The Value of More Money

I am constantly amazed at the things people will do for money when they already have so much of it. I mean, really, what good does it do you to have $2 billion instead of $1 billion? I would think there would come a point where people would want to live for their morals rather than their own personal gain.

I thought of this because of two things I noticed in the world:
– People still work for someone else doing something they don’t care about long after they’ve become filthy rich.
– Most wealthy people go to great extents to ensure that themselves and fellow wealthy people can stay wealthy and become more wealthy.

What really is the point to all of this?

I, personally, am very content money-wise right now. Of course, I live on my own and don’t have a family to feed. But really, if I had maybe $12,000/year more after taxes, I would, I like to think, be completely satisfied. With that I could get some more square footage and a decent view. Of course, if I had $12,000/year more, I might think of why I could use another $12,000. Maybe this is how the greed snowball works.

Another thing I have been thinking with relation to all this, is that money seems to have less value as you have more of it. For instance, if you had $10,000/year as opposed to $0/year, you could at least feed and clothe yourself. You might be living on the streets, but those two things are very valuable. Surely they are more valuable than a nicer view in your apartment. And if you had $20,000/year instead of $10,000/year, you could get a room in an apartment too. $30,000, you might be able to drive. $40,000, you can start affording some basic luxuries like electronics, eating out, cable, Internet access, et cetera. And as you keep increasing your income by $10,000/year, the additional things you can get with that $10,000 seem to become less valuable than what you could get with the previous $10,000. I would be very curious to see if this concept is covered in some Economics book.

But I have started thinking recently: If I was making double the money that I am making now, what would I do with it? I like to believe that I would save it up and then quit working for a while and do things that I love in the mean time, getting another job when I need some more money. And a lot of people might think this sounds lazy…but I would ask them – What is so glamorous about having a job? Most jobs involve making those at the top wealthier or more powerful. What is so great about this?