New Jersey Mom, 7 Kids Win $429.6M Powerball Jackpot

[Urchin]

44. You are victims of your own illogical nature

People have evolved to be more interested in feeling good today than in avoiding feeling bad later.

That's why so few people save for retirement.

That's why so few people are concerned about climate change.

That's why many people continue to smoke.

That's why so many people have problems with procrastination.

So it's no surprise that the ignorant indulge themselves in the excitement that they might win a lottery and become a member of the despised 0.01% elite, then dwell on the overwhelming likelihood that they will not win the lottery and feel disappointed after they find out they lost.

You probably have a better chance of being struck by lightning between now and the next lottery drawing, but that you don't think about because the chances are so remote.

But you do think about the even more remote chance that you will win the lottery.

Doesn't make sense.

Meanwhile, the state exploits this tendency of people to be able to get more revenue, when the state instead should be getting the revenue it needs by taxing the super-rich, like those hedge fund managers, the majority of whose ill-gotten gains are taxed at the low capital-gains rate since they lobbied for and got that change in 1993.

And most lottery ticket buyers are poor and sure don't need to be exploited into giving more of their money away.

But if you insist that people should be randomly rewarded, let's extend that to athletes and college students.

No matter that other athletes practiced long and hard or that other students studied when other students were partying, let's just ask people to buy olympic medal lotteries and college grade lotteries, to win gold medals and perfect grades. Think of the extra revenue the olympic committee and colleges could get, no matter if it's unfair to people who worked for it.

Hey, this is America, where any random fool can enrich themselves or win gold medals or graduate with the highest honors.

I suspect that anyone who approves of the lottery system has a deep-down feeling of hopelessness, which they vicariously soothe when they see random people enriched.

It must be something similar to conservatives, when though they themselves are being impoverished, want to preserve low taxes for the rich. I dunno. Maybe becauuse those low-income conservatives believe that one day their ship will come in, too.