Joseph's "Just My Thoughts"

Wealth is the state of accumulating added value. Most of us consider money a tool for accumulating value, but there are many other forms in this world. However, all other values are typically expressed as ‘price,’ which is a value compared to goods in terms of money. Therefore, a preconceived notion exists that most means of accumulating value are strictly monetary in nature. Nevertheless, various tools for accumulating value are available, such as jewelry, luxury goods, bonds, and real estate. The value of goods produced by labor is referred to as ‘price.’ Labor can only be directed toward production when the price level is slightly higher than the value of money. Hence, it is normal for prices of goods to continue rising. If they rise excessively, it leads to inflation; on the other hand, if they fall below their value, it results in deflation. There is a problem between the gaps. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Production and processing create added value. Wealth is the accumulation of this added value. Distribution shares this added value among economic entities. Cultivating coffee trees generates added value for green coffee beans, while roasting those beans adds further value to the coffee product. Grinding the beans and extracting them with water creates and consumes the added value of a cup of coffee. Finance enables the distribution of the added value generated by this production and processing through the use of money, facilitating the easy accumulation of that value. However, finance can leverage its power only because there was prior production and processing. The challenge arises when the compulsory circulation power of currency enables the ownership of labor and resources that underpin production and processing, along with real estate, which is foundational to its existence. If production, processing, and distribution are dictated by money’s compulsory circulation power, who will g...

‘Luxury’ has a moral original sin because it is impractical and creates a sense of incongruity between the relatively rich and the poor. Thus, it is true that ‘luxury’ also carries a negative image. However, the rich do purchase luxuries regularly, with a few practical exceptions. This is because luxury items not only incur less depreciation, but their resale value often exceeds the purchase price over time. Think of luxury handbags or jewelry. To preserve or increase wealth, you must have an eye for luxury. This doesn’t mean you should live in luxury; rather, it highlights the challenge of maintaining your accumulated wealth unless you change your habits and attitude toward acquiring assets. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The universe we live in is empty mainly in terms of matter density. The protons and neutrons that constitute matter are called baryons, and approximately one proton exists in a space of 19.8 square meters. However, when the universe expands rapidly, the cosmic background radiation, known as a photon, is produced, resulting in two billion more photons in a grain of light. Since this light is a microwave, which has low energy and a long wavelength, it cannot be seen by the human eye. Therefore, humans, who only perceive visible light, consider the universe and the night sky to be dark. If there were aliens capable of seeing microwaves, the universe would be shining very brightly. The truth is that nothing has changed, but if the standards shift, it’s an entirely different story. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Diving into the water without an oxygen tank is called ‘free-diving.’ It is a form of apnea diving in which divers must hold their breath for an extended period while diving deep into the water with just one breath of oxygen. The difficulty in holding the diver’s breath during this time is not due to a lack of oxygen but rather an increase in carbon dioxide concentration. In other words, if you keep your heart rate low and your metabolism slow, you produce less carbon dioxide, which allows you to dive for a longer duration. The only way to maintain a low heart rate is to remain as calm as possible. Maintaining calmness has numerous benefits in life. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The definition of ‘virtual’ in the dictionary refers to a presumed existence or subject that is treated as if it does not exist in reality. However, in contemporary usage, ‘virtual’ describes something that cannot be physically sensed by human beings. For instance, ‘virtual currency’ exists in the form of bits, as it cannot be perceived sensibly. Just because you can’t feel it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. In fact, human senses cannot detect the smallest unit of atoms that compose all things, yet that does not negate their existence. If something that does not exist but can exist as a hypothesis is called ‘virtual,’ then it exists in reality as a concept as soon as it is assumed! When something is hypothesized, the entity that is assumed originally did not exist, and the subject who made the assumption had not existed from the beginning, thus proving its existence by expressing the will of that assumption. Therefore, distinguishing between virtual and real holds no ontological signifi...

To realize added value, production activities must occur. In other words, added value arises from production activities. Production involves bringing into existence things that did not previously exist in the world. This can be accomplished by combining existing items to create new ones or by processing raw materials into new products. Production includes physical manufacturing, knowledge generation, and service creation. Wealth represents the accumulation of added value. Consequently, to become wealthy, one must be productive. However, value is determined through relative comparison. A product can only be exchanged if it can be priced, and added value can only be actualized by exchanging this product. This process is referred to as commerce. In other words, it is known as a transaction. Through trade, humanity distributes this added value. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

There are ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ things in the world, but many situations exist where actions can be seen as either right or wrong depending on the circumstances and outcomes. Often, when choosing a job, talent and aptitude play a significant role. It is commonly believed that if you have a job that aligns with your talents and aptitudes, you are more likely to achieve success or happiness. However, if you choose a job that matches your talents and aptitude, is success guaranteed, or is it truly rewarding? Conversely, it’s also possible to attain a certain level of achievement through consistent practice and effort, even if your talent isn’t as strong as others and your aptitudes aren’t quite right. The dilemma of choosing between the two stems from the regrets that linger over time and the pursuit of success. Individuals worry about whether they can satisfy their desire for success. There is a path to finding joy when aptitude fuels motivation to learn and leads to results. Nevertheless,...

Stocks represent trades that signify the future value of the present. The current price of a stock conveys insights about the company’s future. In essence, it involves the buying and selling of future potential. However, stock prices also reflect past performance. When a company announces its performance, it often includes disclosures about stock purchases and sales by major shareholders or executives. This practice has historical roots, but the public disclosure of such information now affects the stock’s current price. Time influences present value, whether it pertains to the past or the future. Ultimately, time is the most critical variable in asset valuation. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Humans have relied on horses for transportation for a long time. Horses are anatomically designed for running, are strong, and possess excellent endurance. However, the reason this horse was chosen as a means of transportation for humanity is that its back does not shake much when it runs, which is also a crucial factor. Observe a horse’s back as it runs. Regardless of how well a horse runs, for a person to ride it, there must be minimal shaking. If running well is the primary function, a smoother ride becomes a secondary consideration. However, the world often prioritizes only the primary function, overlooking the significance of these secondary functions and their roles in actualizing that primary function. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Advertising is a unique service business. When limited to the Internet, platform operators gather users and allow them to access the platform for free in exchange for viewing advertisements. In reality, users are not accessing the platform for free; instead, the advertiser pays for it. In other words, users do not fulfill any obligations regarding platform use, while the advertiser assumes those obligations and gains profit by notifying and exposing themselves to the user. The platform operator fulfills its obligation by providing the advertising medium to the advertiser, but does not guarantee the advertisement’s success and is not accountable for the outcomes of the business. Advertising represents one of the few unique transaction structures in the world that satisfies the utility of each party without necessarily attributing benefits to the counterparty meant to receive them. Such an unusual transaction structure has been rare throughout human history. Although the advertising indu...

A significant part of the business involves a productivity problem, and humanity has addressed this issue through the use of tools. During the era of industrialization, machines served as the primary tools of production, but in the information age, software has largely supplanted hardware. Additionally, smartphones have made both hardware and software more accessible. These digital tools, known as apps, are easy to duplicate and distribute; however, they only become impactful in reality when the hardware, referred to as a computer, is widely distributed. Yet, the reality remains that humanity still doesn’t fully understand the tools at its disposal. As people don’t recognize the true potential of a smartphone, don’t they simply use it only as a phone book, right? - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Initially, humans could not draw as they perceived. It was only after the discovery of perspective that they could accurately draw what they saw. Perspective was first applied to performance stages in Greece during the 5th century BC, and it was not until the 15th century that the Italian architect Brunelleschi succeeded in expressing a three-dimensional perspective on a two-dimensional plane. In the long history of humanity, the period of applying perspective is quite brief. Perspective painting represents a virtual depiction of reality. In other words, the first instance of visualizing something virtual is perspective. People speak as if the metaverse is a significant industry today, but the virtual realization through perspective began long before the digital era. Currently, it’s only visually represented digitally. Understanding the essence of this can help you mitigate risk, even as times and circumstances evolve. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Non-cash temperament assets. Words I made up. Whether you are running a business or making a living, there are situations where money cannot solve everything. Not money or knowledge, but a person’s personality, disposition, intentions, emotions, etc., often shape circumstances and results. No matter how good an idea is, if it is not put into action, it is useless. It takes will and courage to act. Such will, courage, and passion are vital temperaments for tackling areas that money cannot address, and they seem to represent a kind of asset that yields results in accounting. Sometimes, audacity is required to achieve something, along with courage that knowledge alone cannot provide. Our lives cannot be successful solely with money and expertise. Investors should be mindful of the temperament of others. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

A price starts with a ‘declaration,’ is maintained by people giving credit to it, and fluctuates with the laws of supply and demand . The starting point of the price is not determined by people’s recognition, but by my own insistence. In other words, if you cannot assert yourself, you cannot start a business, and even if you sell your labor, you cannot receive a proper salary. Value formation is not a matter of good or bad abilities, but rather about being assertive. If you are not good at asserting your own price , even if you have excellent abilities and skills, then you have to live by the values set by others. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

What if you could fulfill your transaction benefits (considerations) in various ways, including fiat money ? Have you ever wondered what the consequences for your business would be if you could fulfill your benefits in ways other than cash? For instance, let’s say you are a shoe manufacturer . To make shoes, you must purchase raw materials like leather and process them into finished products known as shoes. At this time, if you can pay for raw materials with the finished shoes you made instead of fiat currency , you wouldn’t need to take out a loan with interest from the bank. However, the world’s economic system has limited the standard of value exchange to ‘cash,’ commonly referred to as fiat money. We need to understand precisely why banking is so important to entrepreneurs. This is one of the reasons the industry does not surpass finance. After all, money is among the goods whose value is determined by supply and demand . - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Capitalistic thinking is not about domination by capital; it refers to financial thinking. The economy revolves around exchange. The performance of the counterparty corresponding to what I want to exchange is called ‘ consideration ,’ and a ‘ transaction ’ is the accumulation of added value by exchanging equal considerations. However, among transactions, this consideration is not relative but absolute; trading solely in one fiat currency as consideration is termed ‘ finance .’ When I obtain a loan, the bank lends me fiat currency (the bank’s consideration), but my obligation is to return the fiat principal plus the contracted interest . The consideration in this transaction is unidirectional, involving only one fiat currency. In contrast, when I buy shoes, the seller has an obligation to hand over the shoes to me, and I have a counterpart obligation to pay in fiat currency. Once these two considerations are exchanged, an industrial transaction occurs. However, as noted earlier, in f...

If you’re running multiple businesses within a single business entity or a business that generates sales by connecting with different businesses, I recommend managing the accounting for each separately. For example, if a car rental company also engages in car leasing, try to maintain distinct accounts for the rental and leasing sectors. This approach increases the chances of uncovering hidden costs or mistakes in resource allocation . In business, specific attributes necessitate this separation, leading to independent costs and improved profit structures . Neglecting this reality can result in bankruptcy without fully understanding the reasons behind it. The foundation of success is to avoid failure. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Don’t let a salesperson collect sales money, as it can lead to corruption . While corruption involves the human mind, the structure is more important. If a salesperson is trying to increase their salary by improving their performance, they may resort to hiding unfavorable payment terms . However, a salesperson can hardly succeed if sales and money collection are separated. Do not leave fish to cats . - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The price of a stock reflects the current valuation of a company based on its anticipated future performance. If the future looks uncertain, the current price is likely to fall; if it appears promising, it will rise. In other words, the company’s outlook on the future is mirrored in the current stock price. Investing in stocks essentially means buying and selling future values while trading at present prices. However, the reason I can’t buy the stock now is that I’m afraid its price will drop in the future. Conversely, if I cannot sell the stock when the price decreases, I struggle to do so because the loss caused by the expectation that the stock might increase, or by the missed timing for the sale, is too significant; this can overwhelm me with fear. Thus, stock prices are most readily influenced by the weight of ‘fear rather than desire.’ Even though the current stock price reflects future value, it often happens that this future value is not trusted. When we say that time is money ...

Luxury goods are valuable not only because they are well-made but also because they are scarce. The proof lies in the abundance of counterfeit luxury goods. Controlling production and supply is one of the things luxury goods brands excel at. Initially, quality and reputation create luxury goods; however, the fact that the value of these goods does not diminish but continues to rise is due to the maintenance of scarcity. While customers determine the fate of the product, producers and suppliers also influence the fate of the customer. They achieve this through their offerings. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

When a stock is bought, its fate is already decided. The next step is to wait and sell. In the meantime, there is nothing I can do. If I buy a stock and claim that I can do something with it, that means I’m committing a stock manipulation crime . Either wait patiently or don’t tolerate it; sell the stocks. That’s all we can do with stocks after purchasing them. Therefore, patience is as critical an asset as judgment . - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The better you know your identity , the better you understand what to do and what not to do. It’s essential to excel in what you must do, but avoiding what you shouldn’t do is half the battle for success. If you can’t accomplish what you need to do, start by training yourself not to engage in what you shouldn’t. If you can’t make the distinction or find yourself confused, that indicates you don’t truly understand your identity. Solving all problems begins with understanding one’s identity, whether it’s personal or business-related. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

In neuroscience , ‘ memory ’ and ‘ forgetting ’ are regarded as the same concept. ‘ Remember ’ presupposes ‘forgetting,’ and ‘remembering’ can lead to ‘forgetting.’ Memory is generally categorized into ‘ semantic memory ’ and ‘ autobiographical memory .’ We do not know when or how we learned that Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. This is referred to as semantic memory, which does not involve an attempt to remember. In contrast, autobiographical memory involves an effort to recall a fact that has been personally experienced. Both types of memory entail forgetting. Semantic memory omits the process of acquiring knowledge, while autobiographical memory strives not to forget. Studying entails the process of retaining or forgetting these two types of memory. When the distinction between them is unclear, we mistakenly presume that others have taken our thoughts and experiences. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

When someone sings, there is a range and tone that sounds good without any effort. It takes skill and effort to extend beyond that range, but having enough confidence in the fundamental range and tone is much more advantageous. It is an innate talent that will eventually be revealed effortlessly. If you stick to the basics, the craftsmanship will follow. Confidence is built on adhering to the fundamentals. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Let’s think about it this way. If you run a business and only make one transaction per day, chances are you won’t keep a record of those transactions because you can remember them. However, if there are hundreds of transactions in a year, or even in a single day, will you be able to remember all those transactions? A business makes a profit , but do you know how much you have earned or how much you’ve lost? After all, if we don’t keep the books, we can’t know the profit or loss. Those book records are called financial statements ( balance sheets ). You can do business without reading and understanding financial statements, but you’re just doing the hard-working, foolish thing without knowing the real content of the business. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The paradox of exclusivity . I can run my business alone, but I soon feel constrained by the competition. To overcome this constraint, I establish an organization and run a company, the purpose of which is to hire others to take my place. I can succeed in business only if I possess unique strengths that others cannot replicate. This is called exclusivity. However, as the business grows, I will encounter the limit of my own development, so I can surpass this limit by creating an organization to replace my exclusivity. The challenge arises that if I establish a system to replace my exclusivity, I will no longer be valuable to the organization. There exists a paradox where the transfer and reproduction of exclusivity are necessary prerequisites for development and growth, yet the original is ultimately discarded. Therefore, to avoid being sidelined within the organization, members strive for greater power. In other words, management is intertwined with politics . In HR management , this ...

Unless you are self-sufficient, you must trade your products for those of others to survive. An exchange economy was established for the efficient survival of humanity. Economic activity leads to wealth accumulation , so for wealth to exist, there must be a counterparty . This means you cannot thrive on your own. However, having many counterparties also means that some of them could compete with your business. Exchange becomes straightforward only through the establishment of a price, which acts as an indicator of competition . Trading at a high price could generate significant wealth, but competition can hinder success. In other words, I survive because of others, while my survival is also threatened by them. Business inherently involves competition. This is why any business plan must include a strategy that considers competition. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

When I take out a loan from the bank, the bank lends me money, and when I repay the loan, I owe that money back to the bank, plus interest , on the repayment date. However, when I sell my used car, a debt arises in which the buyer must pay me cash equivalent to the price of the used car, and I incur a performance debt in which I have to hand over the used car to the buyer. When these two different debts are exchanged, a transaction is completed. The goal of business is to make debt well and pay it back well over and over again. A transaction must create debt without exception, but a transaction that generates debt on only one side is an absolutely unfavorable contract for someone. That’s the essence of a loan agreement . There are good debts and bad debts depending on the type of debt I have to pay (or fulfill). If you do not make this distinction clearly, you are more likely to fall behind in the social system. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The identity of the messenger is more important than the message itself. In other words, it’s crucial to consider whether the messenger’s identity is reliable. It matters more to others that they know who I am and recognize me than how well I have built relationships and interacted with them. Identity begins with my proclamation , and credibility only emerges when others acknowledge that proclamation. If there is a significant gap between my declaration and how others perceive me, I will need to invest considerable time and money to bridge that gap. Similarly, if there is a significant discrepancy between the message I intend to convey and my declared identity, it also requires a substantial amount of time and money. Consumers are acutely aware of these differences, yet they often remain silent about them. Asking others to share their inner self-assessment is as burdensome as expecting them to reveal their true selves. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The case of solving complex problems with surprising ideas and new perspectives is exemplified by Alexander the Great ’s ‘ Gordian Knot ’ or the ‘ Egg of Columbus .’ If you have tried using the same perspective and approach but have not achieved your goal, you must tackle it from a completely different perspective and method. Nevertheless, the reason we continue to cling to our previous perspective and direction is that we focus too much on the method. If you get caught up in the method, you lose sight of your purpose. If you lose your purpose, you may end up trying the same method again. If the will is strong and misguided, it is possible to repeat this. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”