Current Events > Why do people want "life lessons" to be taught in HS?

(+) Yeah! (+)

People dont care to learn in high school....its high school!

The rationale is some say they need to need personal finance and life skills in HS, but nobody remembers anything

I had to take a language for 3 years and I cant speak a word of Spanish. Same with history and govt. I had to take those classes but I dont know Anything, some we barely did work lol

High school is a waste imo

Math was useless, science was, English were, ss were...
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Aside from Algebra, Middle School is a waste too.
Elementary seems to be the only one worth anything
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HS is great when you want good scholarships.
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Veggeta X posted...

HS is great when you want good scholarships.

Yeah but I cant get the ones you are born into. The ones with effort I cant get because they take effort lol
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That's probably the only reason why you should do well in HS.
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most people I know remember things from high school. not the details, but they know the broad ideas
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Turbam posted...

Aside from Algebra, Middle School is a waste too.
Elementary seems to be the only one worth anything

This was the opposite for me... the higher the grade level, the more useful it was. Kindergarten was by far the biggest waste of time of my life, and I actually did learn a lot in HS.

Also, TC is a moron if he thinks math, English, and science are useless. The US has now fallen behind Poland in terms of average scores in these areas, by the way, even though we still have over 4x the median income. The idea that people think that American students need to learn even less of that stuff is terrifying.

The real problem with American schools is that the standards are too low.
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What I don't get is people complaining about school not teaching you to balance a checkbook or how to file taxes. Like, balancing a checkbook isn't necessary in today's world but if you do want to do it, you're literally just adding and subtracting. And taxes tell you how to file them as you go along, unless you have specific situations in which case you want an accountant with you

K-12 education is about teaching you to think critically. I know we all joke about how there's a load of dummies out there, but we're way better off than we were before public education was a thing.
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Veggeta X posted...

That's probably the only reason why you should do well in HS.

True, but no one in class cares. We have kids partying in class, rapping etc. our teacher says all the time how we need to at least achieve getting into community college. Two girls in classes are currently pregnant lol
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Sativa_Rose posted...

Turbam posted...

Aside from Algebra, Middle School is a waste too.
Elementary seems to be the only one worth anything

This was the opposite for me... the higher the grade level, the more useful it was. Kindergarten was by far the biggest waste of time of my life, and I actually did learn a lot in HS.

Also, TC is a moron if he thinks math, English, and science are useless. The US has now fallen behind Poland in terms of average scores in these areas, by the way, even though we still have over 4x the median income. The idea that people think that American students need to learn even less of that stuff is terrifying.

The real problem with American schools is that the standards are too low.

Algebra and geometry? Useless

Biology and chemistry? Useless

Earth science? What?

English? Reading boring novels? Vocal words no one uses.

Dont get me started on history. Old wars, and foreign countries? Government?
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knuxnole posted...

Sativa_Rose posted...

Turbam posted...

Aside from Algebra, Middle School is a waste too.
Elementary seems to be the only one worth anything

This was the opposite for me... the higher the grade level, the more useful it was. Kindergarten was by far the biggest waste of time of my life, and I actually did learn a lot in HS.

Also, TC is a moron if he thinks math, English, and science are useless. The US has now fallen behind Poland in terms of average scores in these areas, by the way, even though we still have over 4x the median income. The idea that people think that American students need to learn even less of that stuff is terrifying.

The real problem with American schools is that the standards are too low.

Algebra and geometry? Useless

Biology and chemistry? Useless

Earth science? What?

English? Reading boring novels? Vocal words no one uses.

Dont get me started on history. Old wars, and foreign countries? Government?

yeah fuck all this shit, they should teach Pokemon instead
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Hinakuluiau posted...

What I don't get is people complaining about school not teaching you to balance a checkbook or how to file taxes. Like, balancing a checkbook isn't necessary in today's world but if you do want to do it, you're literally just adding and subtracting. And taxes tell you how to file them as you go along, unless you have specific situations in which case you want an accountant with you

K-12 education is about teaching you to think critically. I know we all joke about how there's a load of dummies out there, but we're way better off than we were before public education was a thing.

Public school doesnt teach me how to think critical. I just sit in class, fill out worksheets sometimes, do occasionally homework, take some tests, do some project etc
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knuxnole posted...

Public school doesnt teach me how to think critical.

I think you may be a lost cause.
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here's the only financial advice that everyone needs: dont spend more money than you have

everything else you can figure out or do on your own. idk why internet nerds always feel like managing your finances is this super unobtainable concept that has to be taught in HS, at its core it's not that complicated.
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MC_BatCommander posted...

knuxnole posted...

Sativa_Rose posted...

Turbam posted...

Aside from Algebra, Middle School is a waste too.
Elementary seems to be the only one worth anything

This was the opposite for me... the higher the grade level, the more useful it was. Kindergarten was by far the biggest waste of time of my life, and I actually did learn a lot in HS.

Also, TC is a moron if he thinks math, English, and science are useless. The US has now fallen behind Poland in terms of average scores in these areas, by the way, even though we still have over 4x the median income. The idea that people think that American students need to learn even less of that stuff is terrifying.

The real problem with American schools is that the standards are too low.

Algebra and geometry? Useless

Biology and chemistry? Useless

Earth science? What?

English? Reading boring novels? Vocal words no one uses.

Dont get me started on history. Old wars, and foreign countries? Government?

yeah fuck all this shit, they should teach Pokemon instead

My friends were asking about a Pokmon elective. One of my friends whos a teacher in his 30s wants to teach a Pokmon battling class. He has lesson plans and everything haha
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Sativa_Rose posted...

knuxnole posted...

Public school doesnt teach me how to think critical.

I think you may be a lost cause.

Im just saying its true :)
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prince_leo posted...

most people I know remember things from high school. not the details, but they know the broad ideas

This.

And the people that don't tend to remember the stuff from high school tend to be the dregs of society, so they aren't exactly shining examples to use to prove "high school isn't important." From my perspective, those are shining examples to use to prove why paying attention in high school is important.

Romulox28 posted...

here's the only financial advice that everyone needs: dont spend more money than you have

everything else you can figure out or do on your own. idk why internet nerds always feel like managing your finances is this super unobtainable concept that has to be taught in HS, at its core it's not that complicated.

I generally agree with this. You're given all of the tools you need to, for example, do your taxes in high school. I don't think people really think about how their hypothetical "do my finances" class would even be structured. They just imagine it as this nebulous thing they sit in where they have that skill at the end of it.
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knuxnole posted...

Sativa_Rose posted...

Turbam posted...

Aside from Algebra, Middle School is a waste too.
Elementary seems to be the only one worth anything

This was the opposite for me... the higher the grade level, the more useful it was. Kindergarten was by far the biggest waste of time of my life, and I actually did learn a lot in HS.

Also, TC is a moron if he thinks math, English, and science are useless. The US has now fallen behind Poland in terms of average scores in these areas, by the way, even though we still have over 4x the median income. The idea that people think that American students need to learn even less of that stuff is terrifying.

The real problem with American schools is that the standards are too low.

Algebra and geometry? Useless

Biology and chemistry? Useless

Earth science? What?

English? Reading boring novels? Vocal words no one uses.

Dont get me started on history. Old wars, and foreign countries? Government?

I hope you realize the reason they have these classes (other than to teach you) is to expose you to these ideas to help you choose your future careers.

Maybe you didn't like "reading boring novels" but some kid did and now maybe is an author or a journalist or a book critic because they were exposed to that. Earth science? Some kid was exposed to it and became a geologist or a environmental scientist because of having an interest in that stuff.

Biology, chemistry? Maybe those are useless to you, but I bet the doctor who treats you when you get sick doesn't think they are useless. And you know what probably led them to become a doctor or a pharmacist or a biomolecular engineer? Taking biology and chemistry and realizing they liked those things.

What do you do for a living, if you don't mind me asking? What made you want to do that?

I mean, Home Economics is a course in High School for some reason.

Why not have life lessons, too?
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WTGHookshot posted...

prince_leo posted...

most people I know remember things from high school. not the details, but they know the broad ideas

This.

And the people that don't tend to remember the stuff from high school tend to be the dregs of society, so they aren't exactly shining examples to use to prove "high school isn't important." From my perspective, those are shining examples to use to prove why paying attention in high school is important.

From personal experience, my friends who bitched about how high school was a waste were the ones who never took a single AP/IB class, flunked most of high school, and then got their GEDs. None of them went on to college, and they all work typical crappy unskilled labor type jobs now.
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Anteaterking posted...

Romulox28 posted...

here's the only financial advice that everyone needs: dont spend more money than you have

everything else you can figure out or do on your own. idk why internet nerds always feel like managing your finances is this super unobtainable concept that has to be taught in HS, at its core it's not that complicated.

I generally agree with this. You're given all of the tools you need to, for example, do your taxes in high school. I don't think people really think about how their hypothetical "do my finances" class would even be structured. They just imagine it as this nebulous thing they sit in where they have that skill at the end of it.

i think a lot of ppl that propose this idea dont really have any concept of how taxes/finances work because they're still teens, fully dependent on their parents, etc

it's really not rocket science. doing your taxes, for example, is not even that hard. it literally tells you exactly what to write on the form. you just have to read it.
---

Sativa_Rose posted...

Turbam posted...

Aside from Algebra, Middle School is a waste too.
Elementary seems to be the only one worth anything

This was the opposite for me... the higher the grade level, the more useful it was. Kindergarten was by far the biggest waste of time of my life, and I actually did learn a lot in HS.

Also, TC is a moron if he thinks math, English, and science are useless. The US has now fallen behind Poland in terms of average scores in these areas, by the way, even though we still have over 4x the median income. The idea that people think that American students need to learn even less of that stuff is terrifying.

The real problem with American schools is that the standards are too low.

Part of the standards being too low is schools are treated like businesses, even public schools. It's all about money. I have a friend who is a high school English teacher and he was asked by his head of department to start passing more kids or otherwise, they'd be facing budget cuts. Based on the school's standards, it was more important to have a certain pass rate or otherwise they would receive less funding from the county. And with that, it's a double-edged sword, because if they DON'T have that pass rate and get less funding, then they don't have enough funding to properly provide textbooks to all students or pay enough teachers to properly teach the subjects or any of that.

As for private schools, they are absolutely treated like businesses. When I went to university, the acceptance rate was 65%; however, more than 65% of the first year students failed out. Why? Because by accepting a lot of kids, they made money off of all those tuitions... But by the end of the first year, those kids couldn't keep up with the curriculum, weeding out the ones that shouldn't actually be there.

Romulox28 posted...

Anteaterking posted...

Romulox28 posted...

here's the only financial advice that everyone needs: dont spend more money than you have

everything else you can figure out or do on your own. idk why internet nerds always feel like managing your finances is this super unobtainable concept that has to be taught in HS, at its core it's not that complicated.

I generally agree with this. You're given all of the tools you need to, for example, do your taxes in high school. I don't think people really think about how their hypothetical "do my finances" class would even be structured. They just imagine it as this nebulous thing they sit in where they have that skill at the end of it.

i think a lot of ppl that propose this idea dont really have any concept of how taxes/finances work because they're still teens, fully dependent on their parents, etc

it's really not rocket science. doing your taxes for example, is not even that hard. it literally tells you exactly what to write on the form. you just have to read it.

There's your issue right there.

Since graduating college, I have not once needed to name what form of irony someone was using or infer tone in exactly the same way as a teacher, boss, etc.

English Lit is a waste.

We should spend that time--hell, half that time, a quarter of that time if you must--learning important stuff like how to write an email, how to invest, etc.
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Sativa_Rose posted...

WTGHookshot posted...

prince_leo posted...

most people I know remember things from high school. not the details, but they know the broad ideas

This.

And the people that don't tend to remember the stuff from high school tend to be the dregs of society, so they aren't exactly shining examples to use to prove "high school isn't important." From my perspective, those are shining examples to use to prove why paying attention in high school is important.

From personal experience, my friends who bitched about how high school was a waste were the ones who never took a single AP/IB class, flunked most of high school, and then got their GEDs. None of them went on to college, and they all work typical crappy unskilled labor type jobs now.

For the most part, the same. I do have one friend who found high school a waste and has a great job as a software engineer... But the reason high school was a waste for him is he knew what he wanted to do since he was 10. He started learning programming through textbooks in his spare time at age 12. So, high school didn't expose him to anything that he wasn't already exposing himself to. But for, say, one of my other friends who is an accountant now... He didn't know he wanted to be an accountant until partway into college. And he came to that conclusion because of his interest in math from high school.

WTGHookshot posted...

prince_leo posted...

most people I know remember things from high school. not the details, but they know the broad ideas

This.

And the people that don't tend to remember the stuff from high school tend to be the dregs of society, so they aren't exactly shining examples to use to prove "high school isn't important." From my perspective, those are shining examples to use to prove why paying attention in high school is important.

I seriously cant remember ONE thing Ive learned in high school. At all. High school was where you joke with friends, play video games, play pranks, and mess around. Most of my classes, the kids didnt just sit there and listen. I cant remember anything useful in school like ever
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Romulox28 posted...

Anteaterking posted...

Romulox28 posted...

here's the only financial advice that everyone needs: dont spend more money than you have

everything else you can figure out or do on your own. idk why internet nerds always feel like managing your finances is this super unobtainable concept that has to be taught in HS, at its core it's not that complicated.

I generally agree with this. You're given all of the tools you need to, for example, do your taxes in high school. I don't think people really think about how their hypothetical "do my finances" class would even be structured. They just imagine it as this nebulous thing they sit in where they have that skill at the end of it.

i think a lot of ppl that propose this idea dont really have any concept of how taxes/finances work because they're still teens, fully dependent on their parents, etc

it's really not rocket science. doing your taxes, for example, is not even that hard. it literally tells you exactly what to write on the form. you just have to read it.

Some of the words can be too hard and this you write the wrong number, some of my buddies did that
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Sativa_Rose posted...

WTGHookshot posted...

prince_leo posted...

most people I know remember things from high school. not the details, but they know the broad ideas

This.

And the people that don't tend to remember the stuff from high school tend to be the dregs of society, so they aren't exactly shining examples to use to prove "high school isn't important." From my perspective, those are shining examples to use to prove why paying attention in high school is important.

From personal experience, my friends who bitched about how high school was a waste were the ones who never took a single AP/IB class, flunked most of high school, and then got their GEDs. None of them went on to college, and they all work typical crappy unskilled labor type jobs now.

Yeah I never took AP those were for those smart kids or the Asians/Indians. I was in all the regular classes.
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WTGHookshot posted...

knuxnole posted...

Sativa_Rose posted...

Turbam posted...

Aside from Algebra, Middle School is a waste too.
Elementary seems to be the only one worth anything

This was the opposite for me... the higher the grade level, the more useful it was. Kindergarten was by far the biggest waste of time of my life, and I actually did learn a lot in HS.

Also, TC is a moron if he thinks math, English, and science are useless. The US has now fallen behind Poland in terms of average scores in these areas, by the way, even though we still have over 4x the median income. The idea that people think that American students need to learn even less of that stuff is terrifying.

The real problem with American schools is that the standards are too low.

Algebra and geometry? Useless

Biology and chemistry? Useless

Earth science? What?

English? Reading boring novels? Vocal words no one uses.

Dont get me started on history. Old wars, and foreign countries? Government?

I hope you realize the reason they have these classes (other than to teach you) is to expose you to these ideas to help you choose your future careers.

Maybe you didn't like "reading boring novels" but some kid did and now maybe is an author or a journalist or a book critic because they were exposed to that. Earth science? Some kid was exposed to it and became a geologist or a environmental scientist because of having an interest in that stuff.

Biology, chemistry? Maybe those are useless to you, but I bet the doctor who treats you when you get sick doesn't think they are useless. And you know what probably led them to become a doctor or a pharmacist or a biomolecular engineer? Taking biology and chemistry and realizing they liked those things.

What do you do for a living, if you don't mind me asking? What made you want to do that?

I work at a video game store because I like video games!
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DevsBro posted...

Since graduating college, I have not once needed to name what form of irony someone was using or infer tone in exactly the same way as a teacher, boss, etc.

English Lit is a waste.

We should spend that time--hell, half that time, a quarter of that time if you must--learning important stuff like how to write an email, how to invest, etc.

See, the thing is YOU don't need to name what form of irony someone was using, but maybe one of the other kids in you English Lit class does need to know that today for their career.

High school is all about teaching broad spectrums to expose people to what's possible in their future. Maybe someone decided on their career based upon their interest that a particular class brought them. And yes, classes matter in that sense compared to real life. For instance, my sister wanted to be a nurse because she liked the field and being with people and healing them. However, when she went to college, there was a lot of biology, chemistry, and other sciences... and she hated science. But she did remember liking math, which led her into a career in business technology.

But I do agree: they should devote some time to at least some life skills like writing emails, interviewing, writing resumes, home ownership, general rights, etc.

But those kids were destined. If they were nerdy enough to care they would need it. Most people arent nerds though
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WTGHookshot posted...

See, the thing is YOU don't need to name what form of irony someone was using, but maybe one of the other kids in you English Lit class does need to know that today for their career.

High school is all about teaching broad spectrums to expose people to what's possible in their future.

That's exactly what I'm saying. Everyone needs to know how to add, read, etc. And everyone needs to know how to invest. But investment is left out for the sake of all this crap that most people aren't ever going to use or care about. What was George Washington's dog's name? What's the indefinite integral of (e^x)sin x?

English lit just happens to be the BSest of all this stuff is why I picked on it.
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knuxnole posted...

WTGHookshot posted...

prince_leo posted...

most people I know remember things from high school. not the details, but they know the broad ideas

This.

And the people that don't tend to remember the stuff from high school tend to be the dregs of society, so they aren't exactly shining examples to use to prove "high school isn't important." From my perspective, those are shining examples to use to prove why paying attention in high school is important.

I seriously cant remember ONE thing Ive learned in high school. At all. High school was where you joke with friends, play video games, play pranks, and mess around. Most of my classes, the kids didnt just sit there and listen. I cant remember anything useful in school like ever

And that's why I asked: what do you do for a living? What do those other kids now do for a living?

I've personally always seen school as mostly a daycare center to keep kids out of the way, & indoctrinate them to the corporate work structure, while their parents are working. Most of what you learn there will never be relevant to your actual life; it's the reality that allows the show "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" to function. The only truly important things you'll ever learn from school are math, reading & writing; everything else is just fluff, & even the useful stuff most certainly doesn't need 5 days a week at 8 hours each, for 12 years.
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DevsBro posted...

WTGHookshot posted...

See, the thing is YOU don't need to name what form of irony someone was using, but maybe one of the other kids in you English Lit class does need to know that today for their career.

High school is all about teaching broad spectrums to expose people to what's possible in their future.

That's exactly what I'm saying. Everyone needs to know how to add, read, etc. And everyone needs to know how to invest. But investment is left out for the sake of all this crap that most people aren't ever going to use or care about. What was George Washington's dog's name? What's the indefinite integral of (e^x)sin x?

English lit just happens to be the BSest of all this stuff is why I picked on it.

Eh, you used a bad example. Indefinite integrals are things I have to use quite a bit in my field (civil engineering), so that's not a BS thing at all. To a guide at Mt. Vernon, knowing George Washington's dog's name also isn't BS.

This is one of those "one man's trash is another man's treasure" situation. Not everyone makes investments, so even investing isn't 100% needed by everyone. That said, quite a few schools do have classes that talk about that. When I was in high school, it was mandatory to take "Participation in Government" for a semester and "Economics" for a semester which included a hefty portion about investment. The only time you didn't need to take those was if you were in the AP/IB history/math classes. I figure the reason for that was those tend to be geared at more intellectual students who would already learn or know the skills taught in those classes on their own.

Because Home Ec is something that people will actually use later. Most people aren't going to use Trig or advanced Biology on a regular basis.

Hinakuluiau posted...

What I don't get is people complaining about school not teaching you to balance a checkbook or how to file taxes. Like, balancing a checkbook isn't necessary in today's world but if you do want to do it, you're literally just adding and subtracting. And taxes tell you how to file them as you go along, unless you have specific situations in which case you want an accountant with you

when people say personal finance should be taught they mean neither of these things

WTGHookshot posted...

Not everyone makes investments

this is why personal finance should be taught.
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knuxnole posted...

I had to take a language for 3 years and I cant speak a word of Spanish. Same with history and govt. I had to take those classes but I dont know Anything, some we barely did work lol

"I'm a worthless idiot who never applied myself to anything! Therefore, nobody else does, too!"
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knuxnole posted...

But those kids were destined. If they were nerdy enough to care they would need it. Most people arent nerds though

I think you are confusing the term "nerds" for something else. The "nerds" were taking IB/AP classes, not the regular classes.

Those kids didn't become "destined" on their own. They had teachers that tried cultivating them. They had parents that tried instilling that an education is important. They had internal drive to better their situation.

Usually, the first jobs to be replaced are the jobs that don't require an education.

WTGHookshot posted...

Not everyone makes investments

Because they don't know how because we focused on this "one man's trash" stuff.

How about if it's your treasure you go study it at a university or even on your own instead of cutting education for stuff that will be beneficial for literally every human being on Earth?
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Darkman124 posted...

WTGHookshot posted...

Not everyone makes investments

this is why personal finance should be taught.

I agree personal finance should be taught, but not necessarily because not everyone makes investments. If everyone made investments and was taught how to properly make investments, then it would be a stalement in the end. The first rule of capitalism is that if you are making money, someone else is losing money.

WTGHookshot posted...

I agree personal finance should be taught, but not necessarily because not everyone makes investments. If everyone made investments and was taught how to properly make investments, then it would be a stalement in the end. The first rule of capitalism is that if you are making money, someone else is losing money.

that is not the first rule of capitalism at all
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DevsBro posted...

WTGHookshot posted...

Not everyone makes investments

Because they don't know how because we focused on this "one man's trash" stuff.

How about if it's your treasure you go study it at a university or even on your own instead of cutting education for stuff that will be beneficial for literally every human being on Earth?

How do you know it's your treasure if it's never been introduced to you, though? How do you choose to study it at university or on your own if you don't even know about it?

Also, how is investments beneficial for literally every humab being on Earth? Investments is a capitalistic venture, based on capitalism's principals. In order for someone to make money in capitalism, someone else has to lose money. I eat at a restaurant... the waiter, the cook, the owner, they have to receive money to pay them... But in order to pay them, I have to give them my money, which means I lose money. And then they go and lose money by paying for the supplies. Capitalism requires winning and losing. If we teach everyone to be a winner in investing, then we have no losers. And because capitalism is all about give and take, if we have no losers, those "winners" aren't really winning anything.

WTGHookshot posted...

Not everyone makes investments, so even investing isn't 100% needed by everyone.

It's debatable, but I'd honestly disagree with this. Most of the wealth in capitalism is tied up in corporations, & a big reason the average Joe is lost in all that is because they don't have a stake/voice in the matter; investments & stocks give you that voice, no matter how small it ultimately is. Being able to navigate business & politics would give people a much better leg up on interpreting & responding to the decisions that will inevitably affect them. If all retail & fast-food employees owned even just one share, you can bet the minimum wage discussion would be a VERY different beast against that collective.
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WTGHookshot posted...

DevsBro posted...

WTGHookshot posted...

Not everyone makes investments

Because they don't know how because we focused on this "one man's trash" stuff.

How about if it's your treasure you go study it at a university or even on your own instead of cutting education for stuff that will be beneficial for literally every human being on Earth?

How do you know it's your treasure if it's never been introduced to you, though? How do you choose to study it at university or on your own if you don't even know about it?

Also, how is investments beneficial for literally every humab being on Earth? Investments is a capitalistic venture, based on capitalism's principals. In order for someone to make money in capitalism, someone else has to lose money. I eat at a restaurant... the waiter, the cook, the owner, they have to receive money to pay them... But in order to pay them, I have to give them my money, which means I lose money. And then they go and lose money by paying for the supplies. Capitalism requires winning and losing. If we teach everyone to be a winner in investing, then we have no losers. And because capitalism is all about give and take, if we have no losers, those "winners" aren't really winning anything.

This isn't true at all. Capitalism is not a zero sum game. There is far more wealth in this world than there was 100 years ago. If what you are saying is true, then wealth creation would not happen, the total amount of wealth would be stagnant and it would just be changing hands. You are missing the critical fact that trade (like the decision to exchange money for food at a restaurant) can make everybody involved better off.
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Sativa_Rose posted...

You are missing the critical fact that trade (like the decision to exchange money for food at a restaurant) can make everybody involved better off.

This. So much this.

If the restaurant meal wasn't worth more to you than the money you paid, you wouldn't have had the meal.

Darkman124 posted...

WTGHookshot posted...

I agree personal finance should be taught, but not necessarily because not everyone makes investments. If everyone made investments and was taught how to properly make investments, then it would be a stalement in the end. The first rule of capitalism is that if you are making money, someone else is losing money.

that is not the first rule of capitalism at all

There is finite money in any system. Let's call this value A. All the money in the world has to add up to A. Even if people add more currency, all that does is devalue the currency and you still have everything add up to A. So, if A cannot change, then for you to get more money (let's call it B), then someone else, somewhere has to lose money (let's call the amount of money they have as C).

A=B+C
A does not change.
If B increases, then C has to decrease to still equal A.

Capitalism: I pay you for a good or service. If I'm paying you, I'm losing money and you are gaining money.

Please explain to me how that's not the primary focus of capitalism?

WTGHookshot posted...

Capitalism: I pay you for a good or service. If I'm paying you, I'm losing money and you are gaining money.

Please explain to me how that's not the primary focus of capitalism?

You valued the good or service more than you valued the money.
Likewise, the other guy valued the money more than the good or service.
A net positive occurred via the transaction.

Sativa_Rose posted...

WTGHookshot posted...

DevsBro posted...

WTGHookshot posted...

Not everyone makes investments

Because they don't know how because we focused on this "one man's trash" stuff.

How about if it's your treasure you go study it at a university or even on your own instead of cutting education for stuff that will be beneficial for literally every human being on Earth?

How do you know it's your treasure if it's never been introduced to you, though? How do you choose to study it at university or on your own if you don't even know about it?

Also, how is investments beneficial for literally every humab being on Earth? Investments is a capitalistic venture, based on capitalism's principals. In order for someone to make money in capitalism, someone else has to lose money. I eat at a restaurant... the waiter, the cook, the owner, they have to receive money to pay them... But in order to pay them, I have to give them my money, which means I lose money. And then they go and lose money by paying for the supplies. Capitalism requires winning and losing. If we teach everyone to be a winner in investing, then we have no losers. And because capitalism is all about give and take, if we have no losers, those "winners" aren't really winning anything.

This isn't true at all. Capitalism is not a zero sum game. There is far more wealth in this world than there was 100 years ago. If what you are saying is true, then wealth creation would not happen, the total amount of wealth would be stagnant and it would just be changing hands. You are missing the critical fact that trade (like the decision to exchange money for food at a restaurant) can make everybody involved better off.

Explain to me how wealth creation has happened then. I'd be interested to hear your take. How is there far more wealth in this world than 100 years ago?

How is it making everybody involved better off?