Joseph's "Just My Thoughts"

Negativity Bias: the tendency to focus more on bad things than good ones, influenced by its survival benefits. Our language contains about 30% words expressing positive emotions, 50% expressing negative emotions, and the rest neutral. It’s probably normal to say negative things. However, even in this environment, a small number of successful people use “positive language” that they are less likely to speak. Habits are important. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Globalization is not a recent phenomenon; it began in the 1870s when international trade and investment expanded to sell mass-produced products worldwide, driven by technologies such as steam engines and electricity. The peak of globalization occurred in 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The economy advances primarily through improvements in productivity. The technological advancements mentioned have significantly influenced this productivity growth. For example, a smartphone, which combines the functionality of a computer with that of a mobile device, exemplifies technological progress that has brought convenience to mankind. However, smartphone technology and network effects haven’t contributed to the expected boost in human productivity. Technology can be categorized into those that enhance productivity and those that do not. Although today’s technology development exceeds that of the past, it doesn’t automatically lead to greater productivity. To build wealth, incre...

Every benefit comes with costs and expenses. There can be no benefit without costs and expenses. Receiving a gift actually incurs costs and expenses. Whether we give our time or spend money to maintain a relationship with the giver, we are paying in some way. Even inheriting a parent’s legacy comes at a cost and expense. Since costs are incurred before gains, it’s more advantageous to learn how to manage spending effectively rather than just earning money to build wealth. Costing the cash is called INVESTMENT. Whether it is a wasteful investment (consumption) or an investment to accumulate value, this decision is ultimately up to you. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Wings can be a problem if we don’t fly. The queen ant has wings that worker ants don’t have. A queen’s wings are only used once in her life when she flies to mate. After mating, she lands and bites off her wings. In underground life, wings are just an annoyance. We keep many things even when we don’t need them. There are also times we hold onto useless things and thoughts, even knowing they serve no purpose. That’s not smart. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The difference between living and non-living things lies in their complexity. Living beings are more complex than non-living objects. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins explains that mollusk cephalopods, such as octopuses and squids, changing their skin color in an instant is a deliberately performed life phenomenon. The intention may be for survival or warning predators. Being alive and having a life depend on this complexity. Humans are complex both physically and mentally because they are alive. To celebrate life is to embrace this complexity. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Many people in our society invest in bonds. Perhaps you, reading this article, have invested in bonds at least once and are still investing now. Bank deposits are a form of bonds, just not labeled as ‘bonds.’ When you deposit your money in a bank, the money isn’t considered bank money. Interest is paid because the money isn’t withdrawn immediately. When you withdraw your deposited money, the bank must return the principal plus interest. This is essentially a bond. However, the only reason this differs from bonds as an investment asset is that these bank deposits are not traded on the market. If bank deposits were traded publicly, the interest rate would be evaluated in comparison with other deposits, even if the principal remains unchanged. Valuation reflects opportunity cost. This is the transaction value of bonds. When goods or assets are traded in the market, their value is re-evaluated. The core of value is comparison, and the tool for valuation is opportunity cost. That’s why CEOs...