Diamonds are bullshit

Drowned Out

True...and the judgement is almost always fluid; it changes as the judge's position in life changes. Because we pretty much all want more. A broke person will criticize people for nice cars. Once they can afford a nice car, they buy one and start judging people for their lavish homes...until they can afford one. Not always - some people live simple lives despite their ability to do otherwise....but not many.
I was chastised for this by a friend on this board years ago after I called BMW drivers douches, and her criticism of my judgement kinda stuck. Now....hell, I wouldn't mind a BMW if I thought it worked in my budget (it doesn't, I bought a nissan a couple years ago ). It's all relative. Unless you give the majority of your money to charity and live a very simple life, you probably shouldn't judge how others spend their money. Express your opinion of why you don't think it's a prudent purchase, fine...but remember where you're coming from when you express it.

HughFreakingDillon

Drowned Out said:

True...and the judgement is almost always fluid; it changes as the judge's position in life changes. Because we pretty much all want more. A broke person will criticize people for nice cars. Once they can afford a nice car, they buy one and start judging people for their lavish homes...until they can afford one. Not always - some people live simple lives despite their ability to do otherwise....but not many.
I was chastised for this by a friend on this board years ago after I called BMW drivers douches, and her criticism of my judgement kinda stuck. Now....hell, I wouldn't mind a BMW if I thought it worked in my budget (it doesn't, I bought a nissan a couple years ago ). It's all relative. Unless you give the majority of your money to charity and live a very simple life, you probably shouldn't judge how others spend their money. Express your opinion of why you don't think it's a prudent purchase, fine...but remember where you're coming from when you express it.

excellent post, and exactly how I try to go about it as well.

callen

Giving your partner a lavish present to demonstrate your love and commitment is ingrained human behavior and get why women want it. So cool with diamonds and tradition.

As to pain diamonds may cause in mining another story.

Last-12-Exit

I don't know if my post is being judgmental of how others spend their money. My point was that I think it's ridiculous that diamonds hold value. Who decided that these things should be valuable?

Smellyman

And my point, is not just diamonds, but the accumaltion of shit people buy is unnecessary and more importnantly worse for the earth.

HughFreakingDillon

Last-12-Exit said:

I don't know if my post is being judgmental of how others spend their money. My point was that I think it's ridiculous that diamonds hold value. Who decided that these things should be valuable?

I wasn't referencing your take on it.

and in the OP, it states/claims that DeBeers/the industry itself decided how valuable they are.

PJ_Soul

Last-12-Exit said:

I don't know if my post is being judgmental of how others spend their money. My point was that I think it's ridiculous that diamonds hold value. Who decided that these things should be valuable?

The same people who decided that gold has value I guess? It's simply based on desirability combined with rarity. Human beings like shiny sparkly things. Apparently it's rooted in instinct. Something about an evolutionary holdover from the early days when humans connected the glimmer of water with need or some shit like that. Something I read somewhere.

PJ_Soul

HughFreakingDillon said:

Last-12-Exit said:

I don't know if my post is being judgmental of how others spend their money. My point was that I think it's ridiculous that diamonds hold value. Who decided that these things should be valuable?

I wasn't referencing your take on it.

and in the OP, it states/claims that DeBeers/the industry itself decided how valuable they are.

Well not really. It's the consumer who ultimately decides. They are worth the maximum amount that the market will tolerate, no?

chadwick

i did end up giving my gal a few things when we got married:

a used tire
a unopened bag of lay's potato chips
one package of bubble gum
& a scotch tape desk top dispenser

she's very happy & very lucky to say the least

HughFreakingDillon

PJ_Soul said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Last-12-Exit said:

I don't know if my post is being judgmental of how others spend their money. My point was that I think it's ridiculous that diamonds hold value. Who decided that these things should be valuable?

I wasn't referencing your take on it.

and in the OP, it states/claims that DeBeers/the industry itself decided how valuable they are.

Well not really. It's the consumer who ultimately decides. They are worth the maximum amount that the market will tolerate, no?

yeah, I suppose my statement was incomplete. what I meant was, in the OP it states that the industry manipulates the supply of its own product in order to create the illusion that diamonds are rare, thusly increasing consumer demand, which drives up the price and perceived value.

brianlux

Smellyman said:

And my point, is not just diamonds, but the accumaltion of shit people buy is unnecessary and more importnantly worse for the earth.

My thought, exactly.