With college prices climbing ever higher, there has been discussion about alternatives to a college education, like trade school. Do you think one is better than the other (including cost)?
Share why if you wish.
Trade School Or College?
Category: Money
For What Do You Tip?
Tipping is quite common in some places. However, some situations call for a tip, while others most specifically do not. Which ones do for you?
Share why if you wish.
Do You Have Money In The Stock Market?
As a vehicle for making money, the stock market has a good record of being very effective. Particular stocks may fail, and there have been some famous crashes costing people fortunes, but overall it has traditionally been a good investment opportunity.
Still, many individuals, particularly ones from poorer households, don’t use it at all. Do you have money in the stock market?
Share why if you wish.
Own Or Rent?
For your living arrangement, do you own or rent? Which would you prefer? What about other things in your life (car, furniture, art, etc.)?
Share why if you wish.
Own Or Rent?
Should We Try To Predict The Future?
Despite many thousands of years of practice, human beings are mostly unable to predict the future. After failure upon failure, the question arises: should we even try?
From big events to trivial ones, we humans are really inept when it comes to divining what comes next. There are some very basic things — the sun will rise tomorrow — and that’s about it. Jobs are unstable. Health issues can arise at any time. Marriages fail regularly. And of course, the farther out in the future you go, the less certain things get.
Admittedly, as our understanding of the universe grows, some predictions come easier. For example, scientists can predict with great accuracy solar and lunar eclipses.
And yet, even science has its limitations. Predicting exactly when a particular breakthrough will or will not happen is an exercise in futility. Science is, inherently, an exploration of the unknown, which means that progress is inherently unknowable.
None of this stops us from trying to predict what comes next. From taking your umbrella with you when you go out for the day, to selecting the numbers for the lottery jackpot, we can’t help but guess what will happen next.
A lot of time, effort, and money is spent regularly on prognostication. Insurance companies have armies of actuaries. Pundits get paid to sound confident in their predictions of the next election, even if they were completely wrong about the last one. Meteorologists use the latest in cutting edge technology in forecasting the weather.
Could all this time, effort, and money be put to better use? Would our lives be better without the constantly mediocre attempts to predict the future? Or is it the case that our efforts in that direction is what drives us to learn? To make new discoveries that can make our lives better in other ways?
Related questions: What is time? How much does your past determine your future? How do you plan for the future? What is your five year prediction? Ten?