Buying Peace of Mind

Today Warren Buffett signed away 31 Billion dollars of his 44 Billion dollar fortune to charity. Yes, that is Billion with a B. While listening to the story on NPR I had just a few thoughts…

He said in essence, that money made from society should be returned to society.

When asked what his kids thought about his giving away all their inheritance he said didn’t believe in inherited dynastic wealth, and he believed they needed to make their own fortunes not be given them.

Both of these are great sentiments in my book, but I’d be more then happy to inherit over TEN billion dollars – I think there is still some dynasty there… they don’t have to start with my checking account balance.

Finally, it was said that Mr. Buffett had arranged his life so he didn’t have to sit in boring meetings and didn’t spend ANY time with people he didn’t like or didn’t want to talk to.

Ok, number three is what really got me. Can you imagine life without having to call the phone company to get the mistake on your bill fixed? To never have to deal with an automated menu on a company’s customer service line or the CSA who doesn’t speak English? To not have to be bothered making a trillion, unhelpful if not tearful phone calls to the university when they withheld too much tax just to be told I absolutely can’t have that money till next year? To not have to listen to the neighbors screaming at each other while you are trying to concentrate?

The list goes on, and on, and on as you can imagine. That one sentence, uttered so unconsciously struck me nearly dumb. For a few silent minutes I imagined my life with all of those things gone… They say money doesn’t buy you happiness, and I firmly do believe that, I’m a pretty well grounded person and I like to think I know what is important in life. But today I learned what money does buy you… its sanity.