[omgsean]

The problem is the huge difference between what I want to do right now and where I want my present actions to lead my future. For example, I'm not going to amass wealth by playing marathon sessions of Modern Warfare 2 in my sweatpants, but damned if I don't want to do that instead of sitting down to work on my projects almost every day.

[unalone]

Ask yourself what it is about Modern Warfare 2 that you like so much. Is it the violence? The community? The adrenaline? The nostalgia you've built up for the maps you play on? (These might be way out of line. I've never played MW2.)

A lot of those things you can find elsewhere, and if you don't like the work you're doing there's a good chance you can find something that lets you do what you want and still get paid.

This isn't you I'm talking to necessarily, 'cos I've got no clue what you like and what you do, but I've got in mind a friend of mine who moans about how he envies the people working for CollegeHumor and what a dream job they've got. I'm constantly telling him, "No, you'd hate it. Filming is a pain in the ass and having to be hilarious every day is probably exhausting." So-called "dream jobs" very frequently require a certain incredible effort along with their nicer aspects. If they didn't, more people would have them.

[omgsean]

It requires very little thought or effort. It completely distracts the part of my brain that I believe is responsible for worry, stress, anxiety, etc. and it's endlessly entertaining. I like it precisely because it isn't a job. I can start when I want, I can stop when I want, and I don't have to think much while I'm doing it.

I'm a web programmer and I really do love my job, but the ultimate laziness and distraction of video games are tough to beat, even though I know that developing my career and building useful tools will give me a lot more long term satisfaction than virtual-knifing some 13 year old in Arkansas.

[ovi256]

But WHY do you want to amass wealth ? If the answer is "to be happy", it's very much the wrong answer, per TFA. If it's "to play MW2", even more obviously so. The same about "to be respected", "to have status", or similar. So ?

PS : I'm an European, US guys seem to have pretty much a stereotype about us all as being "godless communists" who need complicated reasons to work. Well, kind of.

[count]

For me, it's a simple matter of freedom. While I can be free in mind and spirit while living in poverty, I'm not free to do what I want, because virtually everything I want to do requires two major things: time and money. I want to see the world, I want to build things, etc. All of that requires time and money. With lots of money amassed (rather than making a good income), you get the freedom of time to do what you will, rather than being forced to earn more money. Does that make more sense?

[omgsean]

I want to live comfortably without having to work all the time, and my version of living comfortably involves a lot of the finer things in life.

As far as European vs. American (or in my case, Canadian) goes, one of the major differences that I'm aware of is the amount of vacation time that the average working stiff gets. I get 3 weeks per year plus stat holidays. My understanding is that most Europeans get a lot more than that. If you want a lot of time off of work while still maintaining a good standard of living you need to be a 'high-value' employee here in North America.

[nazgulnarsil]

the elephant in the room: increased mating opportunities.

[unalone]

If somebody dumped a million dollars in a pile in your bedroom, would that fact alone make you more desirable to women?

Of course not. What would make you theoretically more desirable: You might stop caring so much about individual women once you're well off. You might have more free time to socialize. You might dress nicer. You might cook more or get yourself a nicer place.

That's what makes you more desirable. That's all achievable without the money. You don't need to be rich, you just think you do.

[nazgulnarsil]

not sure what planet you're from, but it sounds really nice. can I come?

[unalone]

What about what I said do you disagree with?

[nazgulnarsil]

"of course not"

or maybe your experience with women has simply been much better than mine. I live in a very wealthy area, thus there are a lot of women looking for "good marriage material" around here.