Why?

[Sam Smoot]

Why do we do this? Why do we spend money for education (and certification) to go get more money to get miserable/jealous/greedy and spend more money to get more education and certifications to make more money to get even more miserable/jealous/greedy than before? Why do we do this to ourselves?
Yes, money makes the world go 'round... but if we aren't happy with ourselves and too busy trying to get the better hand, what's the point? And who are these Jones people we keep trying to keep up with? :roll:
If you keep going full tilt, you wind up bitter, dribbling strained spinich down your chin with visions of code running through your head with no earthly idea of what it is.
Me, I'm just a simple person tossed into a complex situation. I like to have things, but life is too short. Things don't go with you when you leave....
Just a thought...
(Actually, I think I've not had enough caffeene... they must have used decaf in the machine again...)

[Anonymous]

Imagine a herd of 2000 bulls running very fast (stampede). And one bull in the middle somewhere thinks "why are we doing this?" and suddenly stops.....what happens? it dies!
Regards.

[Michael Ernest]

Do you question the way such things are because they aren't working well or because you'd rather be doing something else?
Name two things you do take with you when you leave.

[Sam Smoot]

<Gokul>
True, but then, If we are thinking beings, why do we all do the same thing? Cattle, lemmings, what's the difference?
<Mike>
Two things? Personality and inner being. No one can take either of those.
Just trying to understand why we do what we do (not the job, life in general). Why must we run around (with the herd) and do what everyone else does? Why do I really need a 7 figure salary and how happy will the things I have really make me when I work like a dog to get them and can't fully enjoy them until I'm old (and too worn out) to appreciate them? Do I really want to make a lot of money so that my children are "set for life" so that they become lazy, restless, and not worth any true value other than how much is in their bank accounts? In that point I'm a greedy SOB. I want to enjoy their inheretance just as much as they do.... I made it, I want to be around to enjoy as much of it as I can before they get it.
Looking at posts across the topics (and other boards), you see alot of unhappy people. They like what they do, but it isn't enough. Maby we all need to re-evaluate what's important and go on that basis. Data processing & programming have, for the most part, become the Mill work of the new Millennium. I come from a textile mill based town where most of the mills finally shut down due to the busineeses moving out (Mexico and overseas). Several of my friends lost their jobs and were retrained in other fields (including IT), but take a serious look at our "community". Lots of similarities abound. For most, this is just another job. Not all have a passion for it anymore. Not a lot of happy campers...
Why?
{Of course, if you're a CEO, you've made it (ENRON, WorldComm, etc...). [Dire Straits in background - "Money for Nothing"]. }
What would I like to be doing? Become a profesional bass fisher and run a bait & tackle shop. Can't do either because I need money to keep up with my most important hobbies, living indoors and eating.

[Anonymous]

Sam,
There is no sling shot solution to happiness. 'Happiness' has different meaning for differnet people. A begger will be happy if you give him $1. Whereas Bill Gates will be happy if you give him $100 billion. But, its the SAME feeling. We humans are like links in a long chain. We have to do our duties diligently to be part of this society as a whole. What we choose to do, good or bad, depends on us.
I did face the same question some 10 years back and started doing research. Finally for some reason i had to read even some religious books to find answers. One text which inspired me a lot is "Secret of Work" by Swami Vivekananda.
Ofcourse this is slightly inclined towards a religion. But, it does provide some insight.
Secret of Work
Regards.

[Shura Balaganov]

Remember how excited you were as a kid buying a 50 cent candy? Then, as a teenager, buying your first $50 sneakers? Now, spending $100 doesn't excite you anymore. It takes more and more money to get that "tingling" feeling. Maybe a new car, Or a house. A $500 Swiss watch will send a person into "Wows", while a $10 dollar Chinese version might be ignored. Why? Essentially, it is the same watch. Or maybe it is the amount of money spent that gets a person excited, not actual things he/she buys?
Shura

[Shubhrajit Chatterjee]

Money can rarely bring happiness ... if you are doing what you REALLY want to do will make you happy.
[ July 24, 2002: Message edited by: Shubhrajit Chatterjee ]

[Anthony Villanueva]

I think Bill would be happier if J2EE curled up and died.
Anyway whatever happiness is, I think money (or a modest amount at least) is a required ingredient. If you're constantly thinking about when that next meal is going to come from, that's not happiness.
I'd be happy right now if were a field biologist studying lions in Ngorogoro rather than deciphering this @#%!*&%#@! stack trace.
Or maybe I just need a long vacation...

[Stu Glassman]

I'd say that happiness comes from accomplishment, and nowadays, having a great deal of money shows that you've accomplished something.
-Stu

[JeanLouis Marechaux]

Hum, hum ... excuse me but.....
Don't you think money is not the real motivation (of course it's easier to say so when you have far enough to live)
But did it come in your mind that we do what we do just because we love that. Because we have fun challenging ourselves, just because we are tripping with (new) technologies, just because intellectual endeavor is our kind of drug

By the way Anthony, Ngorogoro is rainy today, it's better decyphering and to be sheltered.. Moreover lions are boring and sometime they stink
[ July 25, 2002: Message edited by: Bill Bailey ]

[R K Singh]

I dont say money is everything,
but still by God its not less than anything.

[Laudney Ren]

This morning, on the crowded bus, I was thinking the source of happiness. I thought about money, about accomplishment and more. Then, I came to several conclusions.
My list of things important to my life:
1. belief
2. innovation
3. recognition
4. family
5. sociality
6. money
When you find what you really love, really want to pursue, money is usually no problem. Money comes during the process of pursuing.
But pursuing money is a dead-loop. Now, maybe you are hoping for 1 billion USD and think when you get it, you'll be fully satisfied. Actually, you just get more greedy and start right from the loop head again.
So, find what you love and what you want, then go for it.

[Anthony Villanueva]

Moreover lions are boring and sometime they stink

Hmmm... you're a dog person, are you?
BTW, let's see what the experts think.

[Anthony Villanueva]

Some pics]. And some lions. Too bad they'll be gone in a century or two...

[Laudney Ren]

Well, why not we human beings disappear, travel to Moon or Mars?? I want natural creatures to remain on this special planet.

[Anthony Villanueva]

Hey, I want natural creatures to remain on this special planet too. I meant they'll be hunted out of existence because humans keep encroaching on their habitats...

[Laudney Ren]

Hi, Anthony, I agree with you. Since we can travel around the space but natural creatures can't, let them remain and let us go.... haha

[Anthony Villanueva]

Not yet. But...

[Stu Glassman]

I'd like the natural creatures to remain on this planet too. Wait a sec. We're natural creatures, aren't we? (although I do have some doubts about some of you...)
-Stu

[Anonymous]

Originally posted by <Gokul>:
Imagine a herd of 2000 bulls running very fast (stampede). And one bull in the middle somewhere thinks "why are we doing this?" and suddenly stops.....what happens? it dies!
Regards.

You have the right to choose not to be part of the 2000 in the first place!

[Sam Smoot]

Ok, leave the post alone for a day or so, then it gets interesting....
First of all, Shura, I still haven't paid $50.00 for a pair of tennis shoes... I wasn't kidding when I said I'm a simple person in a complex world. (And no, I'm not of the other extreme either. Recycling clothes isn't my thing, I just go to WalMart, etc.)
I do enjoy what I do, and programming/development is fun and challenging. If I didn't like to eat and have shelter, I would probably do it for nothing.... just my personality. But why must we (as social creatures, heavy on the creatures ) be so obsessed with having lots of "things"? Why can't we be happy with what we need and not worry about what everyone else has or feels we have to have to be successful. Why can't doing a good job be enough anymore?
Ah well... Philosophy is always a never ending quest to answer the obvious with the oblique. {as a sidebar, this thread was a spin off from a discussion I had with my spouse earlier.. she is swinging to the "object oriented" aspect of success again....}
WHOA! THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN IT!! Success is the ultimate OO platform! The more Objects, the more success!!

[Mapraputa Is]

WHOA! THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN IT!! Success is the ultimate OO platform! The more Objects, the more success!!
Of course! I am reading "Metaphors we live by" book (good, by the way) and they said that "MORE IS BETTER" is one of powerful metaphors in "our culture", and I suppose in many-many cultures also.
(Notice "many-many" construct, this "MORE OF FORM IS MORE OF CONTENT" metaphor at work. Duplicating words will strengthen meaning )
---------------------
"Firstly, 6 * 9 = 42"
JavaRanch. "A puzzle for trigonometry fans".

[Anthony Villanueva]

But why must we (as social creatures, heavy on the creatures ) be so obsessed with having lots of "things"? Why can't we be happy with what we need and not worry about what everyone else has or feels we have to have to be successful. Why can't doing a good job be enough anymore?

I suppose it's because like any other creature we cannot help but compete. Lion prides compete with each other on choice territory. We humans want that corner office with the view.

Ah well... Philosophy is always a never ending quest to answer the obvious with the oblique.

Or to befuddle oneself methodically.

(Notice "many-many" construct, this "MORE OF FORM IS MORE OF CONTENT" metaphor at work. Duplicating words will strengthen meaning )

Say again?

[Jim Yingst]

Say again?
Perhaps if she restates it, the meaning will become clearer.

[Mapraputa Is]

What is unclear, my friends?
On the same token, when one runs out of words to explain how evil certain software company is, he says "XX is Eeevil"
---------------------
"Firstly, 6 * 9 = 42"
JavaRanch. "A puzzle for trigonometry fans".

[Jim Yingst]

What is unclear, my friends?
The last paragraph in your previous post. We're hoping you'll repeat it for us.

[Mapraputa Is]

Well, Ok...
Notice "many-many" construct, this "MORE OF FORM IS MORE OF CONTENT" metaphor at work. Duplicating words will strengthen meaning. I mean look at "many-many" construct again, wat is it if not "MORE OF FORM IS MORE OF CONTENT" metaphor at work? I hope it' clear now that duplicating words will strengthen meaning.
Jim, I said "duplicating words will strengthen meaning", not make it clearer.

[Sonny Gill]

Re: the original post by Sam.
Hi Sam,
You might find Thoreau's Walden an interesting read. Should give u one perspective on the kinda questions u r asking.
take care
Sunny