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- Exploring the stories, memento mori, and changing the narrative
Exploring the stories, memento mori, and changing the narrative
Logan
December 26, 2024
In partnership with
Exploring the stories, memento mori, and changing the narrative
Happy Thursday! Thanks for reading Intentional Dollar — where we look at old money ideas through a new perspective.
What’s inside?
One tool to experiment with
Two quotes from others
Three questions to dig deeper
Four lines of poetry for the point
Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. These weekly posts represent my simple thoughts, a few quotes, and some questions — for educational purposes only.
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One tool to experiment with:
The Stories:
It’s December 25th, Christmas Day. The family gathering starts at 4:45, location about 30 minutes from home. Naturally, leaving at 4:15 puts you on set, right on time. On average.
You’re driving your normal speed, 5 miles over the posted limit. There’s no construction, no hassle, no rush, you’re going to arrive perfectly on time.
As you’re driving in a blissful bubble filled with Pentatonix and cheery singing, some reckless nutcracker (your words weren’t as kind), darts in front of you, cuts you off, and nearly causes a Christmas nightmare. Heart racing, face flushing, frightful words flowing. You’re ticked. How could this thoughtless grinch drive like this. What a shame.
It takes you a minute, but the adrenaline and anger fizzle out, and the ride resumes, delivering you to the destination, surprisingly early, two minutes to spare.
Contrast this with a different story.
It’s December 25th, Christmas Day. The family gathering starts at 4:45, location about 30 minutes from home. Naturally, leaving at 4:15 puts you on set, right on time. On average.
You’re driving your normal speed, 5 miles over the posted limit. There’s no construction, no hassle, no rush, you’re going to arrive perfectly on time.
Then everything changes.
Your pregnant wife glances over in a panicked state. Baby’s coming, oh no.
Without pause, you smash the gas pedal and frantically (and safely in your mind) merge over to alter course and get on the highway before it’s too late.
You speed across town and arrive at the hospital.
Just made it.
Two different events, two different stories.
And these stories we tell ourselves govern our reactions. This is the fundamental attribution error at work. In short, when it’s us on the crazy path, we have a perfectly good reason. But when someone else errors, hell freezes over.
If we knew the reason that reckless nutcracker cut us off was purely because some frantic unexpected event, we’d have a little more grace and patience. Probably even wish them safe travels and safe delivery.
Instead, we mix a little eponym called Hanlon’s razor — assuming malice instead of ignorance.
This kind of stuff happens with money too.
Have a friend that’s a miser? Maybe they grew up with the kind of poverty and lack that still gives a bone shivering chill when they think about it.
Money is a story. How we spend our money is connected to the story we tell ourselves. The outside observer has a lifetime of different experience that colors how they see our money habits, just as our experience colors how we perceive theirs.
Which version of the story are you telling yourself?
there are many versions of the story you see
Two quotes on memento mori:
Remember your death. Our time here is short, so retaining this saying helps us focus our time and dollars on the important.
“Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, and while it is in your power, be good.”
“Don’t let yourself forget how many doctors have died, after furrowing their brows over how many deathbeds. How many astrologers, after pompous forecasts about others’ ends. How many philosophers, after endless disquisitions on death and immortality. How many warriors, after inflicting thousands of casualties themselves. How many tyrants, after abusing the power of life and death atrociously, as if they were themselves immortal. How many whole cities have met their end: Helike, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and countless others.
And all the ones you know yourself, one after another. One who laid out another for burial, and was buried himself, and then the man who buried him—all in the same short space of time.
In short, know this: Human lives are brief and trivial.”
Three questions on changing the narrative:
Where am I letting negative narratives discolor my day?
How might I change this story I’m telling myself?
What if I defaulted to giving the benefit of the doubt, rather than assuming bad intent.
Which question stuck with you? Questions like these are spotlights for the mind. Reply to this email and let me know which one shined light on a previously dark cave.
Four lines of poetry for the point:
Stories color the world we see,
Perception of action, our reality.
Check the cause of this narrative strife,
Maybe fundamental attribution error knots up your life.
Contact Me:
Content ideas, questions? Reply to this email or reach out to me at [email protected]
Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. These weekly posts represent my simple thoughts, a few quotes, and some questions — for educational purposes only.
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