I’ve always hated the saying “It’s my money, and I should be allowed to be stupid with it”.
People see it as ‘the ultimate argument ender’, but it’s nothing more than a thought-terminating cliche, but for some reason, the person saying that is always seen as the one in the right. It’s BARELY even trying to hide the fact that it’s a thought-terminating cliche!
But it’s not just a thought-terminating cliche. In fact, it’s actually the #1 reason why the economy is so terrible. Because people keep paying for blatant scams, terrible deals, and shit we don’t need in general. It’s why everything keeps getting so expensive, INCLUDING our necesities, and they won’t get cheaper until people stop buying. It’s why companies are allowed to get away with ripping us off or doing blatantly evil shit, and they’re not gonna stop until people stop buying.
You being stupid with your money isn’t just some “freedom” you have that only affects you. It also PUNISHES the good guys for being SMART with their money!
Why am I seen as the bad guy for not wanting people to be stupid with their money?
Why are you telling people what to do when you could be helping the world by ending Trump’s ability to inhale.
It’s their money and they should be allowed to be stupid with it.
You didn’t read the post.
Now THAT’S a thought-terminating argument-ending cliche
Odd way to admit that you don’t know what you’re talking about.
I did.
If people have to work their ass off in this hellhole to make ends meet, they have a right to do what they will. None of your business really. Yeah it sucks people fund negative causes. It sucks people buy nvidia cards, shop on amazon, temu, yadda yadda. But at the end of the day, you cant force them. Just wish there was better education out there about this sort of thing.
But prying and trying to take the moral high ground will only make people more stubborn.
I mean, it sounds like you’re seen as the bad guy because you’re harassing people over stuff they don’t want to talk to you about. You can’t just shove your opinion at people when they don’t want it.
Clearly, you didn’t read the post.
Typically, when someone tosses a “thought-terminating cliche” or “ultimate argument-ender” at you, it’s not because they think it’ll make them “win” the argument. It’s because they want to be done talking to you.
So in that case… they admit to forfeitting…
Sure, if you want to see it that way. But considering they’ve gotten tired of having to listen to you and they still haven’t changed their minds on the subject, I don’t know if you could call that a victory on your part.
I don’t know you from Adam so maybe this take is off, but based on your post and your responses here, you seem somewhat more concerned with being right than actually getting people to be receptive to your ideas. I’d suggest reflecting on that if you really want to make a difference.
Yes. You’re absolutely right. Have a nice day.
Because people keep paying for blatant scams, terrible deals, and shit we don’t need in general. It’s why everything keeps getting so expensive, INCLUDING our necesities, and they won’t get cheaper until people stop buying. It’s why companies are allowed to get away with ripping us off or doing blatantly evil shit, and they’re not gonna stop until people stop buying.
I’d argue the reason why prices keep going up is due to the parasite class at the top squeezing people more with each passing day.
What do you view as people being smart with their money, like investments and bonds and stuff? I can’t afford groceries, I certainly can’t afford a 401k. Likewise, it’s rational to save for retirement, but with WW3 escalating, the climate crisis, and a general feeling that you might not live to see next week - people are going to ask what’s the point?
Although I will agree that the blame for rampant consumerism outside of necessities must lie at least partly with the consumers. It takes two to tango after all
More to your question: I’ve never actually heard someone use that phrase, but I have encountered the sentiment that someone can spend their own money however they see fit. That’s entirely true, and you’re not going to change their mind if you take an aggressive stance. If you call people stupid for spending their money on their own happiness then you’re not going to ingratiate yourselves to them and they’re just as likely to spend more to spite you, further entrenching their own opinion.
Gentleness, empathy, and education go a lot further in influencing people’s behaviour. Their opinion of how they spend their money feels correct to them, just as your opinion of how they spend their money feels wrong to you. In any conflict you have to allow that your opinion isn’t correct just because it’s your opinion - either side usually does not have all the facts or perspectives
I’d argue the reason why prices keep going up is due to the parasite class at the top squeezing people more with each passing day.
Ding! ding! ding!
If you follow the supply chain for almost of what you spend money on, you’ll see increasing consolidation at every point, consolidation that’s used to raise prices, lower quality, increase profits, and lower wages. And that money is being used to control governments that would otherwise be keeping the free market free.
The recent Paramount-Warner merger is the most obvious recent example that anti-trust is simply not being enforced, but looking at the big players is missing all the termites eating at our foundations–the company that supplies lettuce to your restaurant, the one company that makes eye glass frames, the one company that owns all the dating apps. Each one, taking more of your money, and closing down jobs where you might get a pay raise.
It’s death by a thousand cuts on a society-wide level.
I think my radicalizing moment was when diaper manufacturer Huggies posted record profits and then jacked up their prices by like 25%. Costs hadn’t risen, they just made a bunch of money and figured people would pay more anyway because what choice do they have? This was around COVID, either shortly before or during the epidemic. Although to be honest I’m sure it wasn’t limited to then.
You’ve got to be inhuman to gouge people on essentials for literal infants.
Sadly, no, humanity has been distinguished by its hiearchical cruelty for most of its history, and the utlimate cause of every revolution.
it’s actually the #1 reason why the economy is so terrible.
I don’t think it even makes the top 100 …
It also PUNISHES the good guys for being SMART with their money!
How so? Also what is being “smart” with your money?
Why am I seen as the bad guy for not wanting people to be stupid with their money?
Telling other people what they should/shouldn’t do with their own stuff is widely consider to be a dick move.
First of all, your over-simplification of why the economy is so terrible is almost certainly inaccurate but I’m not even going to get into that as neither of us has the faintest clue of how the economy even works.
Secondly, I don’t think that’s what people mean by “being stupid” with their money. It’s more about buying things because you want rather than need them which is something we all do to some degree. Only buying what you need would basically mean living in a tent by a campfire eating canned beans. When people tell that to you it’s not to win an argument but to end it. They don’t want to hear it. It’s not like they don’t know what they’re doing.
I do think what you are saying is what is the number one reason the economy is so terrible and its not because of your content its because of the attitude. The idea that everyone should be as competent at I at X is the main reason america has been leading in making economies world wide worse. pull up by the bootstraps. be your own mechanic, plumber, lawyer, doctor, accountant. the fact is most people are not competent at most things. its simply not how society past agrarian can work. the guy who smokes and drinks and spend anything else he gets on lottery tickets is a great plumber. the gal who spends her paycheck on fandom and cons has a green thumb and is an incredible landscaper. A proper society has the average jane/joe spending their paycheck every week and that is fine and they should be living a fine life. Because that is going to happen regardless of what those who know better know. My devil it drives me nuts. The lates thing you see thrown around is. There are no jobs and can’t find one. No problem just make your own business. Everyone can’t make their own business. Its just bs from the wealthy. I mean heck making and running a business is not one competency but several and if you don’t have them all you can certainly start one but it will likely fail. This is exactly the attitude that leads to unstable societies that suffer crashes.
Lead by example. Stop preaching, start showing a better way to be. Don’t talk about it; just live by your ethics and be contented. If your way is truly better, people will start to adopt how you are doing things.
This clearly isn’t the case. If your comment was true, I wouldn’t have had to make this post to begin with. Amazon would be out of business by now. And we would actually have a good president.
You have your experience, and I have mine. I’ve seen noticeable progress within my communities. Freecycle, Buy Nothing, repair parties, food banks, timebanks, work parties, upcycling, bicycle commuting/micro-mobility, small-scale hydroponics and gardening, local cleanups… All of these move the needle and show people a better way of doing things, ways to improve their own communities.
Clearly your way isn’t working, but you seem unwilling to hear anything that doesn’t align perfectly with your perspective.
I don’t believe you. You sound like you live in a utopia where everyone is right and no one supports evil billionares or politicians.
I don’t believe you.
That’s fair. In contrast, I completely believe that you have managed to surround yourself with misery and rage. Gee, I wonder why nobody will adopt the values you’re espousing.
You do know that all the things I discussed exist, right? A simple search will show you that these community initiatives are real and happen all over the place. Yes, I’m very lucky to live among people who are receptive to these efforts. When they don’t exist in your community, make them yourself.
You sound like you live in a utopia
That’s the goal. It takes constant work rather than spewing dogma of “just do things my way.”
where everyone is right and no one supports evil billionares or politicians
Now you’re just being a dick. You know (or should know) it’s not that simple. It’s impossible to have 100% moral consumption under capitalism. But don’t let perfect be the enemy of progress and Good Enough.
pretends that I’m being a dick; proceeds to be the actual dick
That’s not really a saying so, congrats? It’s already done?
You didn’t read the post
How do we get people to drop the saying “thought-terminating cliche?” It has an actual meaning, but is more often used by the “debate me” bros who are just lashing out any time someone doesn’t want to engage with bad-faith arguments.
It’s a good thing my arguments aren’t bad-faith, and anyone who says otherwise admits to lying.
Because people are selfish and stupid. They lack the ability to see how their spending habits have far reaching consequences and when presented with that information they get defensive and double down. It’s pointless to argue with them.
Send them to grammar school
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Why are they downvoting me? I’m right.
Because your initial reaction to anyone saying leave people to do what they want is “YoU cLeArLy DiDnT rEaDbThE pOsT” despite leaving people to do what they want is the right answer.
Not everyone can afford long term thinking when living paycheck to paycheck.
Well, it’s not my fault if they refuse to read the post before typing brain-dead comments that completely miss the point.
It absolutely is your fault. Being unable to convey your point how you want it to be understood is 100% on you.
People have read your post, it’s just that your post doesn’t really contain any good arguments that support your position.
But it’s not just a thought-terminating cliche. In fact, it’s actually the #1 reason why the economy is so terrible. Because people keep paying for blatant scams, terrible deals, and shit we don’t need in general. It’s why everything keeps getting so expensive, INCLUDING our necesities, and they won’t get cheaper until people stop buying. It’s why companies are allowed to get away with ripping us off or doing blatantly evil shit, and they’re not gonna stop until people stop buying.You being stupid with your money isn’t just some “freedom” you have that only affects you. It also PUNISHES the good guys for being SMART with their money!
As so many others have mentioned: kindly show your reasoning. Certainly isn’t clear to most of us.
