If You Didn't Need Money, What Would You Do?

permaculture had this simple but philosophical query to run by you all, today: "I was once asked this question: 'If you didn't have to work for money, what would you do with your time?' I've put that question to many people since I first heard it, and got a lot of different answers. It seems to me that the answer to this question is what you should be aiming for even though you do have to spend most of your time earning a crust."

Perhaps,

[psicE]

We should rephrase the question a tad bit.

The question is not (or at least, should not be), what would you do with infinite money? Rather, it's, if you could earn your current salary doing anything at all, what would it be? What would you rather be doing from 9 to 5 (or before, or after)?

In my mind, that's a very important distinction. I don't care if you'd buy a Beowulf cluster of Xserves. I don't care if you'd buy enough food to feed the world. I don't care if you'd buy Australia. All I care about is, if you received the same amount of money you do now, but you didn't have to work for it, what would you do?

School.

[AnalogBoy]

I'd go and take classes in whatever interested me. Possibly become a doctor of something. Then dedicate my life to helping others*.

(Note: Getting revenge on those that bother me, such as religous fundies, classifies under "helping others".)

Re:I'd do what I'm doing now...

[roachmotel3]

Gah -- I hated being a student that last year at college -- I couldn't wait to get out and be a productive member of society, pay taxes and whatnot, blah blah blah

Now, I'm married, own a house, have a stable 9-5 job, and am compensated handsomely. And I want to go back to school ;) The grass is always greener on the other side!

Re:Perhaps,

[ip_vjl]

I think the honest answer for a lot of us would be "... the same thing I do now, just less of it."

I think a lot of us like what we do (otherwise we'd be in a different profession already.) What gets to be a drag about any job is the fact you do it whether or not you feel like doing it on any given day.

There are things I do on the side that I do for enjoyment, but if I switched careers to do those things full-time, then they would become tedious too. Doing things when you WANT to do them is fun ... doing things when you HAVE to do them is work.

Re:Perhaps,

[psicE]

You and Dashua are on the right track. It would be great if everyone could say the same as you, that the thing they're doing now is what they'd most like to do for 8 hours a day.

Sadly, not everyone can say that. Many people are forced into doing a job that they dislike, or truly hate, just because they need the money and they have no options. Maybe no one's hiring in their field, or they don't like the particular job they have though they like the field, or maybe their field just doesn't lead to a specific line of work. Either way, it happens, and those people are who the question's directed at.

Start now...

[Da VinMan]

You may not (probably will not) be able to do those things when you retire. If your body isn't shot by then, you'll be among the lucky few. I bet you could get a very serious start on all of those items, except for maybe the first item.

If you wait to do these things, you may never get to do them. Besides, when you retire, do you think you'll still be interested in those things?

We're all here for a very limited period of time, so chop chop!

Oh, and stop stressing out about death. You don't remember the time before you were born do you? I didn't think so. So don't sweat it. What will be, will be.

So just be.

Re:Work.

[Oculus Habent]

I know several people who were born into substantially wealthy families. The important things they learned/were taught is that having money doesn't mean spending money, and the privilege you have of being here deserves your contribution.

You wouldn't know they were rich when you met them, nor when you saw the cars they drive, nor their houses. Their children do not have every toy they ever wanted.

If I didn't have to worry about money, I would still work, but I doubt that I would be as committed, or as financially savvy.

I think I would start a company, and work on the ideas and dreams I have. I think the dangerous thing for people who "come into money" is the ability to follow through on flights of fancy, where most people sort out their priorities and make goals of those dreams they have.

Start A business.

[BitGeek]

I'd start another business.

Somehow people got this idea that working was dirty and only necessary for money. But if I had a million bucks (About twice the amount necessary to retire and never work again) I'd start a business.

Sure, I'd spend a couple years travelling the world, but that would be the early, formative years where I was working out the idea, methods and execution of the business plan. There's nothing, for getting creative juices flowing that I've found better than being in an extremely remote place, chile, north of the arctic circle in alaska, ... yeah, travel. But I'd be working on a business.

Working isn't what we have to do rather than what we really want to do-- that's the recipe for an unhappy life and its no suprise so many are unhappy. Working is the expression of our highest human self. The most noble and heroic thing any person can do is start a business. Not only is it the most fun, but it brings to your core the challenges, self realization and self understanding necessary.

I know there are lots of people who will say self indulgent things like "I'd go feed poor people" or "two chicks at once" --- hey if that's all your life is worth, fine. (BTW, two chicks at once is a lot of fun, I do recommend it.) But these things will only entertain you for awhile.

Eventually, you'll be at a crossroads and you'll have to choose between two courses- on one hand you can be a lazy person just doing nothing but spending money (this goes for both the "feed the poor" and the "party every night" types) and on the other hand you can pursue a challenge that brings out the best in you.

Challenge isn't hardship-- its opportunity to excel. Butsiness isn't about money, its about personal expression. Sure, money is involved.. but if you're only interested in money you won't get much of it and you won't be happy. If, instead, you're pursuing your personal best, both money and happiness are easy to come by.

Its unfortunate, though, that there are so many who tell you that you don't have a right to be happy, and they give you the recipe for unhappiness to insure it. Don't fall for it.

Since many people will probably post in response to this that they'll do something that involves sacrificing their lives so that others can be better, I've got a little quote for you. I'll leave out for now the proof that this activity actually damages the people you try to help, more often than not... but I provide rebuttal for the many voices insisting that EVERYONE should be sacrificing themselves:

"...just listen to anyprophet and if you hear him speak of sacrifice-- run. Run faster than from the plague. It stands to reason that where there's sacrifice, there's someone collecting sacrificial offerings. Where' there's service, there's someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice, speaks of slaves and masters. And intends to be the master. But if ever you hear a man telling you that you must be happy, that its your natural right, that your first duty is to yourself-- that will be the man who's not after your soul. That will be the man who has nothing to gain from you. But let him come and you'll scream your empty heads off, howling that he's a selfish monster. So the racket is safe for many, many centuries."

I know some people who are amazon wealthy, and do a person they are not out challenging themselves. They are being lazy, pointless people. And they are not happy.

If you find yourself in this position-- rise to your highest, most noble calling. Start a company, or pursue an invention. Create.

Re:Work.

[TRACK-YOUR-POSITION]

Are you saying that if you had all the money you need you'd spend the rest of your days in your underwear eating Cheetos?

I might. Or I might wander through the wilderness in quiet contemplation. Or analyze great tomes of philosophy in the Library. Journey across the world. Talk to interesting people. I

It strikes me as sad that so many (perhaps not yourself) wouldn't be able to find something to do without asking some company or government for a job...