I had a discussion last night about the bank bailouts and how in my opinion greed and overspending had caused the economical crap that is happening. Last Wednesday, in Edinburgh, the house of a former bank director, Sir Fred Goodwin was attacked with bricks. Some windows were broken and his car was damaged. People are angry and some still wonder why. Ignorance is bliss perhaps but you’ll only get a fresh look without the blinkers.
It’s ridiculous that the taxpayer -as usual- ends up having to sort out other people’s financial problems because some can’t contain themselves and their need to have more and bigger. My parents taught me the importance of saving up money at a very young age. I never had pocket money, I could earn money by getting good grades in school three times a year and I would get some extra money from family on my birthday or by getting a job.
That way they taught me its value, what it means to wait and save up for something you would like to buy and that you can’t just go out and spend what you don’t have. It’s about making choices, about balance, about tactics. So yes, I can understand why people are upset because in the end they’ll pay for the greed of others. People still seem to think that money buys them happiness, convenience perhaps. Happiness no, definitely no.
The discussion I had was a mini version of what is going on around us. Remarks were made that one would rather be unhappy with millions than happy with nothing. I’ve realised ever since we met that I have totally different values compared to the other person. And perhaps having a discussion with someone who refuses to look at things from another perspective is a bottomless discussion that I should avoid altogether after all.