Hello, Apexians! J.D. here with another week of stories about money (and more).
Our first feature today might seem a little woo-woo but it’s not. It’s wu wei. (Haha. I crack myself up.) It’s a discussion of one core concept of Taoism and how it can help you to be more content with your life.
Effortless action. [Money and Meaning] — “The Taoists…believed that society was a corrupting force; that culture created ways that prevent us from acting naturally. In today’s world, achievement and consumption culture: no one would work this hard, and this anxiously, if culture didn’t tell us we had to do to be accepted. The Taoists say that it’s only by unlearning what toxic culture had taught us, can we find our relaxed, natural state of being.”
True story: I re-discovered Taoism about a year ago. It has changed my life. I call it “religion without religion”. Taoism — and wu wei — help me to not get so worked up about the world (or about my own petty problems).
Banks in disguise. [Net Interest] — “One of the best known non-bank banks is Starbucks – ‘a bank dressed up as a coffee shop’…Starbucks got into banking in 2008 when the man that developed its brand, Howard Schultz, returned for his second (of three) stints as CEO. The company had offered a gift card since 2001 but Schultz revitalized it, pairing it with a new loyalty program, Starbucks Rewards, which he launched in April 2008. By paying with a reloadable card, consumers could access perks such as free wifi and refillable coffee. In 2010, Schultz put the card on an app, expanding its reach.
How much is a memory worth? [Mike Troxell] — “Ironically, one piece of this equation of memories growing in value is because our ability to recall is quite poor. It’s related to the ‘good old days’ syndrome. We think it was better back then. We think the fish we caught was bigger than it was…As time goes on, we also tend to remember the positive things more and block out the negatives.”
Let’s wrap up the day with a video. Here’s the Answer in Progress channel on YouTube explaining why fancy candles cost so much.
That’s all I have for you today. Come back tomorrow for more!