What things people aspire to do baffles you?

[Soubriquet]

Currently watching Everest and I had to Google it because I heard it now costs a lot of money to do it. It does. It’s between $32,000 and $60,000 to climb the mountain in the hopes you make it to the summit and don’t die. To me that’s crazy. That’s a lot of money to risk your life and at the end of the day, all you can say is….i climbed Mount Everest…

Going into space
Going on any expedition that places you in the sort of danger where other people have to come and rescue you
Skydiving

I did scuba diving to try and counter my fears in my 20s. Racked up a shed load of hours doing deep dives, dives in the tropics, cold water, saw many amazing things and had a couple close calls.

However, I never got over my fear, never. I haven't been for years now and I'll be honest, when I think of it I feel sick in the pit of my gut and my main thought is always 'WTF was I thinking!'

Marathon running
Running at all
Bungee jumping
Sky diving
Unmediated childbirth

Absolutely not to all of the above. Basically if it's dangerous or painful, I'm not doing it.

My dad used to witter on about climbing Mount Snowden. But I don't understand why he wants to climb it when there's a little train that takes you to near the top?

Million/Billionaires spending £££££££ to do some stupid expedition like fly a balloon to the top of Everest or some such nonsense. Why? Is life so unfulfilling now you are sitting on a bog made of solid gold that risking your life is a good idea?

Climbing Matchu Pitchu. (My dad took us on lots of hill walks as kids and so mountains give me the ick)

People doing stuff so they can post it on social media with a veryfastbutmonotonousvoiceover for clicks and feel very self-satisfied indeed.

Oh and anything where I will not feel in control. So nothing fast, nothing watery, nothing involving a light aircraft or balloon or kite shaped, no deprivation of oxygen or food, basically nothing "fun". I like terra firma, thanks.

Everest isn’t for me but I can understand the appeal.

Things I don’t understand though are fancy cars, Disneyland/Disney World holidays, cruises, USA

Disney
Dubai
Center Parks
Yoga retreat
Kinky sex

I agree about Everest because of the tourism, damage and exploitation. But I can understand the desire to summit high peaks. Most of the adventure/challenge activities in PPs do appeal to me, and I'd be aspiring to more of them if I were less physically and financially compromised.

I hate running but can understand people wanting to do marathons. etc. I also hate skiing, but understand loving it.

Never aspired to go to Disney World and don't understand what people find so appealing about it. I'd probably love Dubai if I could ignore everything that's wrong about it - I can't, and am mystified by those who can!

Have been to Center Parks once, hated it, yet so many love the things I hated. There must be something wrong with them 😏

A yoga retreat would be my idea of a punishment, cooped up with a load of 'soulful' women aligning each other's chakras and cooing over vegetable soup. Sex-wise, I have no kinks, think kinks are weird symptoms of distorted sexual development, and many of them do indeed deserve shaming!

I agree it’s not even that they look good like a handbag or a beautiful painting might.
The funny thing is everyone I know who has a personalised number plate isn’t that well off, can’t afford a house etc.
Do just why?

This. Podcast is great for these types of discussions, it's about the stupid/crazy/weird stuff uber rich people do just because they can!
The most recent one talked about paying silly money to climb and "unnamed" mountain because Everest is so passe now
It's on Spotify too

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/too-much-money/id1715603633

I've listened to podcasts about swimming caving (not sure what it's actually called) and the Paris catacombs and I could feel my heart rate increasing as.I'm listening, the thought of small confined spaces and being trapped/lost properly freaks.me out!

Painting the house with Farrow and Ball paint. It's stupidly expensive and the same as any other paint.

not all paint is equal

far from it

i have a vague recollection of reading a newspaper article many years ago about a young woman who died trying to climb some mountain or other. Her widowed husband was taking her young children to see where she died and there was lots of talk of how brave she was pushing the boundaries , she died following her dream etc etc.
All I could think.was how selfish to risk your life and lose it so that your kids have to grow up without you. Call me old fashioned but if you.are a parent of young kids surely you should do everything in your power to avoid unnecessary risk.whilst they are dependant on you. ( Obviously you can't avoid all risks esp if you do a job that involves risky activities).

However I have to admit to being a v risk averse person and do not have an adventurous bone in my body so maybe I just don't get it.

I just asked crown to match an F&B sample for me. He told me the washable versions of the crown versions wear better. I was thinking, well, he would say that. Then he said that the two companies are owned by same owner. Crown can definitely exactly match a more durable (washable) version of your fave f&b shade.
I've just done this! It looks gorgeous.

Disney.

Spending £10k+ to stand in a queue for days on end, when I can do that at the bus stop for free.

i didnt say crown and F&B weren’t equal
i got my F&B colour matched by johnson’s - it’s superb

i said not all paint was equal

yes yes and yes

thankfully my children have zero desire to go!!

Running a marathon
Bungee jumping
owning a big house
owning a brand new car
owning designer shoes/handbags

Deep sea submersibles.

There isn't even a view or a even a decent window.

Yes send robots and cameras down for knowledge. But people. No nadda no way.

Yes OP, I dont understand the compulsion to do any of these unnecessary things and expect praise for it when achieved. I understand people have a personal journey to make, etc. But I DONT CARE. Incomprehensible to me. I must be odd.

You've got a point. Definitely.

People often come out with the argument of 'I've got more chance of dying on the M25 on the way to doing said activity'.

They've also got a point, I suppose. Risk is everywhere. It's how you calculate it and prepare yourself.

Free climbing though, fuck that.

I'm surprised nobody has said about flying small planes around. My DH does this and it terrifies me rigid every time he goes up.

I just knew when I saw this thread last night it would turn into a reverse snobbery thread bashing those who spend their money differently!

None of the things mentioned 'baffle me', I can see why people want to do them. I just wouldn't want to do the majority of them myself (though did do some when younger, wouldn't now though).

I love being around people who have very 'out there', travel alot and do extreme hobbies. They're very interesting people with so many stories
Many have more money than sense. But if I had lots of money I'd be blowing it on some of these amazing experiences. You only live once.