[lbo-talk] more on the psychology of money

[Miles Jackson]

Doug Henwood wrote:
> On Jun 30, 2007, at 7:51 PM, boddi satva wrote:
> 
> 
>>Surely you're not suggesting that the rattling and stacking of gold
>>coins is the same exercise as modern finance?
> 
> 
> Nope. But why did Steve Schwarzman need another $2 billion from the  
> Blackstone IPO? He already had $4 billion, and lunched regularly on  
> $400 stone crabs. Why the need for more? Always more?
> 
> 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.

Perhaps this specific example can clarify my point: sure, individual 
thought and behavior shape society and the world.  However, in order for 
Schwarzman's psychological tendencies to have effects on many thousands 
of people, there must be something other than his own psychological 
tendencies that enable that widespread social impact.  Those enabling 
conditions are facets of the social structure that sociologists analyze.

Miles