Tuesday, August 12, 2008

More on Overheard

Some interesting comments on the post "Overheard About Money." I deliberately posted the quote without any editorial context, partly because I wasn't quite sure what to make of the remark myself, and partly just to see how everyone would take it.
First of all, I was interested to see that several commenters assumed the speaker was male, while several others assumed it was a female. I guess the goals of having a house, a car, and looking good were not seen as being overwhelmingly favored by one sex or another, though many people might think women are the ones who spend the most on "looking good." The car rental clerk was, in fact, a young woman.
Some people read the quote as being that of someone who is willing to work hard:

At least she is working to get the things she wants out of life instead of mooching off everyone else.
I don't think the comment is bad, in fact it can be indicative of this person's work ethic.

Other people felt it was sad that the person was so materialistic:
Working so hard just to look good? Who wants to leave behind a beautiful, young corpse?

I really do have a different philosphy. I will cut back on my lifestyle to be able to support myself while maintaining sanity and a balanced life.
Ultimately, I think most commenters felt that while they didn't agree with the person's priorities, there was something to be admired about her attitude, which was that she would work as much as she needed to in order to get the things she wanted, rather than just saying "I want this and that" without worrying about how to pay for it. If your wants are in line with your ability and willingness to pay for them, that is half the battle!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It always bothers me when people assume an entire back story with so little information.