Time or Money: Which Do People - or You - Value (Treasure, Rate, Cherish, Desire) More?
This is a thread I have been meaning to post for some time, now.
Actually, I have been struck by the number of threads on this section of the forum which touch upon money, or one's means, either as a core topic, or as a related, ancillary topic when discussing something else. From memory, some of these threads - a number of which are still extant - have covered matters such as: How much do you earn? What degree pays better? What size debt had you on leaving university? How much did you make in your first job after graduating? And so on. There have been many such threads, where money, financial status, and one's financial means have been the major - or a minor - element of the wider discussion.
Obviously, the real cultural home of this forum is the world of the USA, - which is the world that pioneered many of the marvels of modern technology, such as the Apple products this whole forum was set up to discuss, and the values of that society clearly permeate many of the posts and threads which have appeared here. And that is fine. Wealth and its acquisition matter a lot in the US; actually, it seems to me that it is something of a cultural signifier as well as an expression of one's economic means and prowess.
Nevertheless, it seems to me that a society which is clearly setting such a value on money, may overlook other matters, matters, which to me, at least, are of at least equal, if not greater, importance.
And, in the context of this thread, I am writing about time. Quite some time ago, I realised that money is not my god; needless to say, it is very nice to have, nicer still to have it to spend, and, obviously, I prefer to be well remunerated than poorly paid, but years ago, I came to the realisation (one of those moments of searing and shocking insight), that I preferred professional autonomy, working at something I love, (and would - and have - taken salary cuts to be able to continue working in a congenial, respectful and intellectually challenging environment). Above all, this means that I valued - and value - my time far more than I value money.
In practice, this means that personally, and professionally, I find that I place a higher value on time than on money; in other words, I will spend money to save time. And therefore, this means that I will try to create, or make, time for the people I care for and the things that I like to do.
This is why I have always rented city centre apartments, (which are more expensive than apartments further out) and when I worked in my home country, why I always walked to work - rather than waste hours commuting; it is why I take taxis when necessary, it is why my free time is sacrosanct and - unless an absolute emergency threatens - I will not work on a day off. Indeed, on my own free time - I will begrudge doing anything or meeting people for whom I have little liking, and instead, treasure doing the things which I love doing, or seeing those whom I am fond of.
So, then, fellow forum dwellers, which do you value more, time or money? And, if there is a strong preference, is there a reason why this is - or may be - so, or not, as the case may be?
This is a thread I have been meaning to post for some time, now.
Actually, I have been struck by the number of threads on this section of the forum which touch upon money, or one's means, either as a core topic, or as a related, ancillary topic when discussing something else. From memory, some of these threads - a number of which are still extant - have covered matters such as: How much do you earn? What degree pays better? What size debt had you on leaving university? How much did you make in your first job after graduating? And so on. There have been many such threads, where money, financial status, and one's financial means have been the major - or a minor - element of the wider discussion.
Obviously, the real cultural home of this forum is the world of the USA, - which is the world that pioneered many of the marvels of modern technology, such as the Apple products this whole forum was set up to discuss, and the values of that society clearly permeate many of the posts and threads which have appeared here. And that is fine. Wealth and its acquisition matter a lot in the US; actually, it seems to me that it is something of a cultural signifier as well as an expression of one's economic means and prowess.
Nevertheless, it seems to me that a society which is clearly setting such a value on money, may overlook other matters, matters, which to me, at least, are of at least equal, if not greater, importance.
And, in the context of this thread, I am writing about time. Quite some time ago, I realised that money is not my god; needless to say, it is very nice to have, nicer still to have it to spend, and, obviously, I prefer to be well remunerated than poorly paid, but years ago, I came to the realisation (one of those moments of searing and shocking insight), that I preferred professional autonomy, working at something I love, (and would - and have - taken salary cuts to be able to continue working in a congenial, respectful and intellectually challenging environment). Above all, this means that I valued - and value - my time far more than I value money.
In practice, this means that personally, and professionally, I find that I place a higher value on time than on money; in other words, I will spend money to save time. And therefore, this means that I will try to create, or make, time for the people I care for and the things that I like to do.
This is why I have always rented city centre apartments, (which are more expensive than apartments further out) and when I worked in my home country, why I always walked to work - rather than waste hours commuting; it is why I take taxis when necessary, it is why my free time is sacrosanct and - unless an absolute emergency threatens - I will not work on a day off. Indeed, on my own free time - I will begrudge doing anything or meeting people for whom I have little liking, and instead, treasure doing the things which I love doing, or seeing those whom I am fond of.
So, then, fellow forum dwellers, which do you value more, time or money? And, if there is a strong preference, is there a reason why this is - or may be - so, or not, as the case may be?
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