Joseph's "Just My Thoughts"

Aristotle believed that happiness was the ultimate goal of human life. We often comfort ourselves by saying that wealth does not guarantee happiness, especially when money is tight. But is that really true? How much wealth do we actually need to feel happy? Psychologist Professor Eun-guk Seo suggests that Aristotle’s view is just a personal perspective—not a scientifically proven fact. He explains that, in nature, survival is the primary goal, and happiness is more of a tool for survival than an end in itself. So why do we work hard and strive to earn money, even in tough times? While money may not guarantee happiness, it can help us live more comfortably. In the end, economic activity is about survival—if we can’t meet our basic needs, it’s hard to enjoy happiness or convenience. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Immunity is a battle between ‘me’ and ‘not me.’ Our brains and bodies are designed to be entirely egocentric . Genes are self-interested because they ensure their own survival. If I don’t exist, then there is no one else and no love. After all, loving others is an extension of loving myself. If there ’ s a distortion or immaturity in self-love , even when loving others, it can leave a scar, and that wound leaves a scar on me again. The victim consciousness forgets this mechanism. Just as immunity is vital for physical health, it’s equally crucial in mental health or religion — the immune system against self-love must remain strong. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Maintaining even a small annual profit is advantageous in investing. Survival remains the most critical factor in business. People have sought the secret to Warren Buffett ’s success, which is the power of compounding , but they overlook the real key: he has invested consistently for 75 years without pause. You can indeed succeed in your business endeavors through sheer survival; conversely, you cannot survive solely because of your success. Survival is only achievable if you have the strength to keep going, even with minimal returns. To do this, you must do what you love. Invest in stocks you like, and continue investing even if it is volatile. Next, you need to secure a “ margin of safety .” Even a small margin ratio is crucial because a business can’t survive without margins. Frugal spending, flexible thinking , loose schedules—anything that helps during tough times—can all contribute to building a margin of safety. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Survival is true success. No matter how successful you are, you can’t grasp the fruit with your hands if you can’t survive, and survival itself results from choosing excellence —something no one can fully attain. Of course, luck also plays a role in survival. So, survival is never easy. During tough times, these words of wisdom can help: “This too shall pass.” But we also need to prepare for what to do once that “passing time” has truly gone by. When you succeed, remember, “This too shall pass.” Whether it’s good fortune or disaster, success or failure, you should see all of these as just “processes.” However, if you see them as “conclusions,” everything is wasted. These attitudes demonstrate why a peaceful mind is the most useful and humility is the most valuable asset. In front of the “process,” everything is a high-variability asset whose value shifts. Even suffering follows the same principle. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

No matter how smart you are, if you don’t exchange values , you’ll starve to death. For one thing, being self-sufficient enables survival, but self-sufficiency is only possible if you have your own assets and can borrow from others. However, even with existing assets, one can only survive through minimal labor and effort, which means engaging in productive activities . Thus, having great intelligence and applying that intelligence to productive activities are two different things. Even if you aren’t brilliant, you can survive if you are productive. It’s essential to identify the productive activities in which I excel and those where I need improvement. If I understand that, I must act without looking back. - Joseph ’s “just my thoughts”

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”

Most people study in school, yet the education system does not provide financial education . Even though it doesn’t take long for us to realize that finance is an essential element of survival, isn’t it strange that schools don’t offer financial education? Economic activity is a power game where someone wins and someone loses. One person’s loss is another’s gain, and my sacrifice is someone else’s fortune. In other words, economic activity embodies the harsh reality of deciding between discomfort and the uncertain odds of a game that determines who occupies a position, even though that position has already been predetermined. This issue is further exacerbated by the fact that people have different productive capacities and society mandates that the means of value exchange is cash (fiat currency). To survive, you must first understand how social systems function. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Compared to the era of a self-sufficient barter economy , everyone’s happiness is greater in the exchange economy , where each person divides their labor into what they do best and exchanges what they produce. This is because the division of labor is more efficient than self-sufficiency in productivity and can further reduce production costs. At this point, a means of exchange agreed upon by society is required, which is called money (currency). In other words, in the exchange economy, specialists who excel in one field are more advantageous for survival than ordinary people. An all-round player is more likely to face starvation. Therefore, a generalist is only advantageous for survival when they can organically integrate their diverse abilities in a specific field or situation, while also managing and restricting the scope of their activities and conditions. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Even though tigers are stronger than rabbits , they are concerned about extinction worldwide , while rabbits do not share that worry. A crucial requirement for human survival is social interaction . Isolating oneself from society poses a serious threat to survival. Thus, all individuals who have disconnected from society are vulnerable. Based on this premise, there is no superior gene in humans ; only the expression of genes that are suitable for specific situations is acknowledged. Therefore, the essence of human society is cooperation . In this world, we can only survive by helping one another. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

I think it’s not just that many people are living in this world; rather, their lives may come together to create this world. I believe everyone is born with their own destiny. Words express the heart, thoughts, and feelings, but spending money reflects a person’s morality. The way a person approaches and uses money embodies their faith like a religion. While money may not be faith itself, it serves as one of the most essential foundations for its external expression. Money is a fundamental element for survival and a symbol of value exchange. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

One instance where results justify motivation and process is branding. People observe successful, well-known brands and assume that they were established through elaborate planning by marketing experts from the outset. However, most thriving brands remain in existence not because of strategic planning but because they have “survived.” If your business endures, the result justifies the brand and imbues it with meaning. A brand serves as a reward for survival. It makes sense only when it survives. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Salt is a crucial ingredient we consume daily, neither from animal products nor from vegetables. The salty taste plays a major role in determining what we find delicious. When restaurant food is overly salty, customers often complain, but if it’s not salty enough, they typically remain silent and don’t revisit after their meal. Salty taste serves as a standard of flavor and is essential for life. Salt must maintain a specific concentration in our blood, known as osmolality, to support our existence. This necessity also explains why we may dislike or spit out food that is excessively salty. Essentially, our reaction to saltiness stems from an instinct for survival. Thus, it goes beyond mere pleasure; it is a critical aspect of our survival. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Geography always outmatches technology. While technology propels human civilization, it is still influenced by geopolitical conditions, climate, and the natural environment that geography shapes. For instance, a typhoon brewing far away might not immediately affect my location, but when it strikes, my home is endangered; likewise, my survival hinges on recognizing significant societal changes and technological innovations. Therefore, the purpose of exploring and learning geography through travel extends beyond mere enjoyment; it is essential for survival. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The human tongue identifies five distinct tastes. With the exception of sourness, the other tastes alert us to vital nutrients necessary for human survival. So, what is the importance of acidity? The sensation of sourness arises from the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) present in water. As the concentration of hydrogen ions rises, the pH level lowers, leading to increased acidity and a stronger sour flavor. Sourness is both the most appreciated and least favored taste among humans. We utilize the scent of decay along with the sour flavor to differentiate between edible and inedible food. When ripening occurs appropriately, it is termed “fermentation,” while excessive ripening is referred to as “rotting.” Fermentation indicates that food is safe to eat, whereas rotting signifies that it should be discarded. In essence, acidity is fundamentally tied to human survival. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

A newborn baby instinctively sucks its mother’s milk for survival, regardless of whether it learns this behavior. Chewing is also instinctual. The product that aligns with this chewing instinct is “gum.” While it involves chewing, it doesn’t equate to eating. Producing gum is a simple way to generate profit, given its common and low-cost nature. Therefore, the price of gum reflects the cost of chewing, differing from the prices of drinks and food. Since these items are consumed together, they exist in separate markets. The defining factor that separates these markets is “price.” Even if the products are similar, they operate within entirely different markets. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Virus intelligence has a level of intelligence that cannot be considered life but poses a threat to humans. Only one factor accounts for this: the “self-replication ability.” Creating a company entails a self-replicating mechanism to replace the founder or president. Even individuals with exceptional skills can amass moderate wealth, but they cannot achieve great wealth without recognizing the importance of self-replicating ability. Self-replicating ability is not merely a matter of intelligence and skill; it is about replication—specifically, the survival instinct. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”