An interesting interview by Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) Executive Director Robert Johnson with Robert Skidelsky and his son Edward Skidelsky about their new book How Much is Enough?: Money and the Good Life (Allen Lane, London, 2012), taking up a theme of Keynes in his essay Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren (1930).
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When I made Skidelsky's point to other people, even those of relatively non-materialistic or relatively social democratic perspectives raised their eyebrows.
ReplyDeleteI said that the time and effort required to acquire wealth is so great that the mind is eventually dulled into not knowing any better hobby than the pursuit of wealth itself, citing all the famous executives who have billions in net worth by now, but still work 16-20 hours a day.
Always the same response from others, "Maybe they do so because they enjoy it?". I know they enjoy it, which was my point; those people don't know anything better to enjoy.
I would eat my words if any famous billionaire could also successfully play a musical instrument, show some significant athletic skill, speak a classical language, or quote from Dante or Shakespeare.