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sbergman
StreetBeater
Joined: Sep 12, 2007
Posts: 2445
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
July 18, 2008 - 05:38 AM |
 
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| Post subject: You're not a slut, you just have a diversified portfolio |
Everybody’s Business
Lessons in Love, by Way of Economics
By BEN STEIN
Published: NYTimes July 13, 2008
AS my fine professor of economics at Columbia, C. Lowell Harriss (who just celebrated his 96th birthday) used to tell us, economics is the study of the allocation of scarce goods and services. What could be scarcer or more precious than love? It is rare, hard to come by and often fragile.
My primary life study has been about love. Second comes economics, so here, in the form of a few rules, is a little amalgam of the two fields: the economics of love. (I last wrote about this subject 20 years or so ago, and it’s time to update it.)
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In general, and with rare exceptions, the returns in love situations are roughly proportional to the amount of time and devotion invested. The amount of love you get from an investment in love is correlated, if only roughly, to the amount of yourself you invest in the relationship.
If you invest caring, patience and unselfishness, you get those things back. (This assumes, of course, that you are having a relationship with someone who loves you, and not a one-sided love affair with someone who isn’t interested.)
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High-quality bonds consistently yield more return than junk, and so it is with high-quality love. As for the returns on bonds, I know that my comment will come as a surprise to people who have been brainwashed into thinking that junk bonds are free money. They aren’t. The data from the maven of bond research, W. Braddock Hickman, shows that junk debt outperforms high quality only in rare situations, because of the default risk.
In love, the data is even clearer. Stay with high-quality human beings. And once you find that you are in a junk relationship, sell immediately. Junk situations can look appealing and seductive, but junk is junk. Be wary of it unless you control the market.
(Or, as I like to tell college students, the absolutely surest way to ruin your life is to have a relationship with someone with many serious problems, and to think that you can change this person.)
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Research pays off. The most appealing and seductive (that word again) exterior can hide the most danger and chance of loss. For most of us, diversification in love, at least beyond a very small number, is impossible, so it’s necessary to do a lot of research on the choice you make. It is a rare man or woman who can resist the outward and the surface. But exteriors can hide far too much.
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In every long-term romantic situation, returns are greater when there is a monopoly. If you have to share your love with others, if you have to compete even after a brief while with others, forget the whole thing. You want to have monopoly bonds with your long-term lover. At least most situations work out better this way. ( I am too old to consider short-term romantic events. Those were my life when Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were in the White House.)
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The returns on your investment should at least equal the cost of the investment. If you are getting less back than you put in over a considerable period of time, back off.
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Long-term investment pays off. The impatient day player will fare poorly without inside information or market-controlling power. He or she will have a few good days but years of agony in the world of love.
To coin a phrase: Fall in love in haste, repent at leisure.
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Realistic expectations are everything. If you have unrealistic expectations, they will rarely be met. If you think that you can go from nowhere to having someone wonderful in love with you, you are probably wrong.
You need expectations that match reality before you can make some progress. There may be exceptions, but they are rare.
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When you have a winner, stick with your winner. Whether in love or in the stock market, winners are to be prized.
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Have a dog or many dogs or cats in your life. These are your anchors to windward and your unfailing source of love.
Ben Franklin summed it up well. In times of stress, the three best things to have are an old dog, an old wife and ready money. How right he was.
THERE is more that could be said about the economics of love, but these thoughts may divert you while you are thinking about your future.
And let me close with another thought. I am far from glib about the economy. It has a lot of pitfalls facing it. As workers and investors, we know that many dangers lurk in our paths.
But so far, these things have always worked themselves out and this one will, too. In the meantime, they say that falling in love is wonderful, and that the best is falling in love with what you have.
Ben Stein is a lawyer, writer, actor and economist. E-mail: ebiz@nytimes.com. |
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Magnolia
Board Biatch
Joined: June 01, 2004
Posts: 31672
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July 18, 2008 - 09:40 AM |
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sienna
Post Roaster
Joined: July 17, 2006
Posts: 4053
Location: stockholm/shanghai
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July 18, 2008 - 10:18 AM |
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hmmmmmmm i thought this was sbergman suggesting us to have a diversified portfolio of different kinds of lover in order to have as much fun as possible
i mean come on, when you create a portfolio you don't want just one of a kind product in it, you would want to diversify it as much as possible in order to reach maximum income of capital as in order to have maximum fun =)
logics by sienna |
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Shopgirls Shanghai <-- a different girly Shanghai blog |
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Cambronne
Post Roaster
Joined: Feb 23, 2008
Posts: 4217
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July 18, 2008 - 10:21 AM |
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Same as Sienna. Did not read the post, just assumed that it was about having multiple lovers. I am already sold on this idea. |
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Countless people will hate the new world order and will die protesting against it. |
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BS
Reacher
Joined: Sep 12, 2007
Posts: 238
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July 18, 2008 - 10:28 AM |
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| Cambronne wrote: |
| Same as Sienna. Did not read the post, just assumed that it was about having multiple lovers. I am already sold on this idea. |
Your wife also? |
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oh_the_darkness
Fire-eater
Joined: Apr 17, 2008
Posts: 2528
Status: Offline
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July 18, 2008 - 10:28 AM |
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Isn't this idea and what Sienna and Cambronne have just said something that is happening in Shanghai right now?
I've always said - Shanghai girls don't have boyfriends, they have business portfolios, |
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And you may ask yourself Am I right? ...am I wrong? And you may tell yourself My god!...what have I done? |
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sienna
Post Roaster
Joined: July 17, 2006
Posts: 4053
Location: stockholm/shanghai
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July 18, 2008 - 10:30 AM |
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but then I realized...............
maybe we should just go for arbitrage trading. |
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Shopgirls Shanghai <-- a different girly Shanghai blog |
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Cambronne
Post Roaster
Joined: Feb 23, 2008
Posts: 4217
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July 18, 2008 - 10:38 AM |
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ons? |
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Countless people will hate the new world order and will die protesting against it. |
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Cambronne
Post Roaster
Joined: Feb 23, 2008
Posts: 4217
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July 18, 2008 - 10:39 AM |
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Isn't this idea and what Sienna and Cambronne have just said something that is happening in Shanghai right now?
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Everywhere in the world. |
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Countless people will hate the new world order and will die protesting against it. |
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oh_the_darkness
Fire-eater
Joined: Apr 17, 2008
Posts: 2528
Status: Offline
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July 18, 2008 - 10:43 AM |
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But here it's more like conspicuous consumption. |
_________________
And you may ask yourself Am I right? ...am I wrong? And you may tell yourself My god!...what have I done? |
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sienna
Post Roaster
Joined: July 17, 2006
Posts: 4053
Location: stockholm/shanghai
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July 18, 2008 - 10:48 AM |
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^ but pablo loves it. so why even complain?
nothing wrong with it. shanghai is slutty |
_________________
Shopgirls Shanghai <-- a different girly Shanghai blog |
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Andreas
Board Legend
Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 10156
Location: s/v Waratah
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July 18, 2008 - 11:10 AM |
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Quote of the month: logics by sienna |
_________________
Time is the very substance of life; its golden minutes are the only stones we have with which to build. That spiritual building, not made with hands. |
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oh_the_darkness
Fire-eater
Joined: Apr 17, 2008
Posts: 2528
Status: Offline
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July 18, 2008 - 11:20 AM |
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| sienna wrote: |
^ but pablo loves it. so why even complain?
nothing wrong with it. shanghai is slutty |
Yeah, no money, no honey...
What are you rates, sienna?
Come over here and sit on my face for a couple of hours.
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Nathalie25
Board Legend
Joined: Aug 24, 2004
Posts: 10385
Location: Shanghai
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July 18, 2008 - 11:22 AM |
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I have read sbergman his article, I think his article just like someone driving his car in high speed way and this person he never wanna stop his car in life and this also will be dangerous if some car it always drives in high speed way without any pause in rests~~~~~~ |
_________________
功高盖主，必有祸出。人生是人类生命中内心和万般经历的真实写照。 http:/ |
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Nathalie25
Board Legend
Joined: Aug 24, 2004
Posts: 10385
Location: Shanghai
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July 18, 2008 - 11:22 AM |
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I have read sbergman his article, I think his article just like someone driving his car in high speed way and this person he never wanna stop his car in life and this also will be dangerous if some car it always drives in high speed way without any pause in rests~~~~~~ |
_________________
功高盖主，必有祸出。人生是人类生命中内心和万般经历的真实写照。 http:/ |
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sienna
Post Roaster
Joined: July 17, 2006
Posts: 4053
Location: stockholm/shanghai
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July 18, 2008 - 11:29 AM |
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| oh_the_darkness wrote: |
| sienna wrote: |
^ but pablo loves it. so why even complain?
nothing wrong with it. shanghai is slutty |
Yeah, no money, no honey...
What are you rates, sienna?
Come over here and sit on my face for a couple of hours.
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are you even cute? if no, just forget it. |
_________________
Shopgirls Shanghai <-- a different girly Shanghai blog |
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oh_the_darkness
Fire-eater
Joined: Apr 17, 2008
Posts: 2528
Status: Offline
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July 18, 2008 - 11:33 AM |
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Nathalie25
Board Legend
Joined: Aug 24, 2004
Posts: 10385
Location: Shanghai
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July 18, 2008 - 11:37 AM |
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I have read sbergman his article, I think his article just like someone driving his car in high speed way and this person he never wanna stop his car in life and this also will be dangerous if some car it always drives in high speed way without any pause in rests~~~~~~ |
_________________
功高盖主，必有祸出。人生是人类生命中内心和万般经历的真实写照。 http:/ |
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Cambronne
Post Roaster
Joined: Feb 23, 2008
Posts: 4217
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July 18, 2008 - 12:31 PM |
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Thanks for sharing Nathalie. I have added this page to my favorites. |
_________________
Countless people will hate the new world order and will die protesting against it. |
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woaihuan
StreetBeater
Joined: Dec 15, 2007
Posts: 2462
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
July 18, 2008 - 12:56 PM |
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| Quote: |
| You're not a slut, you just have a diversified portfolio |
Is just what someone will say when trying to justify their lifestyle. |
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SnappySammy
Board Buddha
Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 15136
Status: Offline
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July 19, 2008 - 10:23 AM |
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| Andreas wrote: |
| Quote of the month: logics by sienna |
That's a Oxie Moron |
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Yank My Doodle It's A Dandy |
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SnappySammy
Board Buddha
Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 15136
Status: Offline
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July 19, 2008 - 10:24 AM |
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Or maybe just a Moron |
_________________
Yank My Doodle It's A Dandy |
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beautiful_mind0905
Board Lord
Joined: June 18, 2006
Posts: 5790
Status: Offline
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July 19, 2008 - 10:27 AM |
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What does "Oxie Moron" mean? Must be a nouveau phrase coined at Columbia back in the days... |
_________________
Women are the ones who maintain the world while men throw it into disarray with their historic brutality. |
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sienna
Post Roaster
Joined: July 17, 2006
Posts: 4053
Location: stockholm/shanghai
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July 19, 2008 - 10:36 AM |
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seems to me SnappySammy is the real oxymoron
sad creature |
_________________
Shopgirls Shanghai <-- a different girly Shanghai blog |
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SnappySammy
Board Buddha
Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 15136
Status: Offline
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July 19, 2008 - 10:39 AM |
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| beautiful_mind0905 wrote: |
| What does "Oxie Moron" mean? Must be a nouveau phrase coined at Columbia back in the days... |
It means you don't get it... |
_________________
Yank My Doodle It's A Dandy |
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