I think I am very much in agreement with you and your world view.
But if I should try to summarize my understanding of other people’s view on this is that there are many aspects of life where relative wealth matter: whether you get the girl you like might depend on your relative looks, charms, and wealth. Your status in society and among your friends do in some part depend on your relative wealth. Whether you get to live in the best part of town will depend on your ability to bid the most for the right to live there.
For people who think like that, your arguments might sound like you trying to buy them off with a bigger slice of (non-metaphorical) pie while you make off with the girl.
This series is, in part, an attempt to wrestle with the idea of wealth inequality, which many of my irl friends see as a large problem. I’m not unsympathetic to their view, but I believe that wealth source is extremely relevant to the discussion.
When one’s wealth comes from creating value, wealth is inequal, yes, but society benefits; when one’s wealth comes from extracting value, then there is room for accusations of injustice.
Money, almost uniquely, is not finite; wealth grows over time for society itself.
Whereas when we compete over things like a prospective partner’s affections or status, those are fixed resources—there must be winners and losers there.
I’d like to persuade people to focus more on the positive sum, and less of the zero/negative-sum aspects, of the economy. If they feel that I’m trying to dupe them while I make off with a prize, I’m not sure what there is to be done about that.
I think I am very much in agreement with you and your world view.
But if I should try to summarize my understanding of other people’s view on this is that there are many aspects of life where relative wealth matter: whether you get the girl you like might depend on your relative looks, charms, and wealth. Your status in society and among your friends do in some part depend on your relative wealth. Whether you get to live in the best part of town will depend on your ability to bid the most for the right to live there.
For people who think like that, your arguments might sound like you trying to buy them off with a bigger slice of (non-metaphorical) pie while you make off with the girl.
Thank you for the reply—it’s a good point.
This series is, in part, an attempt to wrestle with the idea of wealth inequality, which many of my irl friends see as a large problem. I’m not unsympathetic to their view, but I believe that wealth source is extremely relevant to the discussion.
When one’s wealth comes from creating value, wealth is inequal, yes, but society benefits; when one’s wealth comes from extracting value, then there is room for accusations of injustice.
Money, almost uniquely, is not finite; wealth grows over time for society itself.
Whereas when we compete over things like a prospective partner’s affections or status, those are fixed resources—there must be winners and losers there.
I’d like to persuade people to focus more on the positive sum, and less of the zero/negative-sum aspects, of the economy. If they feel that I’m trying to dupe them while I make off with a prize, I’m not sure what there is to be done about that.