Well, money nerds, we’ve made it to the end of another week. With all that’s been going on in the world for the past couple of years, sometimes it’s difficult to believe that’s possible. But it is!
So, stock market crash, be damned. Crypto crash, be damned. Rising prices, be damend. Let’s look at
The effects of retirement on sense of life purpose. [Association of Psychological Science] — “Overall, our analysis demonstrates that retirement, as a crucial developmental milestone, may be some- thing to be celebrated rather than feared for many people. In particular, the findings suggest that the poli- cies to increase mandatory retirement ages may have adverse impacts on the well-being of socioeconomically vulnerable populations.”
What intentional spending actually means. [ The Fioneers] — “Intentional spending means that I know what’s most important to me, and I spend my money in alignment with my values. I’d also extend this definition to include time because we ‘pay’ our time to get money. So, being intentional also means that I could spend less money so that I can ‘pay’ less of my time to get more of it. ”
Is saving money hard? [Can I Retire Yet?] “What is the relative importance of the technical aspects (what to do and how to do it) in personal finance? What role do psychological aspects (understanding why we do things and using that knowledge to promote better behaviors) play? Where should we focus our attention?”
To close out the week, here’s something completely unrelated to money. I’ve mentioned before that if I weren’t writing about money, I’d be writing about animals — specifically, animal intelligence. You see, I believe animals lead rich emotional lives and are far more intelligent than most humans credit.
Well, here’s a a story from Hakai Magazine that asks: Can we really be friends with an octopus?
Octopuses can solve puzzles, use tools, deceive others, adapt their behavior to unfamiliar situations, communicate through pattern and posture, and, it seems, form impromptu social bonds with each other and other species. No other invertebrate demonstrates such extraordinary intelligence and behavioral flexibility. Where exactly did all this intellect come from?
Animals are amazing.
Now, if you no longer need me, I’m going to go watch a movie. Based on this Reddit thread about recent film masterpieces, I’m going to watch The Florida Project. If the trailer is any indication, I’d say that no film more suited to me (as J.D.) exists in this world. I’m eager to view it….