Jason Fried: No Skill to Spend OPM
on Saturday, September 19, 2015Jason Fried Money Quotation saying it takes no special talent to spend others’ money or push aside their idea. Jason Fried said:
“There are two things in this world that take no skill: 1. Spending other people’s money and 2. Dismissing an idea” — Jason Fried
In this quote, Jason Fried is making two related points about behaviors that require little effort or ability.
The first point is that it is easy to spend money that does not belong to you – it takes no skill to be generous or make purchases with someone else’s funds.
The second is that dismissing or rejecting an idea outright is a low-effort act that does not demand skill. It is simpler to decline something than to thoughtfully consider potential merits or ways to improve upon the concept.
Fried seems to be implying that real skill lies in more constructive actions like earning one’s own money and critically assessing ideas to determine how they could be developed or applied successfully rather than hastily writing them off.
His view is that meaningful contributions tend to be more complex endeavors that demand time, expertise and nuanced thought compared to the simplistic acts of spending others’ resources or flat-out denial without reflection.