Nate Tilley argues that temperament doesn't change with money: a rich person with poor impulses stays that way. The real skill is slow decision-making and delayed gratification. He uses a Ferrari example to show how new purchases deliver brief highs that fade fast, trapping you in an endless cycle of wanting more.
I think if you're a dickhead before you have money, you just become a rich dickhead. I think long and hard before I make purchases. It literally doesn't matter if it's a $60 widget or it's a Ferrari. All of these things, they add clutter, and they add complexity to your life. I try to practice delayed gratification on a lot of this stuff. I'm not even a crazy car guy. Yeah, it's a bit of fun. You juice it up, go fast. These are the things that I derive meaning and fulfillment from, because it's something called the hedonist treadmill. You buy a Ferrari, you drive it a few times, then you've kind of scratched that itch. If you get caught into that cycle, you just. The treadmill basically become a rat, running faster and faster for less cheese.
