunt theirs.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

Huh. I never did link the Atlantic article in this thread, did I?

Secret Fears of the Super-Rich - Magazine - The Atlantic

There is a book out at the moment called "Affluenza" that discusses this issue. I don't believe money can buy happiness...that's naive. I do think it can help with enjoying life more, though you do need to be wary of falling into the trap of wanting more and more and more.

I think if you equate having lots of money with being secure, then you are in for a shock because real security can only be found within you and cultivated I think. It's an intrinsically insecure world.

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by elucidate

There is a book out at the moment called "Affluenza" that discusses this issue. I don't believe money can buy happiness...that's naive. I do think it can help with enjoying life more, though you do need to be wary of falling into the trap of wanting more and more and more.

Happiness is pretty simple. Your needs are fulfilled and your choices are varied enough to be interesting but restricted enough to not overwhelm. The exact set of needs and the necessary range of choices are different for everyone. People with "affluenza" have too many choices and haven't had the chance to be forced into countenancing what their needs actually are. People who are poor can't fulfill their needs and don't have any choices.

...okay, so hitting the sweet spot in quantity of choice is a need, too, but it's the one that money expresses best.

For instance, I do not have a ton of things I want more choice in. Therefore, I do not need a larger income. For things I do want more choice in, a larger income wouldn't help, because it's either irrelevant or would take too long to save up the necessary funds: possibly more time than I'll be alive or with the same job. Thus, increasing my income, or getting more flat money, will not make me happier.

Originally Posted by elucidate

I think if you equate having lots of money with being secure, then you are in for a shock because real security can only be found within you and cultivated I think. It's an intrinsically insecure world.

Security is a different puzzle from happiness. Security comes from trust. Some people are just fine with trusting no one but themselves, but most people are built to need to trust others, or even other things. And while I agree that money is a poor choice to trust for security, I can see the argument that would lead someone there and if it works for them, I can't gainsay that.

If it doesn't work, then I get to have fun.

...you're just going to keep finding things I want to respond to with long-winded laborious paragraphs, aren't you? I swear I've thought, "And now, there'll be nothing more I want to add to this thread," about five or six times.

[Mondrian]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Because it's fun. It's a kind of game. Play against the universe of market conditions. Study the data and take your position on Apple's earnings; consumer confidence; Europe's debt crisis; inflation spikes in China; the movement of gold prices etc .... whatever corner of the financial markets you choose to play in.

...

Actually, one of my "Maybe" goals is to retire early from working in a corporate organisation; and just be a full-time trader (for myself). I also hold the formal qualifications to be a personal financial adviser, although I've never worked as one. I took the exams for fun.

Is it possible to get started in this from home with little knowledge? How long would it take and how much money would one need?

Expect I'm wasting time fantasizing here.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Mondrian

Is it possible to get started in this from home with little knowledge? How long would it take and how much money would one need?

Oh, it is definitely something you can do from home. As long as you have an Internet connection.

As a matter of fact, if you open an account with a half-decent securities firm, you should be able to do it anytime 24 hours around the clock - because at any given time during the working week, you can trade in whatever markets are open (eg when it's late at night in the US, the Asian markets are open, and when it's late at night in Asia, the European markets are open).

But definitely you need some knowledge. Which you can get through reading books and via the Internet.

Some securities brokerage firms also have "mock" accounts and "mock" money for you, to practise. You do your trades, based on actual market conditions, and you can see how much you make or lose, over time, but this is just for fun and practice, not real money.

You can't do this for a full-time living, unless you already have substantial amounts of capital to play with. But hey you can start small, for fun, and for learning.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Mondrian

Is it possible to get started in this from home with little knowledge? How long would it take and how much money would one need?

Expect I'm wasting time fantasizing here.

NoJobRob started up a blog teaching how to start up trading. He does it and didn't spend thousands learning from Forex or one of those companies. He just read a few books and worked it out himself. Might want to drop him a line if you are interested...

He's supposed to be teaching me, but he got lazy.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by elucidate

NoJobRob started up a blog teaching how to start up trading. He does it and didn't spend thousands learning from Forex or one of those companies. He just read a few books and worked it out himself.

Yes, there will be nothing that they teach in those courses, which you can't get out of the books.

In fact, you don't even have to buy the books. You could borrow plenty of such books, from a half-decent library.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Yes, there will be nothing that they teach in those courses, which you can't get out of the books.

In fact, you don't even have to buy the books. You could borrow plenty of such books, from a half-decent library.

Might do that, thanks.

Any suggestions?

"Trading for Dummies"?(;

[Mcoroklo]

I have exactly the same goals - I wan't to conquer the world.

Now, when I was 18 I started on "The game" and ended up having massive success. Now I am pretty much done with that: I am really good in social situations & getting sex with women I want is not a problem.

Now it is time to conquer the world. The problem is most land is taken. There is cheap acres in both USA and Australia, but you are still limited by stupid governments. As I see it there are two possibilities:

• Using the desert. Will require technology to make an ecosystem
• Seasteading. Living on water

I am going after the seasteading idea for now, as that is the better solution. It is positioned in international waters, where there is no rules. Then you can start your own country and rule.

So far I've been building some very basic modules with a friend to learn about water.. They didn't work out to well. So right now we've ordered some HDPE material to test a new design we're developing. If that works we have a price/m2 at around 20 dollars at most. That would be awesome (more info: FloatHaven - Join the madness!)!

But as you probably have noticed yourself, the big problem about conquering the world is capital. So we better start some successful companies ;-)

Anyone else with a similar goal is more than welcome to throw me an email (you can use the contact info on my site in the signature).