Gold Fever

[Clayton_n]

Have you ever had Gold Fever? Now this isn't just about gold per se. Any shiny valuable rock will do. Silver. Gemstones. Oil. Titanium.

Basically the idea is that you start feeling the desire for it. The want. You'd sacrifice anything to have it.

[.:neuko:.]

Apart from protecting AV cable connectors from degradation, I find gold to be mostly and practically useless. Also I don't find the colour to be all that appealing--truth be told, I find it rather sickly to look at.

Then again, maybe it's not gold that I have a problem with per se; rather, it's people's attitude to it: the idea that gold is used as an instrument of social status; to distinguish the rich from the poor; to get one over the Jones's next door. All these things and more makes me wish gold (among other rare natural resources) never existed--not to mention it conjures up many unpleasant images of history in which countries have illegitimately invaded others for their huge gold reserves--a practice that still continues to this day, and the very reason why some of my ancestors were robbed of their livelihood. So forgive me if I don't get a "boner" over the sight or mere mention of gold.

[darksky967]

do I sense irony in the gold bar being the image indicating "I hate it"?

[Clayton_n]

So you wouldn't care if there was a huge pile of gold in front of you unclaimed? Or if you had a map leading to it?


Or diamonds, rubies, silver, or whatever.







Come and get me!
Come and get me!
Come and get me!
Come and get me!

[.:neuko:.]

So you wouldn't care if there was a huge pile of gold in front of you unclaimed? Or if you had a map leading to it?


Or diamonds, rubies, silver, or whatever.







Come and get me!
Come and get me!
Come and get me!
Come and get me!

Well, yeah--'course I would! But only as a means to an end: because they are plenty of rich muppets in the world who'd be dumb enough to buy such a useless pile of urine-coloured paperweights off me once I sell it, and then I'd buy something I really want.

[Eris]

It's a good conductor and it doesn't rust. Pretty nice qualities, as far as metals go.

[Ominous Flare]

Gold is valuable. Things of value bring money. Money is useful for purchasing things I want. Therefore, gold is useful and I would not disregard its existence if the circumstances are suitable. Will I sacrifice anything just to receive a piece of gold? Nonsense. There are other means to earning money that doesn't involve the absolute compromise of something precious to me, and 'anything' indicates that 'something precious,' whatever it is, is part of that 'anything.'

[Chris]

Well, yeah--'course I would! But only as a means to an end: because they are plenty of rich muppets in the world who'd be dumb enough to buy such a useless pile of urine-coloured paperweights off me once I sell it, and then I'd buy something I really want.

Ask a rich person “Why do you need money?” He would probably answer something like: “to buy things I really want; to maintain my current style of life; to ensure that my children and grandsons will be able to maintain this style of life. I don’t understand these poor and middle-class people. I would rather die than live like that.”

It’s a self-deception. The truth is that it’s all about Mr. Jones next door.

“You might think of this left-hemisphere interpreter as analogous to the public relations department of a government. Its role is to tell stories, both to the self and to others, designed to make sense of the seemingly contradictory and irrational things that the person does.” Peter O.Gray - Psychology 5th ed. p.162.

[Clayton_n]

But won't said rich person have many things made of gold?

[safeguard]

I don't want to commit to some rock or mineral, not when there's shiny/sparkly/frosty nail polish that I can change whenever I please!

[Space Cowboy 2112]

Gold is precious to us because it is beautiful and rare. I wear three pieces of gold on my face and I love them. Gold is something that helped to unite humankind from the beginning. However, wherever there are large quantities of gold there are thieves and tyrannies. It is interesting that we cherish something so thoroughly because of the way it looks and not so much because of the practical value, although there is plenty.

[Clayton_n]

I don't want to commit to some rock or mineral, not when there's shiny/sparkly/frosty nail polish that I can change whenever I please!

Does the word "Alchemy" mean anything to you?