Disqus - Latest Comments for Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher

Re: On Feeling Ambivalent to Tim Ferriss’ Work

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:35:19 -0000

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought." ~ Basho

Re: July 4th is a Scam

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:11:10 -0000

"With the Internet information flows more freely." This is correct but no matter how you slice it, human nature will flow into any and all social systems. Humans are also highly adaptive creatures. Shifting to an open, Internet-based political system will simply shift power to those who are most adept to getting information to readers via the Internet.

The power-hungry will stop lobbying and start mastering Search Engine Optimization.

You won't stop corruption because you won't remove human nature from social systems.

With that said, I do like your dreams.

Re: The last post - Penmachine - Derek K. Miller

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Mon, 09 May 2011 09:21:30 -0000

"He will live badly who does not know how to die well." ~ Seneca

"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time." ~ Mark Twain

"He who would teach men to die would teach them to live." ~ Michel de Montaigne

Re: Why Should I Join Your Rewards Program – Now?

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:57:09 -0000

On "free" stuff: I believe perception is reality. If there is a monetary price, the consumer perceives value. If it's free, consumers will perceive that the merchant is trying to "trick" the consumer into fulfilling some ulterior motive, and the effort is not worth the download. The challenge for the merchant, therefore, is in pricing.

Re: Happiness Question: What's an obstacle to your happiness?

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:06:52 -0000

Perhaps there is a middle ground? The pursuit of happiness, or to use a common metaphor, the journey or path is what produces happiness.

The pursuit is the game, the play thing, that the mind enjoys. Once happiness is found, the game is over and a new game begins.

"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves." ~ Carl Jung

The happiest people, in my humble opinion, are not trying to "win or lose" -- they are not trying to find happiness -- they are happy by virtue of simply "playing the game."

Re: Thursday links: embracing uncertainty Abnormal Returns

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:47:10 -0000

"A hidden connection is stronger than an obvious one." ~ Heraclitus

Re: Imitate a Spiritual Master.

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:11:03 -0000

What if the spiritual leader says not to follow anyone else but yourself?

"To be a light to oneself is not to follow the light of another, however reasonable, logical, historical, and however convincing." ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought." ~ Basho

Re: The Social Media Strip Club

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:14:17 -0000

At least most strippers don't wear masks while they dance and they are not all, by default, whores!

Not only is social media a strip act but the users and consumers of social media appear to be liberated while they wear a proverbial mask before their audience...

Stripping is illusion. Social media is delusion. Strippers seem to know who and what they are. Social media users and consumers seem to have no clue, although they pretend to know themselves...

This was a thought provoking post! Thanks...

“We get so much in the habit of wearing disguises before others that we finally appear disguised before ourselves.” ~ Francois de la Rochefoucauld

Re: Happiness Question: What's an obstacle to your happiness?

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Thu, 27 May 2010 08:43:51 -0000

My obstacle to happiness is the attempt to manufacture happiness. I try to remind myself that happiness "happens." It is not a hyper-intentional creation.

Re: Oh My Goodness! I Forgot My Blog Anniversary — #4!

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:39:58 -0000

Gretchen:

I've just recently started reading your blog and I find it valuable, not just because of your resourceful energy and information, but because I do not always agree with your views of happiness.

You've created a sort of dialogue, which is essentially an exchange of ideas. If there are opposing views, whatever it is that represents "truth" is more easily discovered by virtue of this dialogue or exchange. If the views of author and reader are similar, "truth" may not be discovered and growth can be more difficult to achieve.

I look forward to reading and engaging in a dialogue on this thing called happiness...

"There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees." ~ Michel de Montaigne

Re: “Happiness is a Choice.” True or False? Plus the Weekly video.

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:00:30 -0000

For me, happiness is the result of an unintended consequence of something other than the hyper-intention to "make myself happy."

In fact, I do not pursue "happiness," per se, but rather practice contentment. The former is fleeting and the latter is radiating and self-feeding.

Certainly, as others here have posted, happiness can be enabled but not necessarily manufactured.

"My opinion is that you never find happiness until you stop looking for it." ~ Zhuangzi

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." ~ Frederick Keonig

I enjoyed the post and the video. Thanks for all of your efforts!

Kent

Re: Cover to Cover: Latest Investing Books

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:22:06 -0000

I do not see any contradictions. They all speak on the subject of human behavior, specifically greed -- either by illustrating its destruction or by leveraging it to entice the consumer to buy the given book (and encourage the next cycle of greed).

It's quite interesting to note that so many new books (and other media sources) use the idea of "how to profit from economic collapse," such as the final book in this posts leading image. This speaks directly to behaviors that caused this economic collapse, specifically greed!

The same people who got caught up in greedy behavior (and got burned this time) stand to get burned again by trying to "profit" from the disaster -- it's all greed but the timing and manifestation is different...

Re: Looking for Investing Answers in Formulas

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:50:12 -0000

Great points, Carl. Vast knowledge does not translate to good judgment. Any fool making observations can find a pattern and create a formula from which to make predictions. The fool with knowledge may be even more dangerous...

"Too keen an eye for pattern will find it anywhere." ~ T.L. Fine

Re: The New Definition of Retirement

Kent_TheFinancialPhilosopher — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:36:28 -0000

"Some countries have already raised their official retirement age..."

This line speaks volumes about herd mentality.

When I talk to clients and prospective clients and we discuss the "retirement age" issue, almost everyone says, "Age 65." My response is always, "Where did you get that age from?"

And you can see how the conversation progresses into the fact that retirement is a term that is largely defined by social conventions; however, it should absolutely and only be defined by the individual.

In fact, in some extreme cases, once this individual definition is formed, I've had clients discover that they were already "retired" by their definition. How liberating can that be?

I did the same for myself and discovered that, at age 40, I am already "retired" also!

My definition: "To do what I want, when I want, within reason."

"Man acts as though he were the shaper and master of language, while in fact language remains the master of man." ~ Martin Heidegger