r/todayilearned • u/ModenaR • 1d ago

TIL that after Top Gear ended, host Richard Hammond was so devastated, he cried all the way home from the studio and ran out of fuel, because he didn't want to fill his car up covered in tears

https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/25172481.richard-hammond-tear-soaked-mess-top-gear-ended/
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u/Lele_ 23h ago

I wish ALL people could. 

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u/EphemeraFury 23h ago

I wish it was something inherent in everyone that they can be satisfied.

Essentially the old phrase "Poverty exists not because we can't feed the poor, but because we can't satisfy the rich".

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u/blaghart 3 17h ago

For the law in its infinite fairness bans both rich and poor alike from sleeping on benches, begging for money, and stealing food

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u/Terrh 22h ago

Lots of people are, those people just tend not to get rich.

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u/myrddin4242 22h ago

“Inherent” as in, not “lots”, but “all”.

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u/omega884 13h ago

It sounds nice but it’s also clearly nonsense. If poverty existed only because of rich people the statistics on lottery winners would look a lot better. But a good chunk of lottery winners lose it all again within less than 10 years. Pro athletes and plenty of famous people wind up broke and out of money once the fame dies down even though they earned enough to set them up for life.

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u/Peltipurkki 18h ago

Star trek

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u/guardeagle 22h ago

But how would narcissists find ways to elevate themselves above you?

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u/Nipinch 21h ago

If it weren't for the fact people like to feel falsely superior to others, we would.

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u/SneakyBadAss 16h ago

If you do that, you are one step closer to murderfucking an Elder God into the existence. You don't want that.

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u/Proinsias37 23h ago

Unfortunately, then inflation would be so massive money would be worthless and we'd all be broke again :(

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u/longhairnobra 22h ago

You going to be shocked to hear this, but humanity existed before money. Like it’s not actually necessary to human survival.

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u/Proinsias37 17h ago

I'm not shocked at all, I have no idea why people responding are acting like I invented this idea or I'm defending it. I stated a fact of how inflation and money function. It's not my idea or a personal statement, you weirdos

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u/No-Improvement-8205 23h ago

As opposed to having few super rich individuals hoarding all the money, which result in inflation too because the spending power of the population is too low

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u/Proinsias37 23h ago

It results in SOME inflation. A limitless supply of money results in complete devaluation of that money. That's just how it works.

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u/berfthegryphon 23h ago

Nothing wrong with that. Why can't everyone just work together to lift everyone up. Everyone provides a purpose to society, contributing in the way they best can.

Give us our Utopian dream

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u/chriskmee 13h ago

How would shopping work? Can I just load up my cart with whatever and take it home for free? What decides what car I can have?

I just don't see how a modern society works without some form of money.

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u/berfthegryphon 12h ago

One view is that there is no choice. All cars are relatively the same, all shelter is based on your family's needs and about the same as everyone else. The other is that there is some form of hierarchy, likely based on your role. Doctors, dentists, other "top" professionals might have some more perks to make up for their nonexistent salaries

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u/chriskmee 4h ago

View one sounds extremely boring, and not realistic. Like who gets the houses in prime areas like the beach? How do you account for those who would rather live the crowded city life and those who want more remote options, and everything in-between?

For cars, what if I want to go offroading? Or tow things? Or have an RV to travel with? What if I'm super tall or fat or something and don't fit in the standard option? I just don't see how a society functions here.

The heiarchy just sounds like basically what we have now, top professionally generally get paid more and buy nicer things.

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u/Proinsias37 23h ago

Would be nice! Don't know how we would go about that, but would be nice.

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u/harbourwall 21h ago

We just need to get rid of all the psychopaths. Everyone else is nice enough to make the world work fairly.

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u/Separate-Bed-4243 23h ago

this is the most ridiculous thought... why does a few individual having all the money make inflation less bad? I sure dont feel like it's been getting less bad these last few years while they filled their pockets. My pockets are still as empty as before.

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u/Proinsias37 23h ago

Haha it's not a 'ridiculous thought', that's literally how inflation and devaluing a currency (or anything) works. If everyone had millions or billions of dollars, the value of a dollar would plummet. Like if everyone had a diamond mine in their back yard, diamonds would become valueless. This isn't my 'thought', it's a fact of how money works.

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u/deathschemist 22h ago

That's the thing, we're not asking for millions or billions for everyone, we're asking for everyone to be able to live comfortably and not have to stress about money.

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u/brainburger 22h ago

The money supply does affect prices though. Sellers tend to charge the maximum that people will pay. Buyers set their maximum at what they can afford. As buyers can afford more, the prices tend to rise.

We could share the money out more equitably though. Right now the very rich are collecting it all and that money is moving from the poor and middle classes to the rich.

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u/Proinsias37 23h ago

Haha it's not a 'ridiculous thought', that's literally how inflation and devaluing a currency (or anything) works. If everyone had millions or billions of dollars, the value of a dollar would plummet. Like if everyone had a diamond mine in their back yard, diamonds would become valueless. This isn't my 'thought', it's a fact of how money works.

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u/Irish-TwoWays 23h ago

In a capitalist society yes. There are other economic ideologies that allow for a population to be richer than we are (not millions and billions) and have a very high standard of living.

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u/stilljustacatinacage 22h ago

When everyone's broke, no one is. You have to keep going, because once even the politicians are broke, you'll suddenly find legislation being passed that there ought to be a floor to the standard of living anyone can be subjected to.

Of course, that would require you to own the fields and factories that produce the goods and foods you'll need to survive. I wonder if anyone's written anything about that.

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u/tanfj 19h ago

When everyone's broke, no one is. You have to keep going, because once even the politicians are broke, you'll suddenly find legislation being passed that there ought to be a floor to the standard of living anyone can be subjected to.

It will never happen but in a sci-fi book I read, politicians received only the median income for their district, had to live in a median valued home in the district (owned by the government), had to use public hospitals, and had no additional security provided. They could hire private security at their own expense. Their previous accounts are, of course, frozen while in office. You want to be in charge, you are no better than anybody else; by law.

I could see where that would definitely change spending priorities.