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Why must living "a good life" be defined as working for paid employment one's whole life? That's what sounds crazy to me. Most jobs have so much BS embedded in them, it's ridiculous. Or they're selling BS products (junk from WalMart, fast food, etc.). Even with stuff like health care....we spend billions developing pills for many ailments that can be prevented entirely with a healthy diet & exercise.
I would rather be a productive member of society. I like the fact that where I work I am needed and able to solve many problems. I like the fact that many of the 2,000 employees look up to me, see me as a positive resource. I like the fact that I am accomplishing something that makes where I work a better place. Still, it is a choice just as not working is a choice, just as homeless ness is a choice, just as living in a 10,000 square foot beach house is a choice. Choose wisely.
You are so true about healthcare. We see maybe 75% of preventable health problems here at the hospital. I was visiting a friend who happened to be on a monitor in her home. She told us that the doctor was trying to find out what was wrong with her. I know full well that the Doctor knows what is wrong with her. All you have to do is look at her to see that she is 350lbs overweight. This friend is killing herself slowly with food. I know a man that has had three heart attacks. He smokes non stop and has been told to quit. Still he keeps smoking.
The truth is that people are living longer, much longer. I saw a billboard that read "The first person to live to be 150 has allready been born." I don't know if I will be that person but I want to be one of those people that live to be 150 years old.
It seems like you are lazy and or dumb and don't want to put in the hard work it takes and I doubt the jobs you described are as fun as advertised. Life demands a payment you pay now and play later or you play now and pay later. Bump this thread in 30 years and see what path your life has taken. The fun jobs aren't hiding it's just your perception and the fact that to get to those jobs you have to pay your dues. The reason people do not retire in their 20's or 30's is because it's usually not feasible. Most people have a drive to be fruitful and multiply and not be lazy and destitute.
A lot of assumptions are being made.
The fact that most jobs don't appeal to someone does not mean lazy.
Eddie you seem to think working life is akin to boring ,monotonous, drudgery for some it is but did you ever think some jobs are really neet, and a pleasure to go to every day,many people really like their jobs and wouldnt trade them for a lifestyle of getting up at noon everyday to go hang out somewhere.. Also the older you get the tougher it gets to land a job even a minimum wage fast food restaurant.
I've always viewed life as being the best you can be no matter what you are doing,i wouldnt be thinking i was trying very hard if my life goal was to wake up everyday at noon and ultimately go sit on my butt at the beach for the rest of the day..
Ed i'm just playing Devils advocate and if thats the life you want go for it but i just hope you dont wake up one day later in life and realize you've done very little,raised no family, never worked, never accumulated/accomplished anything,are now flat broke with nothing to show for your gift of life.
I have had many, many jobs in my life. I have even owned my own business. I have worked in jobs that were considered "good" and those that were considered "bad" and I can tell you that NO JOB ON EARTH is better than waking up when you have had enough sleep, (rather than when the alarm clock wakes you up), eating when you are hungry (not when it's noon), spending time in the garden, working on projects, hobbies, listening to nice music as you go about your day. Nothing beats not having to wear makeup (for a woman, or tie for a man), not take a shower or even not brush your teeth if you don't feel like it. Being able to take a nap if you're tired, or have a beer at 10 am or 3 pm. Nothing beats being able to just be alone, read a book, have a fire in the fireplace, talk to someone on the phone, play music really loud and dance naked in your living room. Nothing beats it. Sorry.
If someone wants to wake up at noon and sit around on their butt all day, so what? If that's what gives them pleasure who are you or I to question that and judge them and say that is wrong? Not everybody enjoys the day to day grind and interaction with people. Not everyone attains a sense of joy and well being from working. Let's face it, if you go back far enough, working is not natural. Hunter/gatherers got up with the sun, hunted and gathered, and then spent the rest of the time relaxing or pursuing personal interests. Ogg and Mogg never felt "unfulfilled" because they didn't punch a time clock somewhere.
I have had many, many jobs in my life. I have even owned my own business. I have worked in jobs that were considered "good" and those that were considered "bad" and I can tell you that NO JOB ON EARTH is better than waking up when you have had enough sleep, (rather than when the alarm clock wakes you up), eating when you are hungry (not when it's noon), spending time in the garden, working on projects, hobbies, listening to nice music as you go about your day. Nothing beats not having to wear makeup (for a woman, or tie for a man), not take a shower or even not brush your teeth if you don't feel like it. Being able to take a nap if you're tired, or have a beer at 10 am or 3 pm. Nothing beats being able to just be alone, read a book, have a fire in the fireplace, talk to someone on the phone, play music really loud and dance naked in your living room. Nothing beats it. Sorry.
If someone wants to wake up at noon and sit around on their butt all day, so what? If that's what gives them pleasure who are you or I to question that and judge them and say that is wrong? Not everybody enjoys the day to day grind and interaction with people. Not everyone attains a sense of joy and well being from working. Let's face it, if you go back far enough, working is not natural. Hunter/gatherers got up with the sun, hunted and gathered, and then spent the rest of the time relaxing or pursuing personal interests. Ogg and Mogg never felt "unfulfilled" because they didn't punch a time clock somewhere.
20yrsinBranson
Oh Lordy - preach it lady! I seriously think my body needs 11-12 hrs of sleep per night. It's almost impossible to do that while working 99% of jobs.
BTW - I do think you have a point about how the workplace may have changed more than we as humans have changed.
Last edited by eddiehaskell; 12-27-2013 at 09:11 AM..
It looks doable in the short run, but I just do not see how it can be counted on to be sustainable. So many things can happen, from emergencies, to simple inflation devaluing the worth of your net income.
What percentage of that 13% would would go if they didn't have to?
Lets not jump to dumb, lazy or "it's your perception" for those that can't find an appealing job.
Less also not assume that retiring early means lazy and destitute.
Yes it does do you know the definition of work?
You even said that jobs that you may like are above your IQ level so that does indicate that you believe that you are to dumb to have the type of job that you want. The reality is you don't have to be a genius to be a doctor or any other fun job you described you just have to put in the WORK. Retiring early does mean laziness maybe not destitute. It's basically saying I'm not even going to try to live up to my full potential I'm going to be content with this and do what ever I want that suits me.
One point in my life I probably had this attitude but once I got married I realized that it wasn't all about what I wanted in life and that I had to provide for some else and do whatever I needed to do to provide the best life possible. If you can do this on $20K a year more power to you.
Money doesn't buy happiness but it can open doors and to waste your potential and your abilities to provide value and sustenance to an organization or a partner because you want to sleep in is ridiculous. Do you really want to look back and realize you could have achieved so much more if you at least tried. Failure and losing is one thing but not even showing up to the race come on man.
BTW your GF might be cool now with this lifestyle but once that ring and baby come along. Marriage has a way of changing priorities. Good Luck
Hi again, eddiehaskell,
There are a lot of people in this thread who probably WISH they had your savings account/disposable income. I would be willing to bet that most of the people here who are preaching about all the emergencies that could come up in life don't have sufficient savings of their own. How many of them live on only 50% of their income and save the rest? We'll never know because they won't tell. They'll just continue to point the finger at you and others like you.
So, are you tired yet with most of these holier-than-thou people? No amount of explaining will get through to that type of person. Geez, now people are asking/accusing you of illegal activity. I must say your thread sure ruffled a lot of feathers which for a while I found quite humorous, but now I find unimaginative and mean spirited.
On that note I wish you all the best in the life YOU have chosen for yourself. I have no doubt things will continue to go well for you since you have a working plan in place and also have backup plans. Enjoy life! geebabe
I'm amazed that the average person's response is that you will have unexpected expenses that will throw off your budget. Who doesn't? it doesn't matter if you make 20,000 or 100,000, unexpected expenses pop up and they throw off your budget.
People who make 100,000 a year tend to have a bigger house, a more expensive car, and more expensive things in life. They take more expensive vacations, so on and so forth.
Money in this country is pretty much spent in ratio and that is the way it's always been. I guarantee you that 90% of Americans would love to have 11,000 of disposable income a year. Many that make 100,000 don't have 11,000 in disposable income.
Many will not agree with your simple lifestyle but if it works for you that's all that matters. Personally this model would not work for me. Thanks for sharing your idea.
You even said that jobs that you may like are above your IQ level so that does indicate that you believe that you are to dumb to have the type of job that you want. The reality is you don't have to be a genius to be a doctor or any other fun job you described you just have to put in the WORK. Retiring early does mean laziness maybe not destitute. It's basically saying I'm not even going to try to live up to my full potential I'm going to be content with this and do what ever I want that suits me.
One point in my life I probably had this attitude but once I got married I realized that it wasn't all about what I wanted in life and that I had to provide for some else and do whatever I needed to do to provide the best life possible. If you can do this on $20K a year more power to you.
Money doesn't buy happiness but it can open doors and to waste your potential and your abilities to provide value and sustenance to an organization or a partner because you want to sleep in is ridiculous. Do you really want to look back and realize you could have achieved so much more if you at least tried. Failure and losing is one thing but not even showing up to the race come on man.
BTW your GF might be cool now with this lifestyle but once that ring and baby come along. Marriage has a way of changing priorities. Good Luck
So are you saying that 87% of people want to be lazy but don't have the option?
My IQ may be too low to see the fulfillment certain jobs may bring. Being a theoretical physicist may be an awesome job, but to me it requires hurting my brain and trying to understand frustratingly difficult stuff. Regardless, my brain is my reality. I can't step outside of it and channel the chemical reactions of Einstein's brain. And I think it's rather simplistic to say hard work can make someone a doctor. Someone with a 75 IQ (low-normal range) may want to be a doctor, but do you really think they have a shot via hard work? I'd bet that a doctor with a 75 IQ does not exist.
Is living up to one's potential intrinsically good? If one has the potential to work for NASA, but chooses to work on cars - did they waste their life? You get one life here - I say forget potential and do your best to live the way you want.
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On that note I wish you all the best in the life YOU have chosen for yourself. I have no doubt things will continue to go well for you since you have a working plan in place and also have backup plans. Enjoy life! geebabe
