🧠 Is There a “dy/dx” Point in Life Where More Money Stops Adding Value?

[oncall-engineer]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

 

[rachoon]

when u can go to sleep peacefully

 

[Kenzer11]

When u have a health scare. Then more money become not a top priority but how to treat oneself better with what you have accumulated.

 

[Lss]

When you have responsibilities hanging over your head like a guillotine, it's never enough bah.

 

[FireEmblem]

After age 50 if u have enough to retire loh.

Enjoy some life before older age illness catch up

 

[Shutterbox]

When u get older and more friends die off suddenly

 

[Full_Cream_Milk]

Yes when you got a health crisis and money cannot prevent death.

All other things like entertainment etc, the more money the merrier.

 

[jiakliaobee charsiew]

Dying bah

 

[oncall-engineer]

When u get older and more friends die off suddenly

Is that always a reminder of one’s own mortality?

 

[Kaylin]

dont even need to earn alot of money to feel this way.

 

[Shutterbox]

Is that always a reminder of one’s own mortality?

One aspect.
Time n health is something money can't (really) buy

 

[oncall-engineer]

One aspect.
Time n health is something money can't (really) buy

Well money can buy time. Drive instead of MRT. Hire a domestic helper instead of doing the chores yourself.

 

[knoxville]

When boss suddenly tell you that you better work harder and longer hours otherwise he replace you with uptron graduate

 

[Shutterbox]

Well money can buy time. Drive instead of MRT. Hire a domestic helper instead of doing the chores yourself.

When I say time, I mean a life journey. What one wants to whike living.
What you mentioned, is money giving an instrument or convenience, but money cannot always determine what one wants to do in life.

 

[Ronin881]

 

[The_Davis]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

When you started posting this thread here

 

[MoeLanYong]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

Yes there was such a point for me. Had over $800k cash. After satisfying some needs, the money just went inside a bank account and became a figure to look at, thats all. Any more of it didn't satisfy or add value.

 

[fulaien]

When you hit your CEP ceiling, you will stop progressing at work

When your health has serious problems, that is when it goes downhill.

 

[Ronin881]

 

[NeonX]

One aspect.
Time n health is something money can't (really) buy

Tell that to the cancer patient who can't afford treatment and the rich man who can afford the latest experimental treatment