Joseph's "Just My Thoughts"

Some people live because of ‘doubt,’ others because of ‘confidence,’ and some because of ‘guess.’ Often, people make a living based on the positive factors we think of, but the opposite is also true. In fact, there are instances where positive factors threaten livelihood. Some people thrive on accuracy and certainty, while many live amid the unsettled and uncertain. The world is not always bright. There are many different ways to live and principles to follow. What do I do for a living? - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

People often say that as one gets older, time passes more quickly, while in youth, time seems to move more slowly. The reason individuals feel that time goes by more slowly when they are young is likely due to a decline in memory. As children, people have limited experience, so everything feels new, and they tend to remember new things well. Having less experience translates to fewer memories. Because there are so many new memories, children perceive time as passing slowly. However, as people age, experience accumulates, and they typically become better at predicting situations, making it easier to cope, resulting in fewer surprises. Since these experiences are not exceptional, they tend to forget them, and when reflecting on the past, there’s little to recall, creating the sensation that time flies. Among the aspects of aging, what is scarier than the decline of the senses is the deterioration of expectations. If the flavor of food becomes predictable based on accumulated experience, ...

Wealth is the state of accumulating added value. Most of us consider money a tool for accumulating value, but there are many other forms in this world. However, all other values are typically expressed as ‘price,’ which is a value compared to goods in terms of money. Therefore, a preconceived notion exists that most means of accumulating value are strictly monetary in nature. Nevertheless, various tools for accumulating value are available, such as jewelry, luxury goods, bonds, and real estate. The value of goods produced by labor is referred to as ‘price.’ Labor can only be directed toward production when the price level is slightly higher than the value of money. Hence, it is normal for prices of goods to continue rising. If they rise excessively, it leads to inflation; on the other hand, if they fall below their value, it results in deflation. There is a problem between the gaps. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Production and processing create added value. Wealth is the accumulation of this added value. Distribution shares this added value among economic entities. Cultivating coffee trees generates added value for green coffee beans, while roasting those beans adds further value to the coffee product. Grinding the beans and extracting them with water creates and consumes the added value of a cup of coffee. Finance enables the distribution of the added value generated by this production and processing through the use of money, facilitating the easy accumulation of that value. However, finance can leverage its power only because there was prior production and processing. The challenge arises when the compulsory circulation power of currency enables the ownership of labor and resources that underpin production and processing, along with real estate, which is foundational to its existence. If production, processing, and distribution are dictated by money’s compulsory circulation power, who will g...

‘Luxury’ has a moral original sin because it is impractical and creates a sense of incongruity between the relatively rich and the poor. Thus, it is true that ‘luxury’ also carries a negative image. However, the rich do purchase luxuries regularly, with a few practical exceptions. This is because luxury items not only incur less depreciation, but their resale value often exceeds the purchase price over time. Think of luxury handbags or jewelry. To preserve or increase wealth, you must have an eye for luxury. This doesn’t mean you should live in luxury; rather, it highlights the challenge of maintaining your accumulated wealth unless you change your habits and attitude toward acquiring assets. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The universe we live in is empty mainly in terms of matter density. The protons and neutrons that constitute matter are called baryons, and approximately one proton exists in a space of 19.8 square meters. However, when the universe expands rapidly, the cosmic background radiation, known as a photon, is produced, resulting in two billion more photons in a grain of light. Since this light is a microwave, which has low energy and a long wavelength, it cannot be seen by the human eye. Therefore, humans, who only perceive visible light, consider the universe and the night sky to be dark. If there were aliens capable of seeing microwaves, the universe would be shining very brightly. The truth is that nothing has changed, but if the standards shift, it’s an entirely different story. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Diving into the water without an oxygen tank is called ‘free-diving.’ It is a form of apnea diving in which divers must hold their breath for an extended period while diving deep into the water with just one breath of oxygen. The difficulty in holding the diver’s breath during this time is not due to a lack of oxygen but rather an increase in carbon dioxide concentration. In other words, if you keep your heart rate low and your metabolism slow, you produce less carbon dioxide, which allows you to dive for a longer duration. The only way to maintain a low heart rate is to remain as calm as possible. Maintaining calmness has numerous benefits in life. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The definition of ‘virtual’ in the dictionary refers to a presumed existence or subject that is treated as if it does not exist in reality. However, in contemporary usage, ‘virtual’ describes something that cannot be physically sensed by human beings. For instance, ‘virtual currency’ exists in the form of bits, as it cannot be perceived sensibly. Just because you can’t feel it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. In fact, human senses cannot detect the smallest unit of atoms that compose all things, yet that does not negate their existence. If something that does not exist but can exist as a hypothesis is called ‘virtual,’ then it exists in reality as a concept as soon as it is assumed! When something is hypothesized, the entity that is assumed originally did not exist, and the subject who made the assumption had not existed from the beginning, thus proving its existence by expressing the will of that assumption. Therefore, distinguishing between virtual and real holds no ontological signifi...

To realize added value, production activities must occur. In other words, added value arises from production activities. Production involves bringing into existence things that did not previously exist in the world. This can be accomplished by combining existing items to create new ones or by processing raw materials into new products. Production includes physical manufacturing, knowledge generation, and service creation. Wealth represents the accumulation of added value. Consequently, to become wealthy, one must be productive. However, value is determined through relative comparison. A product can only be exchanged if it can be priced, and added value can only be actualized by exchanging this product. This process is referred to as commerce. In other words, it is known as a transaction. Through trade, humanity distributes this added value. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

There are ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ things in the world, but many situations exist where actions can be seen as either right or wrong depending on the circumstances and outcomes. Often, when choosing a job, talent and aptitude play a significant role. It is commonly believed that if you have a job that aligns with your talents and aptitudes, you are more likely to achieve success or happiness. However, if you choose a job that matches your talents and aptitude, is success guaranteed, or is it truly rewarding? Conversely, it’s also possible to attain a certain level of achievement through consistent practice and effort, even if your talent isn’t as strong as others and your aptitudes aren’t quite right. The dilemma of choosing between the two stems from the regrets that linger over time and the pursuit of success. Individuals worry about whether they can satisfy their desire for success. There is a path to finding joy when aptitude fuels motivation to learn and leads to results. Nevertheless,...

Stocks represent trades that signify the future value of the present. The current price of a stock conveys insights about the company’s future. In essence, it involves the buying and selling of future potential. However, stock prices also reflect past performance. When a company announces its performance, it often includes disclosures about stock purchases and sales by major shareholders or executives. This practice has historical roots, but the public disclosure of such information now affects the stock’s current price. Time influences present value, whether it pertains to the past or the future. Ultimately, time is the most critical variable in asset valuation. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Humans have relied on horses for transportation for a long time. Horses are anatomically designed for running, are strong, and possess excellent endurance. However, the reason this horse was chosen as a means of transportation for humanity is that its back does not shake much when it runs, which is also a crucial factor. Observe a horse’s back as it runs. Regardless of how well a horse runs, for a person to ride it, there must be minimal shaking. If running well is the primary function, a smoother ride becomes a secondary consideration. However, the world often prioritizes only the primary function, overlooking the significance of these secondary functions and their roles in actualizing that primary function. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Advertising is a unique service business. When limited to the Internet, platform operators gather users and allow them to access the platform for free in exchange for viewing advertisements. In reality, users are not accessing the platform for free; instead, the advertiser pays for it. In other words, users do not fulfill any obligations regarding platform use, while the advertiser assumes those obligations and gains profit by notifying and exposing themselves to the user. The platform operator fulfills its obligation by providing the advertising medium to the advertiser, but does not guarantee the advertisement’s success and is not accountable for the outcomes of the business. Advertising represents one of the few unique transaction structures in the world that satisfies the utility of each party without necessarily attributing benefits to the counterparty meant to receive them. Such an unusual transaction structure has been rare throughout human history. Although the advertising indu...

A significant part of the business involves a productivity problem, and humanity has addressed this issue through the use of tools. During the era of industrialization, machines served as the primary tools of production, but in the information age, software has largely supplanted hardware. Additionally, smartphones have made both hardware and software more accessible. These digital tools, known as apps, are easy to duplicate and distribute; however, they only become impactful in reality when the hardware, referred to as a computer, is widely distributed. Yet, the reality remains that humanity still doesn’t fully understand the tools at its disposal. As people don’t recognize the true potential of a smartphone, don’t they simply use it only as a phone book, right? - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Initially, humans could not draw as they perceived. It was only after the discovery of perspective that they could accurately draw what they saw. Perspective was first applied to performance stages in Greece during the 5th century BC, and it was not until the 15th century that the Italian architect Brunelleschi succeeded in expressing a three-dimensional perspective on a two-dimensional plane. In the long history of humanity, the period of applying perspective is quite brief. Perspective painting represents a virtual depiction of reality. In other words, the first instance of visualizing something virtual is perspective. People speak as if the metaverse is a significant industry today, but the virtual realization through perspective began long before the digital era. Currently, it’s only visually represented digitally. Understanding the essence of this can help you mitigate risk, even as times and circumstances evolve. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Non-cash temperament assets. Words I made up. Whether you are running a business or making a living, there are situations where money cannot solve everything. Not money or knowledge, but a person’s personality, disposition, intentions, emotions, etc., often shape circumstances and results. No matter how good an idea is, if it is not put into action, it is useless. It takes will and courage to act. Such will, courage, and passion are vital temperaments for tackling areas that money cannot address, and they seem to represent a kind of asset that yields results in accounting. Sometimes, audacity is required to achieve something, along with courage that knowledge alone cannot provide. Our lives cannot be successful solely with money and expertise. Investors should be mindful of the temperament of others. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

A price starts with a ‘declaration,’ is maintained by people giving credit to it, and fluctuates with the laws of supply and demand. The starting point of the price is not determined by people’s recognition, but by my own insistence. In other words, if you cannot assert yourself, you cannot start a business, and even if you sell your labor, you cannot receive a proper salary. Value formation is not a matter of good or bad abilities, but rather about being assertive. If you are not good at asserting your own price, even if you have excellent abilities and skills, then you have to live by the values set by others. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

What if you could fulfill your transaction benefits (considerations) in various ways, including fiat money? Have you ever wondered what the consequences for your business would be if you could fulfill your benefits in ways other than cash? For instance, let’s say you are a shoe manufacturer. To make shoes, you must purchase raw materials like leather and process them into finished products known as shoes. At this time, if you can pay for raw materials with the finished shoes you made instead of fiat currency, you wouldn’t need to take out a loan with interest from the bank. However, the world’s economic system has limited the standard of value exchange to ‘cash,’ commonly referred to as fiat money. We need to understand precisely why banking is so important to entrepreneurs. This is one of the reasons the industry does not surpass finance. After all, money is among the goods whose value is determined by supply and demand. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Capitalistic thinking is not about domination by capital; it refers to financial thinking. The economy revolves around exchange. The performance of the counterparty corresponding to what I want to exchange is called ‘consideration,’ and a ‘transaction’ is the accumulation of added value by exchanging equal considerations. However, among transactions, this consideration is not relative but absolute; trading solely in one fiat currency as consideration is termed 'finance.’ When I obtain a loan, the bank lends me fiat currency (the bank’s consideration), but my obligation is to return the fiat principal plus the contracted interest. The consideration in this transaction is unidirectional, involving only one fiat currency. In contrast, when I buy shoes, the seller has an obligation to hand over the shoes to me, and I have a counterpart obligation to pay in fiat currency. Once these two considerations are exchanged, an industrial transaction occurs. However, as noted earlier, in financi...

If you’re running multiple businesses within a single business entity or a business that generates sales by connecting with different businesses, I recommend managing the accounting for each separately. For example, if a car rental company also engages in car leasing, try to maintain distinct accounts for the rental and leasing sectors. This approach increases the chances of uncovering hidden costs or mistakes in resource allocation. In business, specific attributes necessitate this separation, leading to independent costs and improved profit structures. Neglecting this reality can result in bankruptcy without fully understanding the reasons behind it. The foundation of success is to avoid failure. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”