Much more people own cars than they should be based on common sense. A privately owned car costs the world a lot of raw materials and carbon emissions and it’s only used 5-10% of the time.
The main advantage of car ownership is having a certain feeling of Freedom that you can go anywhere, anytime. This is really important for being a Hunter. The car can be an important tool for helping other people in need who do not have cars. If you know how to fix minor issues with your car, maintaining one can be a Hunter experience in the Game of Self.
The disadvantages of car ownership are significant: driving the car is a huge Time sink, you can use this time way better; parking wherever you go is a constant annoyance and often not free; you need a garage or parking spot where you live; the car is a constant money sink – taxes, insurance, registration fees etc.; the car is a constant time sink – it has to be cleaned and maintained regularly and filled with gas often; cars atomize society.
If you earn too little money or too much money, the car is a choice too expensive for you.
In case of low income (your money is more valuable than your time) the car is a used car of questionable quality. When you sacrifice time, at least you should earn money, otherwise, why do it at all. This leads to burning time and money at the same time. In case you lease a new car, you’re also risking, your finances are a single point of failure. The alternatives are walking, running, biking, public transportation, carpool, hitchhiking, taxi in exceptional cases too. From a Game of Self perspective these are classic Hunter behavior that will keep you energized, motivated, and entertained.
In case of high income (your time is more valuable than your money), you better use a taxi. If you imagine you’re both the driver and the passenger in a taxi and Passenger-you is paying Driver-you for the ride. Passenger-you is sacrificing money for time and Driver-you is sacrificing time for money in a zero-sum transaction. If your time is more valuable, you want to be Passenger-you and give the money. Whenever you’re driving it’s just Driver-you giving your time to save money. I have to remind you that time is the least renewable resource for any human being. While it’s a drain of money, it’s a huge savior of time and Energy and the focus gained will be a huge boost to your life plans.
