Steven

You're rich.

She was psychologically rich, even if she was financially poor. And I think that's the biggest thing about it. Adam Smith, who was the greatest economist to ever live, this was 300 years ago, he once wrote about this. He was like, why do people work so hard? And he was just like, that's a simple question, but why do people work so damn hard?

She was psychologically rich, even if she was financially poor. And I think that's the biggest thing about it. Adam Smith, who was the greatest economist to ever live, this was 300 years ago, he once wrote about this. He was like, why do people work so hard? And he was just like, that's a simple question, but why do people work so damn hard?

And he's like, it can't just be for our sustenance because even poor people, as he was writing about it, had homes and adequate food most of the time. He's like, there has to be something else. And what that something else was, he wrote, was to be seen by other people. And it was attention and admiration.

And he's like, it can't just be for our sustenance because even poor people, as he was writing about it, had homes and adequate food most of the time. He's like, there has to be something else. And what that something else was, he wrote, was to be seen by other people. And it was attention and admiration.

They wanted to be getting rich so that they could have a bigger house and a nice car, not in his day, but they wanted attention from other people. But he was like, it's not that you needed the money. Because even in his day, 300 years ago, in Scotland, I think he was, he was like, look, people have homes and food. Like, what are they doing this for? And he was not criticizing them.

They wanted to be getting rich so that they could have a bigger house and a nice car, not in his day, but they wanted attention from other people. But he was like, it's not that you needed the money. Because even in his day, 300 years ago, in Scotland, I think he was, he was like, look, people have homes and food. Like, what are they doing this for? And he was not criticizing them.

Like, his whole point was like, they're going out and innovating. They're going to have great technology. And it's great to go do that. But the reason to do it was not because they had to stop. Now, of course, most people to get shelter and food do have to keep working. But they're working more than they absolutely need to because they want something else besides independence.

Like, his whole point was like, they're going out and innovating. They're going to have great technology. And it's great to go do that. But the reason to do it was not because they had to stop. Now, of course, most people to get shelter and food do have to keep working. But they're working more than they absolutely need to because they want something else besides independence.

What a lot of them do too is when they have all the money in the world, what they want is immortality. And you see these guys trying to live forever.

What a lot of them do too is when they have all the money in the world, what they want is immortality. And you see these guys trying to live forever.

Yeah. Harvey Firestone, who was a tire magnet 100 years ago, Firestone tires during the explosion of cars 100 years ago, he wrote about this in his biography. He was like, every rich person he knows, once they get money, buys a house that is way too big than they need. Not only bigger than they need, bigger than they want. Because a giant house is just a huge pain in the ass.

Yeah. Harvey Firestone, who was a tire magnet 100 years ago, Firestone tires during the explosion of cars 100 years ago, he wrote about this in his biography. He was like, every rich person he knows, once they get money, buys a house that is way too big than they need. Not only bigger than they need, bigger than they want. Because a giant house is just a huge pain in the ass.

The roof is leaking and like everything's breaking down. It's a huge pain to manage. So he wrote in his biography, he was like, why do we do this? And he was like, he did it too. He was like, I bought a house that is way bigger than I want. And it's a pain, it's a burden, but we all do it. And he's like, why? And he's like, it has to be status. There's no utility to a 40-bedroom house. Zero.

The roof is leaking and like everything's breaking down. It's a huge pain to manage. So he wrote in his biography, he was like, why do we do this? And he was like, he did it too. He was like, I bought a house that is way bigger than I want. And it's a pain, it's a burden, but we all do it. And he's like, why? And he's like, it has to be status. There's no utility to a 40-bedroom house. Zero.

There's a lot of downside in upkeep. But he was like, every one of us does it. And he said even Henry Ford, who was like the cheapest SOB out there, lived in a giant mansion in Detroit. He was like, it's so natural. And he was like, it's just because we want to show other people. It's not utility. It's not making our lives better. It's actually making our life worse.

There's a lot of downside in upkeep. But he was like, every one of us does it. And he said even Henry Ford, who was like the cheapest SOB out there, lived in a giant mansion in Detroit. He was like, it's so natural. And he was like, it's just because we want to show other people. It's not utility. It's not making our lives better. It's actually making our life worse.

But we have this evolutionary desire. to show people that we've made it. That's the calling card.

But we have this evolutionary desire. to show people that we've made it. That's the calling card.

I think it's true that virtually everyone who I really admire in life, by and large, they're not hugely successful people that you've heard of. They're just people who I've met and they're ordinary people with ordinary jobs. And I'm like, man, you seem like you've got it all figured out. They took themselves out of the system that they were supposed to be in.