Money, Women, or Power?

[Lawrence of Arabia]

well, i already have #2, so I guess I would go for #3 in that case.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by General Ludd
Researching cancer? Teaching self-subsistence to those who are starving? Becoming a activist politician? Throwing money around doesn't do anything unless there's people there with experience to put it to good use.

And those people are already there, doing a lot of hard work. But they need a lot more funding. The amount of good you could do as an individual in one of those fields is minimal compared to the amount of good you could do by dishing out loads of cash to all of them for charity, research and development. No one's saying it will cure all ills, but it will be an enormous help.

You're being incredibly narrow-minded about just how much of an impact big philanthropy can have. You could do everything from funding homeless shelters and community centers to setting up trusts for college scholarships for the disadvantaged to all sorts of things.

Passing that up when given the opportunity would simply be completely selfish.

[Flubber]

Hmm-- I agree with others in that its an unrealistic question in that in the normal course, money brings both women and power and having power can bring money and women. But in the spirit of the question, my assessment.

Women -- purely selfish but very enticing to have that kind of draw-- If the power was broader and was essentially an incredible charisma such that everyone like you, you were incredibly popular and articulate . . . But again that would be useful in gaining power and money as well.


Power-- I've never craved power for its own sake but the entisement here is the things you could do with power,. Depending on the level of power you could implement social solutions that you have only dreamed about.

Money-- almost always brings power and most of the reasons I would like money have to do with the power I can exert .

In the end I can't choose. To be altrusitic you would need to pick money or power and i don't see how you legitimately separate them

On a purely sappy note, I would ignore all 3 if I could just provide for and have the love of my family for a very long lifetime.

[Japher]

Women -- purely selfish but very enticing to have that kind of draw-- If the power was broader and was essentially an incredible charisma such that everyone like you, you were incredibly popular and articulate . . . But again that would be useful in gaining power and money as well.

The Hef

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


And those people are already there, doing a lot of hard work. But they need a lot more funding. The amount of good you could do as an individual in one of those fields is minimal compared to the amount of good you could do by dishing out loads of cash to all of them for charity, research and development. No one's saying it will cure all ills, but it will be an enormous help.

You're being incredibly narrow-minded about just how much of an impact big philanthropy can have. You could do everything from funding homeless shelters and community centers to setting up trusts for college scholarships for the disadvantaged to all sorts of things.

Passing that up when given the opportunity would simply be completely selfish.

Agreed. True altruism is giving what is needed rather than what makes you feel best to give

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Kontiki
I'd say you're being unbelievably narrow-minded. If you can't use your imagination to figure how a pile of money would be helpful even in your oh-so-noble pursuits, I feel sorry for you.

"oh-so-noble pursuits"? I'm not the one talking about saving the world here, that's you and Boris.

Money can always be helpful, but a "pile of money" is more likely to be harmful, because it only encourages indulgement. I don't want any more than I need.

Here's another couple of things that popped quickly into my mind, but I certainly wouldn't limit the range of options to this:

You say you'd rather teach in Africa. Great. How about gaining the experience necessary by volunteering your time to help teach locally or with recent immigrants from the area. And how would you get to Africa - swim? Being able to buy that plane ticket whenever you want to go wherever you want comes in handy for selfless pursuits. Or how about the double wammy - go to Africa, be able to buy the materials to build a school and buy all the textbooks and then teach yourself. Hell, you can even help put the school together brick by brick. I'd wager that's even better than merely showing up to teach.

You don't need alot of money to do any of this. It can more realisticly be achieved through grants, fundraisers, and/or working as a member of a humanitarian organization. If you have the experience needed to do things like this, people will support you - they'll even seek you out alot of the time.

[Zkribbler]

Money, Women, or Power?

I disagree with your basic assumption. These three things are highly interchangeable.

If you have money, you can get power and women.
If you have power, you can get money and women.
If you have women, well, then you're pretty much broke and rendered into a hopeless, impotent pile of sludge...so mayby the three aren't totally interchangeable

(Oops. Editted "are" to "aren't" )

[General Ludd]

Re: Money, Women, or Power?

Originally posted by Zkribbler

If you have women, well, then you're pretty much broke and rendered into a hopeless, impotent pile of sludge...so mayby the three are totally interchangeable

In our society you can have both money and power through control over women.

[Urban Ranger]

Power.

It is said that power is the best aphrodisiac. So you don't even seduce women. They just flock to you.

You can't buy power with money as per the OP, yet with power you naturally get money.

[Jaguar]

Women. Who the **** are you kidding?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by General Ludd
Money can always be helpful, but a "pile of money" is more likely to be harmful, because it only encourages indulgement. I don't want any more than I need.

Indeed, you don't have to.

What stops you from leading a modest life while being the richest person in the world?

[SlowwHand]

Let's analyze this.

If you have money and look like a chicken with lips, you may rent some women, but power? No.
Not unless you count spokesman for Pilgrim's Pride.

If you have women, and no money or power, how long you think those women going to hang around?

If you have power, and can't get women and money, you're an idiot and wouldn't have power in the first place.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


Indeed, you don't have to.

What stops you from leading a modest life while being the richest person in the world?

I'd like to wish for something that I'd actually use.

[Wernazuma III]

C includes A and B...

[Draconette]

If you got the power , pick what you want this is quite so