Think Clearly — Thinking Beyond

The Cradle Of Possibilities That Lies Beyond

There is a tradition in our family. My father gave each of us an amount of money and asked us what we were going to do with it. My younger brother bought a soft toy. I used $10 a watch to supplement a budget for a watch for a waterproof one, and saved the rest. He checked the mentation of our decision making process. I said (at that time, not aware of monetary inflation) that we should spend on tools (and list what difference the watch will make, marking the utility on a daily basis for specific tasks, including to enhance swimming skills). I said the rest are placed aside with plans, and it is always planned. It is for education because I have seen how people lost their jobs.

This practice is done to observe the resource mindset of children. It is also a cautionary warning against the dangers of myopic hedonism. The intent was right, but the carry-out was wrong. What he did wrongly was to praise me in front of my younger brother and it made him feel bad. What I realized is that he was very vulnerable, and he needed the assurance of safety. It was an indication of a crack propagating. That incident further hurt him.

When I thought about it 2 decades after the incident, I realized when time is more important than money, or rather irretrievable mortal time than…