In an outside the box attempt to make me realize, and trust in, Butterfinger’s ability to create money out of thin air, he has recently taken to perfecting his skill as a jewel making craftsman in World of Warcraft. Before you read any further please try to understand that, despite any preconceived notions you may have about online gaming, this game is strikingly similar to real life. Laugh, joke, write me off all you want, but after playing a few times and seeing everything Butterfinger does in game, I can see the parallels between the WoW realms and our real existance. The amount of time these players dedicate to leveling up their characters, learning new skills and being part of guilds that work together, united, as a team, is comparable to the amount of time people spend at work, and in some cases, far exceeding any work-related time commitment.

I do not know the exact details of the task Butterfinger has undertaken when deciding to train his character to become skilled in gems, but I do know that he had to sacrifice everything he had saved up so far in the game and put it on the line to get to this next level of becoming a profitable being. Along with laying it all out and taking a risk, he also took the time to research this new tool that provides assistance for the WoW auctions where he sells the items he is now able to make. Not only has this taken a serious time commitment, but it has also relied upon his ability to troubleshoot problems, research and follow his plan through to completion.

A few days, many hours and a lot of WoW gold later, Butterfinger is now able to make hundreds of dollars in WoW gold (which actually has monetary value for anyone interested in the relevance) while he sleeps. He has been successful in creating a self-monitoring system that, with very little human interaction, monitors the many auctions taking place and makes sure he is able to monetize his goods/buy goods at the best value. But it is so much more than that, he has successfully proven to me, through a route I would have never considered possible a few months ago, that we most certainly can do the same thing in real life, with real money.

Warcraft is no more of a game than real life is, you take risks, think positive thoughts, get the right tools in order to be successful and hold on for dear life. Yes, if your character dies in Warcraft it is a bit different than kicking the bucket in a human sense, but many of the same situations, other than death, can be seen both in game and in life. For example, if a new group asks you to come help them with a raid, you may decline because of their inexperience or the time commitment such a task would require. As a result of your choice not to accompany them on their quest, you missed out on an opportunity to obtain a rare item only dropped in a small number of such instances. The same thing happens in life, you may choose to not attend a charity benefit event, but as a result of this you will miss out on the opportunity to make a connection with someone ripe with knowledge you have been seeking out - whether you knew it or not.

It is so easy for me to articulate these thoughts, yet impossibly hard to act out upon these beliefs. I am absolutely terrified of not having money. I am starting to break free from this, little by little, at about the same rate with which our funds are becoming depleted. No matter how much I believe in and trust Butterfinger, in the back of my mind I have severe anxiety and reservations about spending what little we have in order to make more. You have to spend money to make money, I have heard it a thousand times, I have experiences the merits of this mantra within my personal life, yet, at the end of the day, I feel guilty buying the name-brand jug of water when the generic is 10 cents cheaper - not the way someone living by this motto would act.

I work on this, I think about it constantly, and I often catch myself before acting out on impulses, knowing full well I could put on an act and pretend I feel a different way about what is going on, but what good is that going to do? If I am still getting upset about issues involving money, hiding these feelings and not showing my organic emotions is just lying. So what do I do? My only option, as I see it, is to keep on, chugging down the path we are on right now, and dealing with monetary issues as they arise with the hopes that in the near future my true feelings about the importance of money and need to have it start surfacing.

I suppose this sort of contradictory behavior could be expected as a result of my generation’s conditioning as children, and especially someone who was able to enjoy a childhood as wonderful as my own. I saw first hand the types of comforts a steady job was able to provide, and a great importance was placed on being educated so I could do the same for myself. I appreciate that I was educated and never wanted for anything growing up, but I do not feel that the present times necessarily allow for that sort of life anymore - at least not when you are trying to create money out of thin air, pursuing your own idea, and not having to answer to “the man”. This is where the contradictions arise, while I have my own belief system about wealth and money, I am constantly reminded by society that I should be settling into a job working for someone else, because that is the only way I am ever going to be able to have a house with 2.5 kids. This simply is not true, and Butterfinger and myself are fully prepared to prove it.

May 18th, 2008 | Warcraft, Startup Sacrifices, Startup Relationships, The Startup