Deep in the territory that is called South Africa, teenagers and young adults have a peculiar way to express their wealthy status. They like to organize large dance offs between rival groups where the side who has the most expensive and lavish things to destroy wins. Smashing brand new cell phones on any available surface is encouraged; dumping premium alcohol on the ground is something that should be done; and burning money is most definitely the cool thing to do. They like to walk around in their fancy designer clothing that could rival any celebrity on any tabloid and destroy stuff that they spent a pretty penny on. These people call themselves the Izikhothane. The extravagant, wasteful lifestyle of the Izikhothane people completely ignores …show more content…
Members of this society base their success on what kind of clothes they wear, what kind of houses they inhabit, and what kind of car they drive. It does not matter if they are thousands of dollars in the hole; it only matters that they own super nice things and are able to flaunt them. How they got to such a place is irrelevant to the people cheering the person on for his or her success. Ben Franklin would not approve of success coming at the expensive of debt because debt is a cardinal sin in his book (240). Also, he would see their dance parties/battles as wasteful because they are using up valuable time on things that are not productive (237). He would deem the winner, which is determined by whomever has the most expensive things present, as a loser because of what he or she did to obtain that title. To him, such practices are destructive, and this concept is backed up by the man, who was a member of the Izikothane, that supposedly committed suicide over his inability to keep up with the lifestyle anymore ("IZIKHOTHANE LIFESTYLE IN 3D"). The guy could no longer maintain the same spending limits of his friends and everyone else, and instead of leaving, he chose to end his life. Ben Franklin would not support what these people consider to be success because what they do to achieve it and maintain it is based off of none of his foundational
Drawing from the eudaimonic view and from SDT, Kasser & Ryan (1993, 1996) related money and materialism to well-being. They predicted that people who place a strong value on wealth...
Andrew carneige was a poor scottish immigrant who came to America at a young age. During the nineteenth century Carnegie helped build America's steel company. Which help a poor scottish immigrant turn into the riches man of america. Growing up being poor Carneige understood the struggle of making ends meet and it influenced his viewpoints on wealth in America. Retiring at the age of sixty-six Carneige had a lot of wealth , he decided he would become a philanthropist, someone who gave away money for good causes. In contrast, there was William Sumner who had a different take on the wealth and classes of America. Sumner grew up in America , on the East Coast and he saw things different than Andrew Carnegie. Sumner believed that the rich had
In Alexander Kern’s “Emerson and Economics,” Kern draws attention to the economical aspects found in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s texts. Specifically, Kern discusses the lack of attention that Emerson’s economical notions receive. Emerson is not associated with being an economist writer, but Kern draws attention to how “he so frequently touched the subject than an understanding of his economic ideas is a prerequisite to the evaluation of his entire thought on any relative or absolute scale” (Kern 678). Kern’s theory that readers must extract the economics out of Emerson in order to comprehend his texts is extremely useful because it sheds insight on the difficult problem of viewing Emerson as an economist, yet he views Emerson as a moral philosopher because of the author’s views towards society. Alexander Kern’s call to view Emerson as an economist is yet to be answered. Moreover, it is crucial to evaluate Emerson as an economist in order to analyze his texts differently. Consequently, using economics to evaluate Emerson’s “Self Reliance” in a new way will show it is meant to be a call for social reformation. More specifically, by considering the economic panic of 1837 and its effects on Emerson’s views towards society, a new way to interpret “Self Reliance” is achieved.
Benjamin Franklin says, “… under thirteen names of virtues all that at that time occurr'd to me as necessary or desirable, and annexed to each a short precept, which fully express'd the extent I gave to its meaning.”1However, the annexed perception, though he might believe his intentions were clear and full, may be elaborated on; He does so throughout his book. Also, some of the values Benjamin Franklin mentions in his autobiography could be seen in another one of his books, The Way to Wealth. Although The Way to Wealth is more financially oriented, the lessons learned there could be applied to daily life. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and The Way to Wealth both believe that frugality is an important virtue.
The Millionaire Next Door written by William Danko and Thomas J. Stanley illustrates the misconception of high luxury spenders in wealthy neighborhoods are considered wealthy. This clarifies that American’s who drive expensive cars, and live in lavish homes are not millionaires and financially independent. The authors show the typical millionaire are one that is frugal, and disciplined. Their cars are used, and their suits were purchased at a discount. As we read the book from cover to cover are misconceptions start to fade. The typical millionaire is very frugal in all endeavors and finds the best discounts possible. A budget is implemented daily, monthly, and annually for a typical millionaire. They live by the budget and are goal oriented. Living well below their means is crucial for a millionaire, and discovering ways to allocate time and money more efficiently. The typical millionaire next door is different than the majority of America presumes. Let’s first off mention what it is not. The typical millionaire is surprisingly not the individual with the lavish house worth a million dollars, owning multiple expensive cars, a boat, expensive clothes, and ultimately living lavishly. The individual is frugal and often looks for discounts for consumable goods. The book illustrates the typical millionaire in one simple word: frugal. It is shocking to believe that this is true, but it does make sense. To achieve financial independence is inherently more satisfying and important than accumulating wealth. According to the book the majority of these millionaires portray characteristics of being sacrificial, disciplined, persistent and frugal. In the book it states, “Being frugal is the cornerstone of wealth-building. Yet far too often th...
I have recently read Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and with ample time to analyze the passages I have come to the conclusion that even though it was written before our generation it still applies to it fully. Society today has set the laws for both moral behavior, and social behavior. The current generation, just like every one before it, has followed these laws of society like a dumb, but innocent, flock of sheep. I believe it is now time for the public to be aware of its actions. It is time for a light to be shone through the darkness of conformity, and a nation to realize its own shallowness.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was a philosopher and transcendentalist of the 19th century, composing controversial, philosophical and religious essays in order to inform people. Emerson was a strong influence on other personalities of his time, including American figures such as; “Henry Thoreau” and “Walt Whitman”. “Emerson’s father (William Emerson) influenced the good taste of Emerson’s essays due to he was a man of the church.” William died because of a stomach cancer just two weeks before Ralph Waldo fulfilled eight years old. This death leads the family to an edge of poverty and a life of limited luxuries. That’s the point when Emerson’s career began. “His mother managed so that all of her children could get accepted into Harvard University with scholarships.” There was Ralph's stop when he was only fourteen years old. In Harvard College he was an apprentice under the president of the constitution. The task was to accuse his colleagues in criminal activity letting the ‘faculty’ know. Meanwhile, Emerson began keeping a list of books he had read and started a journal in a series of notebooks that would be called ‘World Wide’. Emerson performed odd jobs to cover his school expenses, including as a waiter for the Junior Commons and occasionally working as a teacher with his uncle Samuel in Waltham, Massachusetts. He began his famous Journal, an anthology and patchwork of passages that surprised and astonished his readers with their comments, ended up reaching 182 volumes. In his senior year at Harvard, Emerson decided to take his middle name as Waldo. He attended class Poetry; as usual, and presented an original poem on Harvard's Class Day, a month before his official graduation. On August 29, 1821, when he was 18 not noted as a student he...
Wealth has both a good and a bad side. It can change the life of a person for the better or worse, and that is clearly shown in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. Wealth effects the lives of the characters of Their Eyes Were Watching God very differently than the characters of The Great Gatsby. Janie’s wealth came about, mainly, from her failed relationships. Gatsby, on the other hand, earned his wealth, despite it being through questionable means. The characters also used their wealth for different reasons. Gatsby used his wealth in hopes to win back the love of his life, and Janie’s wealth was simply an asset to her. Even though there are many differences in how the characters live, there are similar outcomes (change wording). Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Great Gatsby take place in very different places, but despite that, their relationships and happiness are similarly affected by wealth.
Henry David Thoreau born on July 27, 1817 was an American author, philosopher, poet, historian, naturalist, and leading transcendentalist. Thoreau is best known for his book, “Walden; or Life in the Woods” and also his essay “Resistance to Civil Disobedience.” He was born David Henry Thoreau, and later changed his name to Henry David after college. He was born to John Thoreau, who was a pencil maker, and Cynthia Dunbar. Thoreau’s maternal grandmother, Asa Dunbar, led 1766 student Butter Rebellion at Harvard, which was the first recorded student rebellion in the colonies. He studied at Harvard, like his grandmother, between 1833 and 1837. At Harvard he took courses in rhetoric, philosophy, science, mathematics, and classics. After graduating
A penny saved may be a penny earned, just as a penny spent may begin to better the world. Andrew Carnegie, a man known for his wealth, certainly knew the value of a dollar. His successful business ventures in the railroad industry, steel business, and in communications earned him his multimillion-dollar fortune. Much the opposite of greedy, Carnegie made sure he had what he needed to live a comfortable life, and put what remained of his fortune toward assistance for the general public and the betterment of their communities. He stressed the idea that generosity is superior to arrogance. Carnegie believes that for the wealthy to be generous to their community, rather than live an ostentatious lifestyle proves that they are truly rich in wealth and in heart. He also emphasized that money is most powerful in the hands of the earner, and not anyone else. In his retirement, Carnegie not only spent a great deal of time enriching his life by giving back; but also often wrote about business, money, and his stance on the importance of world peace. His essay “Wealth” presents what he believes are three common ways in which the wealthy typically distribute their money throughout their life and after death. Throughout his essay “Wealth”, Andrew Carnegie appeals to logos as he defines “rich” as having a great deal of wealth not only in materialistic terms, but also in leading an active philanthropic lifestyle. He solidifies this definition in his appeals to ethos and pathos with an emphasis on the rewards of philanthropy to the mind and body.
Beauty can appear in every aspect of reality. Emerson, a transcendentalist author, touches the subject of beauty in Nature. He describes how “nature cannot be surprised in undress. Beauty breaks in everywhere” (Emerson, “Nature”). Emerson is saying that nature is alway beautiful and beauty is in everything. Nature is spectacularly beautiful. Although she can be rough and unforgiving, she shows a resilient beauty in every flower and strike of lighting. By using the word “undress” he is giving nature a human-like characteristic that shows how strong her influence is in the world. Emerson’s
In the “Gospel of wealth”, Andrew Carnegie argues that it is the duty of the wealthy entrepreneur who has amassed a great fortune during their lifetime, to give back to those less fortunate. Greed and selfishness may force some readers to see these arguments as preposterous; however, greed is a key ingredient in successful competition. It forces competitors to perform at a higher level than their peers in hopes of obtaining more money and individual wealth. A capitalist society that allows this wealth to accumulate in the hands of the few might be beneficial to the human race because it could promote competition between companies; it might ensure health care for everyone no matter their social standing, and parks and recreation could be built for the enjoyment of society.
“Proper society did not think about making money, only about spending it.”, said Barbara W. Tuchman. This quote shows our real world, and the people that spend money, but they forget about the value of money. Nowadays people want more that they have. They forget how many things they have, and how much money they spend. Most people when they see other people having something better, and in that moment they want to have it also. Also, people forget how hard they got that money, but how easily and quickly they spend it. In the article “The treadmill of consumption” by Roberts, he says that people are willing to go into debt to buy certain products and brands. That is right that people can do crazy things to buy certain goods.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emerson is a firm believer of maintaining self-reliance and values rather than following the crowd. He also explains that in order to be truly successful in life, a person must make decisions and trust in his or her judgment. In today’s society, teenagers are more likely to not be self-reliant because the teens feel they will be judged for having different beliefs. People today need to realize that they should not conform to be like the rest of the world, they must not depend on the judgment and criticism of others, and people must refuse to travel somewhere in order to forget their personal problems. Through Emerson’s piece, readers are able to reflect on how people in the world today must try to be independent of others and uphold their personal opinions and philosophy.
Chapter three address the beauty of nature and the three main points on beauty. Beauty is a noble want and it pleases and restores man. Emerson says that to a man “natural forms are a delight” (945). Beauty is necessary for survival but it is extremely useful and helpful. Emerson believes that natural beauty has restorative properties, in that man is reinvigorated by the sight of beauty. He also believes that beauty shows spiritual elements. Only the virtuous can receive the benefits of beauty only when they are pure and do good deeds. Emerson lastly believes that natural beauty has intellectual properties. Natural beauty is shown in thought and action upon those thoughts. Emerson gives his view on nature and beauty. He presents his position well but it is slightly flawed. Emerson is inconsistent and at times seems to contradict himself. Although there are inconsistencies and contradictions, Nature is a great work of American