it goes well beyond diamonds ... ever wonder why the cuss gold is so valuable? ... i mean when the world's "economy" is in "crisis" ... gold soars ... like what the cuss are you gonna do with gold? ... you know what's really valuable!? ... fresh water and salt ... that's what ... not gold and diamonds ... people are stupid ...
EXACTLY!!!! why would we want to go back to a gold standard?? oh yeah, cuz the rich can control the supply. a real standard would be a technology standard or an agricultural standard.
If you let yourself be pressured, it's your own fault. Just because a company wants you to buy their product, doesn't mean you have to.
But this can be said about a lot of things. Seems to me that a ton of people out there expect to go on at least 1 or 2 vacations per year. Think of the money spent there. At least you can sell the diamond later if you need to get the money back.
agree with the first one totally but i cant wrap my head around the second part there... comparing a piece of glass to a new experience, to an adventure, to meeting new people and forming memories that will never fade. by that logic there's no reason to spend the money on a PJ concert. the opposite is true in my opinion. every material object (outside of that for sustenance and moderate comfort) you purchase takes from you an experience worth having. sorry is the fool who trades his soul for a diamond, he's living a day he'll soon forget.
agree with the first one totally but i cant wrap my head around the second part there... comparing a piece of glass to a new experience, to an adventure, to meeting new people and forming memories that will never fade. by that logic there's no reason to spend the money on a PJ concert. the opposite is true in my opinion. every material object (outside of that for sustenance and moderate comfort) you purchase takes from you an experience worth having. sorry is the fool who trades his soul for a diamond, he's living a day he'll soon forget.
The point seems to be that people spend a large amount of money when it could be invested. The same could be said for vacations. And like I said, you at least have something tangible with the diamond.
I'm not knocking vacations at all or comparing the two. I'm just saying that the point of the article could be made with a lot of things we spend money on.
The only people we should try to get even with...
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
that's the key to it, what do we spend our money on, and why? that the greatest and happiest people in history have been much interested in investments (outside of investing in humanity) is a notion that will never sit with me. sorry i'm not trying to argue with you, i just feel the need to spread love of life.
no time to be void,...or save up on life,... you got to spend it all
either you wanna be with someone or you do not jewels have zero to do with who a person is women have been sold a hunk of blue gill poop, hook, line & sinker men have allowed such nonsense as both created it sad thing is, we have been dealing in jewels & the like for a long time it's a ancient cluster screw
neanderthal gave jewelery a pretty stone found in a creek laced up with deer, elk or beaver hide
sinew - dried tendon from a deer's spine is used to make string it is used to wrap flints around arrows sewing clothing, fishing line
hang a burnt diamond from a deer or caribou spine we were primitive drumming & blowing reed flutes grunting in dark forests we learned fire along the way
then a slick used car saleman rolled up we bought his line of shit & followed him into his complex shopping mall
My wife and I got engaged when we were young - 22. I spent all the money I had $400 bucks. My wife loves that ring more than anything. It's a good story to tell, Sears had a special that day.
Buy the ring and enjoy your life together. Im rebellious against some parts of society but I dont tend to focus on harmless symbols of love. Buy what you can afford and buy it with a big grin on your face.
Now if your girl is demanding a certain karat or certain price level thats a whole 'nother issue. But why deny a great person some joy and a cool thing to own and pass down by trying to make a stand? News flash. You can protest against most material things in life but theres so many better things to stand up to.
Sorta like this, but a bit more blue/green in the mix. bootlegger, I've heard of some cockamamie standard where a fella is expected to spend several months on a ring.
That's an emergency fund!
Very nice!
Several months to spend on a ring… ridiculousness!
ya ... the goal here isn't to disrupt relationships ... it's just about pointing out some social constructs that serve no purpose to some of us ... that's all ...
My wife and I got engaged when we were young - 22. I spent all the money I had $400 bucks. My wife loves that ring more than anything. It's a good story to tell, Sears had a special that day.
This is sweet. And I think there's a huge difference between the value placed on a 400-buck (or no-buck) ring vs one with size and expense prerequisites.
I am liking this thread. You guys are preaching to the choir, honestly.... I am a female but am also totally repulsed by our deep need to impress with bling and by the offensive "guidelines" of 2-3 months salary for a diamond engagement ring. Honestly I hate that stuff, completely. You guys should rebel. And I'm not offended. I wear some, but they are low-key, emerald cut... not big sparkly rocks, though if that's what people like, that's fine too. I'm just saying, blame our self-aggrandizing, endlessly posturing, keep-up-with-the-jones culture, but don't blame the diamonds... they are a mineralogical feat...formed under the most narrow and incredible range of conditions. And although there are many other pretty minerals out there (love rose quartz and labradorite too BackseatLover12), diamonds are just fucking miraculous, geologically. Though I guess maybe that's not why people want them.
So send an otherwise perfect girl packing because she wants a ring?
Makes perfect sense.
Something I get from your character is that many things are an "all or none" issue with you. The sooner you realize that everything is a grey issue, the sooner you won't be so quick on the defense all the time. Good communication in a relationship and the costs of a ring and how much you're willing to spend on one and what exactly the ring means to both of you is a good start at open communication going into marriage….
Ah the wonderful world of marketing and its success in tying a man’s commitment to a woman in direct proportions to the amount of money he spent for a totally impractical trinket. Let’s not just hate on diamonds but also birthday presents (don’t bring home a vacuum cleaner) and valentine’s day ( buy Roses not potted plant from Lowe’s for $1.99). I used to have issues with this..but now have come to the other side and relish the positive vibes and lovin that accompany non practical gifts.
Just the way it goes..humans crave validation and commitment, men and women alike.
You can fight it or communicate estimated annual income with your love interest and sure you’ll be okay.
Just be a gentleman and open her car door, pull out her chair at restaurant and she’ll likely not care if it’s a full ½ carrot or its color is “champagne” , the new trend in diamonds. ( Beautiful Girls).
I don't get why people give half a shit what people spend their money on.
If you don't like diamonds, fine. Don't buy them, but it doesn't make anyone better or worse for expressing how the feel about someone through something tangible.
As long as the diamonds come from a place where human rights aren't violated to get them, I don't give a shit who spends their money on them. Diamond engagement rings are a tradition now, not just because they're diamonds, but because the fact that the man spent a lot of money on a symbol of his commitment to a woman has meaning for the couple. That says something a bit disturbing about how people feel about commitment. But it has no effect on how I feel about bloodless diamonds. And human being are actually hardwired to be attracted to shiny things (it's evolutionary hold out related to water-seeking, FYI).
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I doubt most of us are wringing our hands over the prospect of someone else using their own money on their own choices. Me, I find it ridiculous to spend thousands of dollars on something because it's expected on either the giver's or receiver's part.
It's like weddings. You wanna blow $100K on it? Go right ahead.
I'm as entitled to shake my head at that as others are to buy the ring, throw a lavish to-do, etc.
I doubt most of us are wringing our hands over the prospect of someone else using their own money on their own choices. Me, I find it ridiculous to spend thousands of dollars on something because it's expected on either the giver's or receiver's part.
It's like weddings. You wanna blow $100K on it? Go right ahead.
I'm as entitled to shake my head at that as others are to buy the ring, throw a lavish to-do, etc.
yes ... also - it's the notion that a lot of people spend that money not really happily ... that because of some societal pressure - someone is obligated to do something he/she may not want to do ...
I doubt most of us are wringing our hands over the prospect of someone else using their own money on their own choices. Me, I find it ridiculous to spend thousands of dollars on something because it's expected on either the giver's or receiver's part.
It's like weddings. You wanna blow $100K on it? Go right ahead.
I'm as entitled to shake my head at that as others are to buy the ring, throw a lavish to-do, etc.
yes ... also - it's the notion that a lot of people spend that money not really happily ... that because of some societal pressure - someone is obligated to do something he/she may not want to do ...
I'm not sure that a sense of obligation is necessarily a bad thing....
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I doubt most of us are wringing our hands over the prospect of someone else using their own money on their own choices. Me, I find it ridiculous to spend thousands of dollars on something because it's expected on either the giver's or receiver's part.
It's like weddings. You wanna blow $100K on it? Go right ahead.
I'm as entitled to shake my head at that as others are to buy the ring, throw a lavish to-do, etc.
yes ... also - it's the notion that a lot of people spend that money not really happily ... that because of some societal pressure - someone is obligated to do something he/she may not want to do ...
I'm not sure that a sense of obligation is necessarily a bad thing....
i'm as anti-social constructs as it gets ... it probably explains why i'm single now ... :P
As long as the diamonds come from a place where human rights aren't violated to get them, I don't give a shit who spends their money on them. Diamond engagement rings are a tradition now, not just because they're diamonds, but because the fact that the man spent a lot of money on a symbol of his commitment to a woman has meaning for the couple. That says something a bit disturbing about how people feel about commitment. But it has no effect on how I feel about bloodless diamonds. And human being are actually hardwired to be attracted to shiny things (it's evolutionary hold out related to water-seeking, FYI).
I doubt most of us are wringing our hands over the prospect of someone else using their own money on their own choices. Me, I find it ridiculous to spend thousands of dollars on something because it's expected on either the giver's or receiver's part.
It's like weddings. You wanna blow $100K on it? Go right ahead.
I'm as entitled to shake my head at that as others are to buy the ring, throw a lavish to-do, etc.
yes ... also - it's the notion that a lot of people spend that money not really happily ... that because of some societal pressure - someone is obligated to do something he/she may not want to do ...
I'm not sure that a sense of obligation is necessarily a bad thing....
Absolutely not a bad thing! I spoke, gave, my vows to my sweetheart and my obligations to him (not even a sense of them - more like, this is hardass, we're together). No need or duty to display it to others via shiny shit.
I'll take a random hug, a kiss, a rub on my back in the middle of the night, those beautiful unexpected reachings-out that just melt me and make me fall for him yet again, over the tangible stuff any day
I doubt most of us are wringing our hands over the prospect of someone else using their own money on their own choices. Me, I find it ridiculous to spend thousands of dollars on something because it's expected on either the giver's or receiver's part.
It's like weddings. You wanna blow $100K on it? Go right ahead.
I'm as entitled to shake my head at that as others are to buy the ring, throw a lavish to-do, etc.
yes ... also - it's the notion that a lot of people spend that money not really happily ... that because of some societal pressure - someone is obligated to do something he/she may not want to do ...
I'm not sure that a sense of obligation is necessarily a bad thing....
i'm as anti-social constructs as it gets ... it probably explains why i'm single now ... :P
Not really. I'm single too.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I doubt most of us are wringing our hands over the prospect of someone else using their own money on their own choices. Me, I find it ridiculous to spend thousands of dollars on something because it's expected on either the giver's or receiver's part.
It's like weddings. You wanna blow $100K on it? Go right ahead.
I'm as entitled to shake my head at that as others are to buy the ring, throw a lavish to-do, etc.
yes ... also - it's the notion that a lot of people spend that money not really happily ... that because of some societal pressure - someone is obligated to do something he/she may not want to do ...
I'm not sure that a sense of obligation is necessarily a bad thing....
Absolutely not a bad thing! I spoke, gave, my vows to my sweetheart and my obligations to him (not even a sense of them - more like, this is hardass, we're together). No need or duty to display it to others via shiny shit.
I'll take a random hug, a kiss, a rub on my back in the middle of the night, those beautiful unexpected reachings-out that just melt me and make me fall for him yet again, over the tangible stuff any day
Comments
sorry is the fool who trades his soul for a diamond, he's living a day he'll soon forget.
I'm not knocking vacations at all or comparing the two. I'm just saying that the point of the article could be made with a lot of things we spend money on.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
that the greatest and happiest people in history have been much interested in investments (outside of investing in humanity) is a notion that will never sit with me. sorry i'm not trying to argue with you, i just feel the need to spread love of life.
no time to be void,...or save up on life,... you got to spend it all
Now, put that language into words that I can use to convince the girlfriend. Because if anyone can do that you'll make a fortune selling that script.
that wasn't to difficult a script
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
jewels have zero to do with who a person is
women have been sold a hunk of blue gill poop, hook, line & sinker
men have allowed such nonsense as both created it
sad thing is, we have been dealing in jewels & the like for a long time
it's a ancient cluster screw
neanderthal gave jewelery
a pretty stone found in a creek
laced up with deer, elk or beaver hide
sinew - dried tendon from a deer's spine is used to make string
it is used to wrap flints around arrows
sewing clothing, fishing line
hang a burnt diamond from a deer or caribou spine
we were primitive
drumming & blowing reed flutes
grunting in dark forests
we learned fire along the way
then a slick used car saleman rolled up
we bought his line of shit
& followed him into his complex shopping mall
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
Wind this thing up.
Makes perfect sense.
Now if your girl is demanding a certain karat or certain price level thats a whole 'nother issue. But why deny a great person some joy and a cool thing to own and pass down by trying to make a stand? News flash. You can protest against most material things in life but theres so many better things to stand up to.
Several months to spend on a ring… ridiculousness!
In the end, it's between you two - it's between any couple. Cost, carats, show-off-ability shouldn't be part of it...aren't part of it, for me.
Just the way it goes..humans crave validation and commitment, men and women alike.
You can fight it or communicate estimated annual income with your love interest and sure you’ll be okay.
Just be a gentleman and open her car door, pull out her chair at restaurant and she’ll likely not care if it’s a full ½ carrot or its color is “champagne” , the new trend in diamonds. ( Beautiful Girls).
Great film
If you don't like diamonds, fine. Don't buy them, but it doesn't make anyone better or worse for expressing how the feel about someone through something tangible.
I doubt most of us are wringing our hands over the prospect of someone else using their own money on their own choices. Me, I find it ridiculous to spend thousands of dollars on something because it's expected on either the giver's or receiver's part.
It's like weddings. You wanna blow $100K on it? Go right ahead.
I'm as entitled to shake my head at that as others are to buy the ring, throw a lavish to-do, etc.
I'll take a random hug, a kiss, a rub on my back in the middle of the night, those beautiful unexpected reachings-out that just melt me and make me fall for him yet again, over the tangible stuff any day