Money and Hybrid Vigor
December 13, 2005
B and I obviously are on the same page with this financial stuff. Here is another story about my generation, which has more debt than any generation prior. We have been talking a lot on this blog about future money (or the lack there of), and this story is cut from the same fabric. Three posts (and probably many more); thrice the importance.
The story asserts that “this is the first generation who won’t necessarily do better than their parents.” That may or may not be true. Hybrid vigor is the rule, not the exception, or at least it has been up to this point. There are very few, very possible reasons that this trend could be discontinued:
1. The offspring of the previous generation are lazy and rest on the laurels of their parents
2. The progeny of the previous generation tries something new and fails (elimination by evolution)
3. There is no next generation
How does this apply to us? Are we lazy? Are we dommed to failure and elimination? Do we even exist? Don’t know a definitive answer to these questions, except maybe the third one. But I do know that this selfish generation is on a decent looking path towards #2. The problem with instant gratification is its tunnel vision. If you are ridiculously concerned with right now, you have no concept of building on the past and preparing for the future. I am not saying that the present is unimportant, but I am saying this:
If you had a choice between feeling good now or feeling good in a year, which would you choose? If you had a choice of having money now or having money in 10 years, which would you choose?
Instant gratification is gratifying. Delayed gratification is gratifying. Pardon me for a moment, but let’s just be stupid about it. If the goal is gratification, then shouldn’t I be just as happy if I get it in 10 years? Shouldn’t I be willing to work now so that I can be happy in 10 years, even if that means I am [temporarily] less happy (NOT unhappy, less happy) right now? If that is the case, then I have no need to run up credit card debt to buy trash I can’t afford now or ever.
What’s more dangerous? Terrorism, Violent extremism, Me-ism? I think I have a definitive answer to that one.
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