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Would you rather have a life of comfortable luxury or a life of significance

Riggo-toni

By Riggo-toni
in The Tailgate

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Riggo-toni

Riggo-toni

Posted
Posted

Okay, here's the scenario (and don't ask me how I came up with this during my lunch hour).

You can have only one of the following choices:

1. You get the winning $50m ticket for the lottery, paid out as an annuity of 2m/yr for the next 25 years. Unless you're as dumb as most NFL players, you're essentially set up for life, and won't have to work again unless you want to. You can travel, buy luxury box seats, hire premium escorts, send your children to the best schools, or whatever it is your heart desires.

 

2. You create/invent something which is appreciated for generations after you die. A painting that is as recognized and revered as Vermeer's Girl with the Pearl Earring; or a book or play that becomes a classic like Count of Monte Cristo or Dracula and keeps getting made into a new movie every generation or so; or a vaccine/cure for a major disease/illness; or a new solar cell or battery type that makes renewable energy dirt cheap and fossil fuel (as well as preceding renewable sources) completely obsolete. Whatever it is, recognition comes late, but does come and is overwhelming, but no monetary gain ever results. You will still be stuck at your job or whatever your current situation is.

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TheGoodBits

TheGoodBits

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Posted

I'd take the money. 

 

I'd rather have my kids, grandkids, great grandkids, etc well taken care of, sent to the best schools, and offered the best opportunities in their lives so they can have a greater chance of being someone of wealth and/or significance themselves.

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gbear

gbear

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As a foster parent whose wife gave up a full time nursing career so we could raise special needs children, I feel I was lucky enough to actually have this choice.  My wife and I could have been very comfortable had we chosen to be a D.I.N.K. family.  To this day even when my kids act awful and I feel terrible, I remain thankful we chose meaning over luxury. 

 

Live the game that is life on advanced mode.  The highest scores and rewards come from achievements not bank statements.

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ExoDus84

ExoDus84

Posted
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11 minutes ago, Riggo-toni said:

 You can travel, buy luxury box seats, hire premium escorts

 

Well, I was thinking about going #2, but once I read this...sold!

 

I'd go with option A. Show me the monies. I'm not really worried about having some legendary legacy. Fame and name recognition after I die is not something I'm at all concerned about. The money would allow me to live a golden life, while also setting up the next several generations of my family for financial freedom. That is a better legacy to me than the vanity of having my name remembered.

 

Besides, who wants to be a data analyst forever?

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Riggo-toni

Riggo-toni

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8 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

I'm not sure how no monetary gain can be had with the current state of royalties and patents.  Can I cheat and do 1. first then 2.?  Where's the poll?

 

No cheating. You would have signed some contract giving another company rights ie Tesla selling rights to Westinghouse, or you would have sold the painting for a few hundred bucks before it becomes revered (ie Van Gogh), or whatever. Maybe you get just enough cash at the end of life to make your golden years secure, but not luxurious.

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Renegade7

Renegade7

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2 minutes ago, Riggo-toni said:

 

No cheating. You would have signed some contract giving another company rights ie Tesla selling rights to Westinghouse, or you would have sold the painting for a few hundred bucks before it becomes revered (ie Van Gogh), or whatever. Maybe you get just enough cash at the end of life to make your golden years secure, but not luxurious.

 

Secure is fine then, I'd give most of that money away if I was rich anyway, like what Bill Gates is doing.

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elkabong82

elkabong82

Posted
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I'm literally living the 2nd option as a teacher. In my specific field there are changes to procedures/data collection I am pushing that could have a significant impact. Plus, my future career path has several options right now, each of which I have ideas in mind as well. I'm happy with this path. Sure, I'd love luxury, wouldn't turn it down, but of the two choices I'd perfer to leave my mark. 

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Popeman38

Popeman38

Posted
Posted

I choose option 1: lap of luxury.

 

Then, with the money being paid out I will create a non-profit that will create a legacy - researching congenital heart defects and how to detect them - or something of that ilk. Something that will benefit generations to come. Best of both worlds.

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skinsmarydu

skinsmarydu

Posted
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44 minutes ago, gbear said:

As a foster parent whose wife gave up a full time nursing career so we could raise special needs children, I feel I was lucky enough to actually have this choice.  My wife and I could have been very comfortable had we chosen to be a D.I.N.K. family.  To this day even my kids act awful and I feel terrible, I remain thankful we chose meaning over luxury. 

 

Live the game that is life on advanced mode.  The highest scores and rewards come from achievements not bank statements.

You have one of the biggest hearts I've ever known of, especially with your own medical challenges. 

Hail!

 

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TheMalcolmConnection

TheMalcolmConnection

Posted
Posted

I won't be able to appreciate either when I'm gone. It comes down to: is it more important that I WAS happy and that my family will be taken care of or is it more important that potentially more strangers are helped (if I were to choose the second option, I'd only choose creating a vaccine or a cure for something). 

 

All this being said, gimme' the money. I have too many places on this planet I'm concerned I'll never see. Hopefully I can do a little bit of number two along the way by paying it forward with all that cash.

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tshile

tshile

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i'm completely content with my current situation, so given those parameters i'd take option 2. not for the fame, but because i'm willing to bet whatever it is i did would just interest the hell out of me and i would find that greatly pleasing in and of itself.

 

as someone who's lived the 'can barely pay your bills/had to ask for an advance' life up to now having solid financial stability that would take either incredible stupidity or incredible bad luck/misfortune to screw up... if i had to choose between comfortable luxury (and I would define that as far less than $2mil/year)... and what is traditionally thought of as starving artist... give me the comfortable luxury. the peace of mind, the lack of worry, and the general happiness that comes with all of that is something i wouldn't trade for the world. i don't ever again want to open a bill and wonder where i'm going to get the money to pay for it. or open an overdraft notice from my bank. those feelings i got... no thanks.

 

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Riggo-toni

Riggo-toni

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An example of what epitomizes the second option:

Henri Rousseau was an untrained painter - his style is called primitive or naive. He worked as a customs clerk, and though he got his work displayed at the open Salon des Independents (the exhibitions organized by the Impressionists after they were rejected by the official Salon), his works were mocked for years until Picasso came across one at a pawn shop. He was 74 before being taken seriously as an artist, and his paintings only sold the last few years of his life. His jungle paintings (google the Sleeping Gypsy or my personal favorite The Dream) are now considered masterpieces and his work is in museums all over the world.

Another example might be the country doctor in Australia who discovered ulcers were caused by a bacteria. Billions of dollars spent every year on ulcer meds were replaced by a simple regiment of antibiotics. He got nobel prize money, but the antibiotics already existed.

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Spaceman Spiff

Spaceman Spiff

Posted
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Option A, no contest.  

 

The second option is nice but with my 2 million per year I'm sure I could make many an attempt to try to do something "significant".  Even if I don't create or do anything significant, at least I tried.  And that's kinda like the participation trophy of life.

 

 

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