Ch 6: Pursuit of happiness (re: work, wealth & success) 4 of 4

A discussion of Chapter 6 of my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" - http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/...

A chapter-by-chapter summary of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (and thus an overview of the entire video series):

PART I: WHY DO WE HAVE TO WORK?

Chapter One
*Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames* gives a historical overview of why we've always had to "go to work," tracing the common link between the workday of the prehistoric hunter and gatherer, the first millennium B.C. farmer, the first century A.D. pottery-maker, the nineteenth century assembly line worker, and today's videogame programmer.

Chapter Two
*Surgery & Dental Floss* spells out the complications of bartering, and explains why communities with multiple goods and services always end up using some form of money (be it beads or dollar bills) to solve their trading problems.

Chapter Three
*Penguins & Peacocks* is about why the changes in our workday--the transition from hunting and gathering to the ages of agriculture, industry, and information--took place, even though some aspects of these changes were for the worse. It looks at the parallel between the history of our workday and the way evolution works in nature: how change is driven by the demands of the immediate environment, not by concerns for future repercussions.

PART II: WORK, WEALTH, & HAPPINESS

Chapter Four
*Emperors & Emptiness* gives an overview of three drawbacks of our modern work system: the alienation, the perception of deprivation that can come from being in a society overflowing with goods and services, and the way our increased number of career options has opened up a large window for failure--particularly when we tie our occupation to our identity.

Chapter Five
*More vs. Enough* offers an alternative to the unattainable American financial goal of "more is better" by outlining a flexible but precise definition of how much income is "enough." Level 1: enough to pay for all your daily, monthly, and yearly expenses. Level 2: enough beyond Level 1 to pay off your debts (e.g., credit cards, college loans) Level 3: build and maintain a reserve fund equal to about six months of living expenses Level 4: enough to make steady investments for large future expenses (e.g., a down payment on a house, retirement, and children's college tuitions)

Chapter Six
*Measuring Success* contrasts our culture's guideline for happiness--the wealth, status, and identity we derive from our careers--with a guideline that instead aims for a balance of our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Happiness
• work
• wealth
• success
• job
• career
• family
• balance
• ToddAllenGates
• ToddGates
• ToddAllenGates2
• Covey
• money

[ToddAllenGates]

> the girl on my screen saver is better looking than you

Ha-ha, yes, looks are not my strong point!

> This was great!

Thank you!

[skinnyjohnsen]

Well, Todd. This was great! I have just finished hearing all your lectures on money, and I enjoyed every second of it.

As for giving out stars; It is easy not to lift a finger when the next video comes automaticly. And the girl on my screen saver is better looking than you. Thanks man. I think I'll hear it all again some day.:-)

[ToddGates]

> I look forward to the Christian videos

Thank you!

> but I really look forward to next year when you focus on this issue.

Thanks again! This channel gets far less attention than my religion channel, but I feel the issues here are perhaps equally important, and probably even more relevant when it comes to day-to-day life.

[ToddGates]

> I was wondering ... what your stance on money is.

I cover this subject in my discussion of my book's second chapter (the video series is called "Why Do We Have to Use Money?"). The book's chapter itself is called "Surgery & Dental Floss," and discusses money's pros & cons--the traps & pitfalls, but also advantages like flexible bartering. (If you're a surgeon and I make floss, it'll be difficult for us to barter! But with money, we can trade our services easily.)

[ToddGates]

> [people] don't try to change the system ... even those whom have children ... is this a lack of protecting their children?

Hi Mustafaa,

My feeling is that this "career = identity / measure of career = wealth & status" mindset is often embraced by people unconsciously. So even if it's making them miserable, they still follow it, b/c they're not aware of the source of their misery. So yes, they pass this negativity on to their children as well, but not necessarily consciously.

[ministerabdallah]

I look forward to the Christian videos but I really look forward to next year when you focus on this issue. God bless.

[ministerabdallah]

This is the first series that I have watched on this channel (I will of course be watching all) so I was wondering where you were headed and what your stance on money is. I believe that there is no value in money (true intrinsic value) and it does us no good whatsoever. Having a capitalistic system cannot escape from the pitfalls and traps it has inbreed in it, such as leading to the delusion of wealth and success. Have you approached capitalism with the same Truth mindset of proselytizing?

[ministerabdallah]

Peace and blessings Todd, I wonder if even people whom are "well traveled" or older have come to that realization because for the most part they still stay the path (like the doctor) or they don't actively seek to spread the Truth of it's non fulfillment. To extend it even further, they don't try to change the system which teaches and extols the value of said system, even those whom have children who will be inundated with this mindset. Thus, is this a lack of protecting their children?