Migrant Success Secrets

...that they end up living better than they ever thought possible? That's about the only thing left in Karol's response that could be construed as a guess :-/ .

Okay - so who was the other dude that hit on the right answer?

Man ... this is driving me nutso.

-Anon

> Okay... the answer is rather obvious. When
> you find out what it is you will think,
> "Of course." And you will see HOW
> it gives migrants the tremendous advantage
> it does.

> I deduce it is hard to see because it would
> be like a fish trying to imagine a state of
> "no water." All his life all he
> knows is water. Trying to figure out
> "no water" is tough - not
> impossible but tough.

> Michael Ross

Okay, Michael, I'm hoping I've been lurking here on this thread long enough to see the point you are driving at.

Immigrants--most of them, anyway--arrive without any "stuff" (as the great philosopher and observer-of-life, George Carlin, puts it). Consequently, they don't have to divert any of their meager incomes to "maintaining and upgrading" their stuff.

Example: If I drove a beat-up wreck of a car, I'd "have to" spend money on repairs to keep it running... or buy a newer car (probably on credit).

Without having to spend money on maintaining any "stuff," immigrants are able to invest their meager incomes in themselves (e.g. education) and in their dreams (e.g. entrepreneurial undertakings or savings/investment accounts).

Such investment becomes habit... which leads to long term financial success.

In a similar vein, many "native" citizens come to the conclusion late in life that they need to invest in themselves--instead of buying more stuff--if they are going to be able to enjoy comfortable retirements.

Unfortunately, most of them reach this conclusion with too few years left to be able to turn their "spend, spend, spend" lives around.

Right?

~~Steve Rollison

Not to mention "protecting" your stuff (like insurance) and "housing" it (like adding on new rooms, closets and garages just to enclose all that stuff)!

And also how stuff keeps you in one place because moving it is such a problem.

And what about the emotional attachment. People who can't give up their "prize" possessions even though it would free them up in so many ways.

And also the peer pressure. Got to have what everyone else has.

Makes sense to me.

> Okay, Michael, I'm hoping I've been lurking
> here on this thread long enough to see the
> point you are driving at.

> Immigrants--most of them, anyway--arrive
> without any "stuff" (as the great
> philosopher and observer-of-life, George
> Carlin, puts it). Consequently, they don't
> have to divert any of their meager incomes
> to "maintaining and upgrading"
> their stuff.

> Example: If I drove a beat-up wreck of a
> car, I'd "have to" spend money on
> repairs to keep it running... or buy a newer
> car (probably on credit).

> Without having to spend money on maintaining
> any "stuff," immigrants are able
> to invest their meager incomes in themselves
> (e.g. education) and in their dreams (e.g.
> entrepreneurial undertakings or
> savings/investment accounts).

> Such investment becomes habit... which leads
> to long term financial success.

> In a similar vein, many "native"
> citizens come to the conclusion late in life
> that they need to invest in
> themselves--instead of buying more stuff--if
> they are going to be able to enjoy
> comfortable retirements.

> Unfortunately, most of them reach this
> conclusion with too few years left to be
> able to turn their "spend, spend,
> spend" lives around.

> Right?

> ~~Steve Rollison

http://www.sowpub.com/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl?read=13728

Enjoy...

Michael Ross