Tuesday 1 June 2021

The Parable of Talents and Minas


Non-people of the Cross, if you had not heard of these 2 parables, you may want to google and check them out.


Quite interesting. 


Especially if you've always wanted to know, "Why must invest huh? Isn't savings enough?"


But no worries. 


Since you have no skin in the game, there's no pressure!




However, if you are people of the Cross, save your explanations and excuses with the guy upstairs.


That's between you and him. 


Good luck!








9 comments:

  1. Hi Smol,
    Let me just give my stone for fun.

    For the capitalism world, it makes perfect sense. I give u something, u grow and we each get more back.

    But it seems weird that worldly possessions is held in high regards.

    But then. The more I read, the more I find many things having congnitive disonnacing.

    Religions that believe humans are "god" like, because we are "made" in those "mould", we have command over others like birds, poltury, and in even earlier days others (salves)

    Wars are waged... Theocracy is rather corrupted by its own records.

    I think I am becoming an ageist.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sillyinvestor,

      You know I'm not a fan of communism.

      Communism on the surface is "anti-religion", but it has stolen with pride wholesale from religion!?

      From idolising of their "Supreme Leader", to the cultivation of personality cults. Pictures and statues of their communist "gods" are everywhere...

      The intolerance of anyone who can think for themselves. Hence the creation of pyramid cell groups to spy on fellow citizens who dare to question or disobey...


      Jokes aside.

      If we can approach trading, investing, and speculation with open eyes, then we are less likely to be led to the glue factory...

      There are too many "Emperors" with no clothes out there!

      Delete
  2. Smol,

    I wonder if these parables formed the basis of the saying: God helps those who help themselves? 😛

    Some will say my talent is CPF. Hey at a blended 3%, can still double in 24 years! 😁

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Spur,

      That's all and well in "nominal" terms, but add in CW's real life real people 2.5% inflation track record...

      Its almost like burying the talents in the ground.


      As non-believers, we don't have to explain to anyone.

      But as believer, try spinning how you have been a "good" servant when you meet your master!


      Who knew CPFIS turned out to be a parable of talents!?

      Delete
  3. "Why must invest huh? Isn't savings enough?"

    If a person is a bad investor, savings would be better choice. Why keep investing and still lose money? Stop!

    In the "Parable of Talents" story, the servants who invested and did well were rewarded and the servant who did not was punished. Powerful story that can be used by investment snake-oils, especially on Christians. So, everyone should invest, right? This is Word of God, how can you doubt? (Invest in this context refers to DIY investing)

    I interpret the story in another way as a Christian. The servant who did not invest was punished because he did not even TRY. If he did not try, how to know if he is a bad investor? It would be better if the "Parable of Talents" story included a scenario where a servant invested but lost money. A reasonable Master would not punish a loyal servant who tried but failed. The Master would share the blame because he is also at fault for assigning the task to the wrong person. Don't try, don't know. Nothing wrong with failing but definitely wrong for not trying at all.

    The moral of the story would be to try hard and utilize one's God-given talents. God does not paste a label on an infant on what he should do when he grows up. He needs to discover for himself. Failure is useful for self-discovery. Don't try, don't know. Why should everyone invest since God won't give this talent to everyone?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hyom,

      Exactly!!!

      I'll never admonish youths for taking risks and doing all sorts of what would appear as hare-brained stuffs to old fogeys.

      We are only young once!

      (I still remember all those dumb things I did as youth. They are not wasted. They are my vaccinations. What doesn't kill me will only make me stronger.)


      I am more sorry for youths who never even bothered trying but just jumped onto the 1M65 thingy just because its "easier"...

      How else to explain seniors in their 60s - with all their life experiences eating salt more than youths - lose hundreds of thousands, even millions during their retirements to scams or poor investment decisions!?

      I find it hard to believe these "victims" are experienced veterans on the Earn More path.


      If we suck at investing/trading, better find it out early in our 20s than in our 60s flushed with retirement funds!!!

      Delete
  4. "Powerful story that can be used by financial snake-oils to buy investment products, especially on Christians. This is Word of God, how can you doubt?"

    In fact, I personally attended a few investment courses previews where the trainers who said that they are Christians and quote them to convince potential attendees on the power of investing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi CW,

      I deleted my original message to clarify what I meant by investing is DIY(do-it-yourself) investing. I do think investment products like index funds/ETFs and professionally actively-managed funds (provided fees are reasonable) are suitable for the masses.

      Delete
    2. CW,

      We see this a lot in Taoist and Buddhist prosperity cults too...

      It seems there's a subset of believers who treat "religions" as a get rich quick scheme...

      Please diety, give me a sure win 4D number so I can hoot big big this weekend... Here, take this small offering...

      I guess they don't understand their own religion enough to know the "sin" in trying to "bribe" their gods (singular or plural)?

      Delete

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