Salary isn’t just ‘my money.’ It’s money that should be spent considering yourself today, your future self in 10 years, and your future self in 20 years—that is, your future self together. Therefore, my current income is always, in a way, public money. We need to get approval from our future self before spending now. A bright future is only guaranteed if the future self agrees to the spending. It’s inconvenient to spend other people’s money on your own terms, and thinking of your own money the same way you see others’ cherished money will help you develop good habits for the future. I don’t have an exclusive claim to my own money, as if there’s no such thing as my own air in this world. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Rice has been the staple crop of the East, while wheat has been the staple of the West. Rice requires more water to produce than wheat. Rice farmers had to contend with the availability of water, which favored collective farming. Wheat could be grown with less labor than rice. Rice farmers lived collectively, while wheat farmers lived individually. Collective agriculture led to the development of societies that were governed by village rules. On the other hand, individual agriculture led to cultures that valued personal freedom and respect for individuality over communal rules. Patterns of agriculture have indisputably influenced social structure and culture. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”