When did Noah build the ark?

[Ankesh]

"When did Noah build the ark? Before the rain." - Robert Redford in SpyGames.

This thought has been going on in my head since some time. It may eventually be an article. Right now, these are just some random thoughts for one particular idea. Your input may help.

Sacrifice.

"Sacrifice = giving up a thing of less value to gain a thing of higher value." - Paul Lemberg

Most people are unwilling to sacrifice. Put in work "before" it is needed. Dig the well before you get thirsty.

"Instant gratification" leads to stagnation. Even nature dis-approves of it.

Cows - they start walking within 2-4 hours of birth.
Humans - they take 8-9-10 months to start walking after birth.

Humans maybe the only mammals that remain at the mercy of other humans for such a long time after birth.

Because humans cerebrums are bigger, they have to be pushed out and given birth "before" the human has fully grown - and can protect himself/herself.

But because of these same bigger cerebrums - humans grow on to be smarter than any other animal.

Humans gave up early protection for future progress.

There was this experiment done - kids in pre-school were given a choice:
a. Get one candy now
b. Or get two candies after a week

The progress of these children was then tracked over the years. And it was found that children who had chosen two candies in the future instead of one candy now did better overall. Higher grades. More friends. etc.

There are 2 people. Ram & Shyam. Both living in a town where the nearest well is 10 miles away.
Ram sees an opportunity - and charges people to get their water for them. He starts earning money from day 1.
Shyam sees an opportunity too. But he doesn't do what Ram does. And doesn't spend time going back and forth everyday. Instead, he sacrifices money that can be earned today to build a pipeline. When the pipeline is built, Ram is out of business.

Action Summary:
* Don't go for instant gratification
* Think pipeline. Systems.

Ankesh,

Thanks for mentioning Sacrifice.

I don't like that word. It has been too intricately linked with Religion - in all guises.

I prefer, instead, to think of...

Future Value - or even Having A Future.

If I do not think I have a future, I will NOT dig a well, build a building, invest time and money and effort into anything. I will, by default, be an Instant Gratification person.

Take the Israel/Palestine thing. The Israelis think they have a future and act accordingly. The Palestinians do Not think they have a future which is observable by the way they act - a person who thinks they have a future does not blow themselves up, as just one example.

Those who think they have a future are more productive, by default, than those ne'er-do-wells who do not think of having a future and thus join the ranks of the welfare brigade.

First, Ram and Shyam and the rest of the people in that town are idiots for living so far away from the nearest water supply.

Second, Ram might be out of business now the pipeline is built, but because he was Smart with the money he made for all those years, he owns the land the pipeline is built on (as well as all other land around the village) and the Water Source and leases it to Shyam. Ram took action now and made something of himself, while Shyam Gambled his time, effort and other people's money, on a venture that could have sent them bust and resulted him being strangled in a hotel room in the Carribean by someone linked to the investors who lost a lot of money.

Action Summary:

=> Make Money Now and Invest Wisely instead of relying on a future crap shoot.

Michael Ross

[Ankesh]

Thanks Michael. Excellent points.

Note: I don't necessarily use quotes and stories because I think they are true. I use them because I think they make the point I'm trying to make.

Re: Suicide bombers - I think they blow themselves off because they "believe" that they will have a good future in the after life if they do so.

You make a good point about going for instant gratification and then parlaying the profits. GJA also talks about keeping the money in circulation and going for the quick sales.

Its a very valid point. Something for me to think about.

Ankesh,

Thanks for thinking.

I know Why you use stories. The water-pipeline is a story I've heard before (Kyosaki, maybe). I just Added to it to Show how things Could have gone.

Suicide Bombers kill themselves because they think they have no future here and now. And the here and now is all that matters as it's all we can be 100% sure about, right?

It's the same reason why things stagnate in dictatorships and socialist systems - No Future see people not expend their time, effort or money into things for their future, unless that includes escaping the current jurisdiction. Why build a business I can never own or enjoy the profits from? Why Produce anything when I can Never enjoy the benefits? It's Those systems - the Delusional Fantasy of man working for other men and Not himself - that turn us into sacrificial animals.

When we can no longer enjoy the fruits of our efforts, we stop providing efforts. We do not invest. What money we have is sequestered away or spent to live. Money in circulation ceases. Progress stops. Welcome to the dark ages again.

I heard, and things might be different now, that on average Japanese people have $90,000 in their bank accounts. They do NOT invest their money. Their money does Not circulate. They are paid Zero Interest and Loans are like 1% interest. And still the money does not circulate.

Why?

Don't know for sure. But if I was to guess I would say... a welfare system for the old and/or Company Benefits.

They don't need to be concerned for their future AND at the same time have an Ingrained Work Ethic. Of course, the younger MacDonald's Generation might have a different view and we'll see in years to come if that is so.

Michael Ross