[lbo-talk] more on the psychology of money

[Carrol Cox]

Doug Henwood wrote:
> 
>
> Schwarzman's need for more is shaped by American capitalism, for
> sure, but his need for more - every deal Blackstone has done has
> affected the lives of many thousands of people - shapes the world we
> live in too.

We simply do not know, and I think cannot know, what shapes
"Schwarzman's need for more." Perhaps it is the same 'drive' that shapes
Bonds's need to hit a few more homeruns to  surpass Aaron's record. That
record will not give Bonds any more money but merely put his name in the
record books. Perhaps Schwarzman cares not at all for the money _as
money_ but only as a way of keeping score. Or perhaps he was abused as a
child and is trying to prove something to his late (?) father or
grandfather. Who knows! We do know that a capitalist firm tends to
shrink if it does not grow. We do know that it is rather pointless for
Capitalist John to bother to go to the office unless he tries to expand
profits. We know an awful lot about the social relations in which
Schwarzman is enmeshed, but you are really kidding yourself if you think
you know anything at all about his psychology. Perhaps his therapist
does, if he has a therapist. Perhaps his wife does. And perhaps not.

If you think this is evidence of the importance of psychology to
understanding social relations, you are mistaken. If this is evidence
for anything it is evidence that psychology can't help understand social
relations.

Carrol