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@ Chris Liss
2025-04-04 12:59:15
I agree with some of this — when I was in business, I always advocating for preemptively raising our best people, but it wasn’t because I’m a great guy or anything, just because I knew that taking care of them was sound business, since they were doing such good work.
But where I disagree is the notion that materialism in society (which I also think is misplaced) is due to that fact that some people have more resources than others. IMO it’s coming from the focus on who has what rather than creating and building.
If Steve Jobs gets rich off the iPhone, and I’m focused on the money he’s making I am the materialist in that scenario. No one is forcing me to buy one. Why am I worried about his money?
Now obviously, many billionaires game the system, and reforming the system to minimize that and prosecuting people whose gaming violates the law is good and necessary. But focusing on the amount rather than the process is the essence of materialism IMO.