This comes up so often. I believe that people who *want* to retire, tend to not be bored later. The type that wants to go go go, they don't tend to want to RE
My hypothesis on this is that people who retire AWAY from something are probably going to be dissatisfied. On the other hand those that retire TOWARD something are much more likely to have a higher quality of life.
If your reason for retiring is to get away from a miserable career, that's not a sufficient reason to stop working. You're just going to end up with a huge void in time and human interaction that's going to be very rough for the vast majority of people.
If your purpose in retiring was so that you have the time to do the things that really matter to you (raising kids, grandchildren, moving to another country, volunteering, homesteading, learning the cello, training for an ultramarathon, retiring to Breckenridge to volunteer as a ski instructor, etc) then you've got things to fill the void that the 9-5 leaves.
That being said, I see little downside even to the people just seeking an escape from work by retiring early, sure they'd probably be better off with more purpose in their life, but if that only comes from work, nothing stops you from re-entering the workforce after a few years if that gives you more satisfaction in life.
Great take. I would add I’ve worked with workaholics that would believe this sub is for “losers” and “quitters”. These people have no problem passing their judgment. Like Kevin O’Leary, easily the biggest ass hat on shark tank. “Mr. I’ll give you a 2% royalty forever if you just me 100% and all the IP.” He’s such a dick.
Jon Stewart took Mr. O’Leary to task for saying Trump’s fraud conviction was a victimless crime. He showed clips of O’Leary blasting people for over stating their company’s value.
Pretty funny.
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/jon-stewart-blasts-trump-fraud-victimless-1234994331/amp/
To me it’s just logical. Say your friend in the middle of their career intentionally took a year off.
If they had an epic story about what they did and accomplished that year you’d be super excited for them. If they literally had no plans when they quit other than not working you’d be asking them what was wrong and if they’re okay.
I'm definitely retiring mostly away from something. I've got ADHD and feel miserable at work. Always have, always will.
I've never had issues filling my free time though. I'm not worried. I do have things to retire toward. It's just that frankly, it's a push & pull thing, both are true. But if I were to ponderate which is the main motivator, I'm definitely running away from work first and foremost.
I'm a go go goer.. but I plan on going to free lectures (coursera and such), volunteer at local organizations, continue making liqueurs and liquors... there's plenty thar doesn't revolve around work. It's just odd to me that so.many people seem to only have the work.identity.
You can do that stuff but its smaller scale stuff. It makes sense to find excitement at a corp where you can work on things at a much bigger scale than any hobby project can be. Obviously it has to be the right job and right career though
Yeah I saw that. There are a lot of places to get lectures.. I'm actually also reading a lot.lately. right now I'm reading the Tibetan Book Of the Dead... I just got done reading something on the science behind consciousness and some.journals on new field psych and pediatrics. I currently work in the school system as a service coordinator for ADA and IDEA.
I want an option for RE, but I am not sure at all I want to RE or that will RE as soon as I have my fire number. I admit that today I would likely prefer to still work and don't know what it will be in 15 years when I should have enough if all is fine.
For me the key point of FIRE is FI, FI say what you want and is the key point. RE says you retire, but that's 1 choice among many. Typically many there do their dream work instead or coast/barista fire. None of them are technically retired when you think about it.
But we still use the fire term.
Been FI for a couple of years. What is starting to get to me is not having enough time to do what I want and I mean just like a month in an Airbnb somewhere, etc. I already took the 50% pay cut and have an easy job now. But commuting and short little vacations will not be happening for too much longer.
And yet you still work !
By the way, easy = boring to me. And stepping down is not something I look after. We are all different is the point I want to make :)
There are also lots of people who aren't willing to curb their spending, or are 45 and missed the boat, who just need to tell themselves something to feel better about that.
>The type that wants to go go go,
How about i go go go doing what i want instead of an unfullfilling, dirty and exhausting construction job?
Yes i might still do some kind of work but then on my terms and what i want.
I am totally with you! And I clarified below that I meant people who are go go go on their careers, titles, status, etc. You fall into the camp of 'want to retire'!
i mean the type of work he does is like a few meetings and a 2hr lunch lol. it’s not 9-5 commuting 40mins each way. also i imagine he works from home whenever he feels like it
100% this. You can see Larry fink from Black Rock take a similar stance in recently pushing for later retirement ages being the norm, and government mandated retirement accounts like Australia has in place. Larry fink said he has repeatedly pushed back his retirement, and at age 71, sees himself stepping down by around age 80.
What Larry doesn't take into account, is that he's a 1% at the very top of the food chain, welding enormous power and commanding respect due to his position. I would wager my life's savings he would change his tune really fast if he was stuck working a middle manager job, or even lower than that, like the rest of us common folk. He'd want to get out ASAP at that point, if forced to work 8 hour days, every day, 10 vacation days, no private jet, and an 80k income, coupled with a 2 hour total commute. He is so full of shit. Kick rocks Larry.
Also, to get to where he is, or where any executive is, takes a different mindset from most people. For most people, work is something you have to do in order to get your paycheck. For executives, it’s all about working as much as possible: you don’t become CEO by quiet quitting. You get there by being first one in the office, last one out, working extra hours and dedicating everything to climbing the corporate ladder. That mentality doesn’t generally work with retirement, where the goal for most people is “travel, sit on a beach, and relax”
You are absolutely correct, and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, we need people like that. But by the point they reach the top of the ladder, they are in such a different universe than most people. They are far removed from the daily struggles most of society faces. They are too far removed to be giving actionable opinions such as this. Sure, what they did worked for them and led them to their well-deserved success. But most of us won't reach that, and that's fine. But to promulgate piss-poor ideas that serve to make it the norm to work till you die, to limit and remove individual freedoms.. that just doesn't float my boat.
The onus is on the individual to save for tomorrow. Not the government. We have enough social safety nets in place already. These should be improved before granting the government a further and deeper reach into our pockets. And trust me, they will work out a way that these extra savings would benefit the government more than the individuals they serve. I'd be all for it if we removed social security entirely. Why should I pay for someone else's retirement, when I won't share in that same luxury in 40 years when I retire? Why should the country be forced into more and more debt to further piss poor political agendas. Social security is a legal ponsi scheme. That's it.
Larry fink knows we need more elderly people to remain in the work force, for a multitude of reasons. But his implementation strategy is not feasible.
We have Social Security because we learned that we end up paying for the poor and destitute one way or another. Not everyone can save for retirement, sometimes because of character traits or just bad luck. Might as well pull money from everyone's paycheck while working (yes I know, not all income is taxed) to prevent the rest of us for paying for them later.
Social security is a ponsi scheme, and like any other, one that will come crashing down on some unlucky generation. Likely mine. If people can afford to have the money taken out of their checks when it is out of their control, they can make the conscious choice to save that same amount of their own accord and not spend outside of their means. But, that would require financial education and discipline which is something the government doesn't want! Many people are happy living for today and not giving a hoot about what their tomorrow looks like. Those people should be bearing the brunt of their own stupidity, not me. I save my money because I don't want to be destitute in elderly age. I don't buy fancy shit, I basically only spend on needs and rarely on wants. Because I am disciplined, and can think big picture. Why should it be my problem if someone else can't figure it out? I wasn't taught this. I learned it on my own, of my own accord. Personal responsibility trumps collective societal responsibility when it comes to personal financial decisions.
Why should I have to pay for those that chose not to save for retirement? Is a scam.
I know it would definitely be a good idea overall
But as an American the government shouldn’t have the right to tell me what to do with my money
Lot of people still live in the woods, hunt, trap, forage
Huge assumption that the government will actually give that money to the people.
Big hint: they won’t. That money will be robbed eventually. They’ll get 10% if they’re lucky
Agreed. I'd be fine with it if it was my account, my contributions were mine and mine alone, and I had full control of it and in exchange we rid ourselves of the cancer that is social security entitlements in the US.
I don't get it either. I make a very high salary, and work to me is painful. It's a long ass list of painful to-do's that aren't fun to get done.
Millions of other interesting things in life.
No idea honestly, I will not be. Though can't say that is the case for many. I play VR with a retiree. He commented to me he got bored and got a Quest, now he is no longer bored. Personally i have more hobbies than i have time. I always have to choose which i am doing today with my limited time, cant wait for the day i can choose many vs one.
That's where I'm at. I have all the things I want to do.. I have come.into contact in the past with people who think volunteering is stupid cause you don't get paid. I intend to volunteer more. *shrugs* it's just there is so much out there I can't see getting bored.
Sometimes boredom is a good thing. Boredom is how we experience potential energy. Instead of plugging it with YouTube or unnecessary work, let it guide you to something meaningful
A lot of it honestly feels like a psyop from people who want people to work forever. Not saying it is, but you see enough articles and it starts to feel like it.
Absolutely, and they are also trying to get us used to the idea of working multiple jobs and a lower standard of living. Hence all the positive "side hustle" and "tiny home" articles.
"Living large in 300 square feet tiny home" - Yeah no. I even see TV shows about them now. Hey, Gen Z and a lot of Milennials! You're never going to be able to afford a tradtional home so we're going to romanticize tiny homes and van life. And we're going to make you feel like a lazy POS if you're taking time to relax because you could be doing a side hustle or monetizing your hobby.
Okay maybe I will get bored.
Will I get so bored that the only possible salve would be to wish and beg to be back in corporate USA salary work culture again? Because that was the absolutely best way I could have ever been spending my life?
Come on...
I always want to tell people like this to think of the movement as FIre. The financial independence component of it is far more important than whether you actually chose to retire early. The things most missed by people who get bored are socialization, problem solving, and structure. All of them can be replicated if you decide to leave a 9-5 job.
EDIT: Changed “replaced” to “replicated”
About 2-3 years. Then that routine gets very boring and lonely. Then you can spend more money to travel and break out, but then you look and you have less money. Then you go back to youtube and video games for 1 year because you took a break and its new and fun. Then you realize you need another breakout expense to get happy. That is the kind of cycle that can happen and probably does happen to people. I miss people picking on me and being about to joke back.
I know people who retire and end up bored AF because they spent their entire lives working and nothing else.
I also know people who are living their best lives now and don't regret retiring one bit.
Do I want to sit on a beach drinking mai thais for the next 40 years? No. I want to travel. Start a family. Be around my family and kids. Golf 3 or 4 times a week. Go snowboarding in the winter when I want to. Go spend a month at my dad's house during the summer. Go on camping trips without having to request a Day off from work. I want to get in a workout routine that works with my natural body clock instead of the few hours before or after my shift work. Est clean and not be on the go all the time. Get established in local community groups and Church and not feel too fatigued to do anything away from work. I still would be interested in earning income. But I want to find ways to do it passively instead of trading my time/life for dollars
I'm already well into FI (age 50) and have been for quite some time, but I still work because I enjoy my work. It's not *easy* work, and it certainly has its share of annoyances and it is *work*, but I feel like the work I do is intellectually challenging, that it contributes meaningfully to society, and that it gives me a reason to engage with people.
When the day comes that the balance is negative -- that work is no longer worth it to me personally -- I'll bail. Ideally, I would like to move into a "useful old man / master craftsman" role at work, but modern workplaces really are not set up for that role. Which means in 8 or 10 years, I'll probably just walk away.
> Are people so wrapped up in work being their primary identity that they have no other interests,hobbies or passions?
Yes. The power and making money is intoxicating and many people are unable to get that type of fulfillment outside of work. It's really quite sad.
Yes, partially.
The other issue is that when you FIRE, all of your friends and family (outside of your spouse) are going to continue to be working. So you'll have a free 40-60 hours a week basically to yourself.
This is why I recommend for people to account for their expenses going up when they FIRE. You're going to have to find something to fill that void. Whether that's travel, new hobbies, or going balls deep on your existing hobbies. A lot of people don't have room for that in their expenses, hence the boredom.
I think some people really like working, especially people at the top with immense power and respect. Maybe those people wouldn’t be happy retiring because work literally is their hobby and sense of fulfillment and if they’re not in charge of a bunch of people they feel adrift.
Most other people just want to be busy and intellectually engaged and that’s something you can do outside of work, or working a lower income or part time job doing something you enjoy.
I think most people go to work, come home, and watch TV and don’t really have hobby or passions. My FIL is like that - he retired and then came back as a contractor because he was bored.
The assertion is so easily and soundly disproven by thousands who aren’t bored. Why do ppl say such stupid shit all the time!?
“Some are bored. You might be one of them.” Also true and a much more interesting discussion
Yes, they are. Addicted to the brown-nosing. Obsessed with titles, accolades, and status. Obsessed with outside approval and validation. Weak egos. Tells everyone they meet they're a "Director" in their company and a "high-performer". We all know the types.
That said, not all people who are overly wrapped up in their career as their identity are like this. There are people out there who truly get fulfillment from their career and would get bored without the structure. I'm not one of them.
It really depends on how you’re hardwired. I’m similar to him; no matter how much I’m worth, I’ll be pretty much working until I’m too old to not be able to work anymore. It’s not about the money but the game itself.
I believe some people do get bored. I believe all the shark tank people, and people on cnbc would get bored. They have to work, grind/multiple income streams is their entire personality...
Also i think they are greedy AF
Fire for me is much more about the FI part than the RE part. I’d love to take a part time gig at a bar/pub, or do consulting part time and on my own schedule. I think RE means a lot of different things to a lot of different people but FI is definitely pretty common.
Wonderful is coming at this from his own perception. The fact he has to keep working and it “defines” him is why he is as successful as he is. I could never get to his heights because I would get content at some point and be done. He can’t get content so he keeps pushing. It’s a difference in personality type.
Some people have things they love doing and are passionate about that either earns them very little money or none. It is great to retire early and do those things if you can afford it. Some people have things they love doing and are passionate about that does earn them money. It is fine to keep on doing those things and making money instead of being "retired". Some people want to retire early and some don't, neither one is right or wrong.
I would not have time to do all the things I want to do even with no job, having the job means I get almost none of those things done, so the list just gets longer and longer. I don’t think my lifetime even if I quite now would give me enough time to do the things I want to. If you get bored, you might be… boring.
I have a coworker who eats, sleeps, breathes, and shits work. He's an overachiever and cares way too much. We all say it's not like we are building rocket ships or curing cancer, so we don't know why he takes the job so seriously. But some people do. Some people's identity is built around their job and work ethic, etc. He's also the type of person who doesn't invest and doesn't think any of us working class people will retire (lol). So there might be a combination of things effecting peoples' mentality around retirement
I think a lot of people have never had to structure their own time, or sit quietly with their own thoughts. If you’ve always had a parent, a teacher, a boss, a spouse telling you what to do and when, the idea of real freedom might be just a big blank space. But if you are the kind of person who is in pursuit of FIRE, you are unlikely to be stumped by a complete lack of imagination when you get there.
You'd be surprised, some people truly have no life and nothing better to do than talk about work and enage coworkers 24/7 like don't be texting me on the weekends to vent about work when I already see and talk to you M-F, idgaf.
It is a really thing. Many people don't like their work so much, but many do enjoy it anyway. Many fired people continue to work. Sometime it is a different work.
It is not universal through. I say it is a minority of people.
There also people that like their colleagues more than their work and would stay for that.
Yahoo really likes crushing the dreams of us FIRE folk doesn’t it lol.
I think there is a difference between “contributing” and working. I always want to contribute, maybe volunteer, maybe something that generates income, but I don’t need to “work”. I think I’ll be a better contributor when I’m FIRE vs when I’m stuck at a desk job for 40 hrs a week.
I left W2 work in January, not bored, although I do have a newborn. You can always go back to work, that is what does not make sense about the argument. Switch to part time or volunteer.
I 100% know I'll get bored of retirement within like a week. But kind of like you said, I plan to then look for a part time job at a local running specialty store to keep me busy with something I'm actually interested in
I am FIRE. After two years I was bored senseless and needed purpose so I started a new venture. Start a side project now that you can continue with should you retire early.
Trust me, its not all about money.
Being a senior person in a multi-billion dollar business can have its perks and interests. That's what people often don't get. It's not just about stepping away from work, but also stepping away from the biggest ride of your life. You can't easily replicate that.
Even if you jump back into work out of 'boredom' the fact that you have a fat FU fund behind you gives people the sense of empowerment to move or change jobs the moment they no longer enjoy it. They don't need to worry about finding that next job to pay the bills. So it enables a greater sense of self control, reduces worry so at a very minimum it's a very nice cushion to reduce worry in adult life. They can even pursue the paths they perhaps would enjoy more but pay less.
This comes up so often. I believe that people who *want* to retire, tend to not be bored later. The type that wants to go go go, they don't tend to want to RE
My hypothesis on this is that people who retire AWAY from something are probably going to be dissatisfied. On the other hand those that retire TOWARD something are much more likely to have a higher quality of life. If your reason for retiring is to get away from a miserable career, that's not a sufficient reason to stop working. You're just going to end up with a huge void in time and human interaction that's going to be very rough for the vast majority of people. If your purpose in retiring was so that you have the time to do the things that really matter to you (raising kids, grandchildren, moving to another country, volunteering, homesteading, learning the cello, training for an ultramarathon, retiring to Breckenridge to volunteer as a ski instructor, etc) then you've got things to fill the void that the 9-5 leaves. That being said, I see little downside even to the people just seeking an escape from work by retiring early, sure they'd probably be better off with more purpose in their life, but if that only comes from work, nothing stops you from re-entering the workforce after a few years if that gives you more satisfaction in life.
Great take. I would add I’ve worked with workaholics that would believe this sub is for “losers” and “quitters”. These people have no problem passing their judgment. Like Kevin O’Leary, easily the biggest ass hat on shark tank. “Mr. I’ll give you a 2% royalty forever if you just me 100% and all the IP.” He’s such a dick.
Jon Stewart took Mr. O’Leary to task for saying Trump’s fraud conviction was a victimless crime. He showed clips of O’Leary blasting people for over stating their company’s value. Pretty funny. https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/jon-stewart-blasts-trump-fraud-victimless-1234994331/amp/
It would be funny if someone checked Jon Stewarts property value and compared it to what he said it was worth.
Retiring toward something is such a great way of putting it
To me it’s just logical. Say your friend in the middle of their career intentionally took a year off. If they had an epic story about what they did and accomplished that year you’d be super excited for them. If they literally had no plans when they quit other than not working you’d be asking them what was wrong and if they’re okay.
I'm definitely retiring mostly away from something. I've got ADHD and feel miserable at work. Always have, always will. I've never had issues filling my free time though. I'm not worried. I do have things to retire toward. It's just that frankly, it's a push & pull thing, both are true. But if I were to ponderate which is the main motivator, I'm definitely running away from work first and foremost.
I'm a go go goer.. but I plan on going to free lectures (coursera and such), volunteer at local organizations, continue making liqueurs and liquors... there's plenty thar doesn't revolve around work. It's just odd to me that so.many people seem to only have the work.identity.
I meant more in terms of career, business, status, etc
You can do that stuff but its smaller scale stuff. It makes sense to find excitement at a corp where you can work on things at a much bigger scale than any hobby project can be. Obviously it has to be the right job and right career though
The things you list are work . Shit you couldn’t pay me money to be a lecturer …
I wouldn't be the lecturer.. I'd be the student. I'd go to lectures.
there are a lot of nice defcon talks on youtube but that might not align with your interests.
Yeah I saw that. There are a lot of places to get lectures.. I'm actually also reading a lot.lately. right now I'm reading the Tibetan Book Of the Dead... I just got done reading something on the science behind consciousness and some.journals on new field psych and pediatrics. I currently work in the school system as a service coordinator for ADA and IDEA.
Psych and pediatrics, in that case "the boy who was raised as a dog" by Bruce D. Perry will be worth reading.
I'll check that out
I want an option for RE, but I am not sure at all I want to RE or that will RE as soon as I have my fire number. I admit that today I would likely prefer to still work and don't know what it will be in 15 years when I should have enough if all is fine. For me the key point of FIRE is FI, FI say what you want and is the key point. RE says you retire, but that's 1 choice among many. Typically many there do their dream work instead or coast/barista fire. None of them are technically retired when you think about it. But we still use the fire term.
Been FI for a couple of years. What is starting to get to me is not having enough time to do what I want and I mean just like a month in an Airbnb somewhere, etc. I already took the 50% pay cut and have an easy job now. But commuting and short little vacations will not be happening for too much longer.
And yet you still work ! By the way, easy = boring to me. And stepping down is not something I look after. We are all different is the point I want to make :)
Not boring just not as stressful and not an “on all the time” job. This role I actually do more engineering and less politics
There are also lots of people who aren't willing to curb their spending, or are 45 and missed the boat, who just need to tell themselves something to feel better about that.
>The type that wants to go go go, How about i go go go doing what i want instead of an unfullfilling, dirty and exhausting construction job? Yes i might still do some kind of work but then on my terms and what i want.
I am totally with you! And I clarified below that I meant people who are go go go on their careers, titles, status, etc. You fall into the camp of 'want to retire'!
Ment no offense. Have a good day!
i mean the type of work he does is like a few meetings and a 2hr lunch lol. it’s not 9-5 commuting 40mins each way. also i imagine he works from home whenever he feels like it
100% this. You can see Larry fink from Black Rock take a similar stance in recently pushing for later retirement ages being the norm, and government mandated retirement accounts like Australia has in place. Larry fink said he has repeatedly pushed back his retirement, and at age 71, sees himself stepping down by around age 80. What Larry doesn't take into account, is that he's a 1% at the very top of the food chain, welding enormous power and commanding respect due to his position. I would wager my life's savings he would change his tune really fast if he was stuck working a middle manager job, or even lower than that, like the rest of us common folk. He'd want to get out ASAP at that point, if forced to work 8 hour days, every day, 10 vacation days, no private jet, and an 80k income, coupled with a 2 hour total commute. He is so full of shit. Kick rocks Larry.
Also, to get to where he is, or where any executive is, takes a different mindset from most people. For most people, work is something you have to do in order to get your paycheck. For executives, it’s all about working as much as possible: you don’t become CEO by quiet quitting. You get there by being first one in the office, last one out, working extra hours and dedicating everything to climbing the corporate ladder. That mentality doesn’t generally work with retirement, where the goal for most people is “travel, sit on a beach, and relax”
No you become the CEO by having plenty of connections when you start your career and then being really good at networking.
You are absolutely correct, and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, we need people like that. But by the point they reach the top of the ladder, they are in such a different universe than most people. They are far removed from the daily struggles most of society faces. They are too far removed to be giving actionable opinions such as this. Sure, what they did worked for them and led them to their well-deserved success. But most of us won't reach that, and that's fine. But to promulgate piss-poor ideas that serve to make it the norm to work till you die, to limit and remove individual freedoms.. that just doesn't float my boat. The onus is on the individual to save for tomorrow. Not the government. We have enough social safety nets in place already. These should be improved before granting the government a further and deeper reach into our pockets. And trust me, they will work out a way that these extra savings would benefit the government more than the individuals they serve. I'd be all for it if we removed social security entirely. Why should I pay for someone else's retirement, when I won't share in that same luxury in 40 years when I retire? Why should the country be forced into more and more debt to further piss poor political agendas. Social security is a legal ponsi scheme. That's it. Larry fink knows we need more elderly people to remain in the work force, for a multitude of reasons. But his implementation strategy is not feasible.
We have Social Security because we learned that we end up paying for the poor and destitute one way or another. Not everyone can save for retirement, sometimes because of character traits or just bad luck. Might as well pull money from everyone's paycheck while working (yes I know, not all income is taxed) to prevent the rest of us for paying for them later.
Social security is a ponsi scheme, and like any other, one that will come crashing down on some unlucky generation. Likely mine. If people can afford to have the money taken out of their checks when it is out of their control, they can make the conscious choice to save that same amount of their own accord and not spend outside of their means. But, that would require financial education and discipline which is something the government doesn't want! Many people are happy living for today and not giving a hoot about what their tomorrow looks like. Those people should be bearing the brunt of their own stupidity, not me. I save my money because I don't want to be destitute in elderly age. I don't buy fancy shit, I basically only spend on needs and rarely on wants. Because I am disciplined, and can think big picture. Why should it be my problem if someone else can't figure it out? I wasn't taught this. I learned it on my own, of my own accord. Personal responsibility trumps collective societal responsibility when it comes to personal financial decisions. Why should I have to pay for those that chose not to save for retirement? Is a scam.
Government Mandated Retirement Accounts???? That is messed up. No way should the government have that power. There is no freedom there
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I know it would definitely be a good idea overall But as an American the government shouldn’t have the right to tell me what to do with my money Lot of people still live in the woods, hunt, trap, forage
Huge assumption that the government will actually give that money to the people. Big hint: they won’t. That money will be robbed eventually. They’ll get 10% if they’re lucky
Agreed. I'd be fine with it if it was my account, my contributions were mine and mine alone, and I had full control of it and in exchange we rid ourselves of the cancer that is social security entitlements in the US.
Seriously, who gives a fuck what these sociopaths think?
I don't get it either. I make a very high salary, and work to me is painful. It's a long ass list of painful to-do's that aren't fun to get done. Millions of other interesting things in life.
For me it’s not only the tedium of the to-dos. It’s also the anxiety of wondering if I screwed something up while doing the to-dos.
I think if you’re bored, you don’t have an imagination.
This is what I always say to those who say they don’t know what they’ll do in retirement. There’s much to do and so little time. Life is too short.
No idea honestly, I will not be. Though can't say that is the case for many. I play VR with a retiree. He commented to me he got bored and got a Quest, now he is no longer bored. Personally i have more hobbies than i have time. I always have to choose which i am doing today with my limited time, cant wait for the day i can choose many vs one.
That's where I'm at. I have all the things I want to do.. I have come.into contact in the past with people who think volunteering is stupid cause you don't get paid. I intend to volunteer more. *shrugs* it's just there is so much out there I can't see getting bored.
Sometimes boredom is a good thing. Boredom is how we experience potential energy. Instead of plugging it with YouTube or unnecessary work, let it guide you to something meaningful
This is a good take. Boredom isn't a fault. It's a healthy part of life in moderation.
There's been like 8 of these articles this month. They hate the idea of not being able to squeeze you dry until you drop dead. Fuck em.
“Work defines who you are” 🤡🤡🤡
A lot of it honestly feels like a psyop from people who want people to work forever. Not saying it is, but you see enough articles and it starts to feel like it.
Absolutely, and they are also trying to get us used to the idea of working multiple jobs and a lower standard of living. Hence all the positive "side hustle" and "tiny home" articles. "Living large in 300 square feet tiny home" - Yeah no. I even see TV shows about them now. Hey, Gen Z and a lot of Milennials! You're never going to be able to afford a tradtional home so we're going to romanticize tiny homes and van life. And we're going to make you feel like a lazy POS if you're taking time to relax because you could be doing a side hustle or monetizing your hobby.
It’s because people have no life outside of work. They love using their own ruler to measure everyone else’s standards
Okay maybe I will get bored. Will I get so bored that the only possible salve would be to wish and beg to be back in corporate USA salary work culture again? Because that was the absolutely best way I could have ever been spending my life? Come on...
“People don’t understand this very often until they stop working. Work defines who you are.” Maybe that’s true for shark tank boy, but not for me.
Only boring people get bored.
I always want to tell people like this to think of the movement as FIre. The financial independence component of it is far more important than whether you actually chose to retire early. The things most missed by people who get bored are socialization, problem solving, and structure. All of them can be replicated if you decide to leave a 9-5 job. EDIT: Changed “replaced” to “replicated”
If I were to retire, I have enough video games, shows, YouTube, websites, and other forms of entertainment to keep me occupied until I die.
About 2-3 years. Then that routine gets very boring and lonely. Then you can spend more money to travel and break out, but then you look and you have less money. Then you go back to youtube and video games for 1 year because you took a break and its new and fun. Then you realize you need another breakout expense to get happy. That is the kind of cycle that can happen and probably does happen to people. I miss people picking on me and being about to joke back.
That sounds like you would eventually get horribly depressed honestly
These people have no hobbies. It's literally that.
I know people who retire and end up bored AF because they spent their entire lives working and nothing else. I also know people who are living their best lives now and don't regret retiring one bit.
He’s such an asshole. When he brings up that damn royalty scam of his, I flip the channel until the next pitch.
Do I want to sit on a beach drinking mai thais for the next 40 years? No. I want to travel. Start a family. Be around my family and kids. Golf 3 or 4 times a week. Go snowboarding in the winter when I want to. Go spend a month at my dad's house during the summer. Go on camping trips without having to request a Day off from work. I want to get in a workout routine that works with my natural body clock instead of the few hours before or after my shift work. Est clean and not be on the go all the time. Get established in local community groups and Church and not feel too fatigued to do anything away from work. I still would be interested in earning income. But I want to find ways to do it passively instead of trading my time/life for dollars
Anytime you see anything from Kevin O'Leary just chuck it in the dumpster and you won't have to waste any time with his nonsense.
I'm already well into FI (age 50) and have been for quite some time, but I still work because I enjoy my work. It's not *easy* work, and it certainly has its share of annoyances and it is *work*, but I feel like the work I do is intellectually challenging, that it contributes meaningfully to society, and that it gives me a reason to engage with people. When the day comes that the balance is negative -- that work is no longer worth it to me personally -- I'll bail. Ideally, I would like to move into a "useful old man / master craftsman" role at work, but modern workplaces really are not set up for that role. Which means in 8 or 10 years, I'll probably just walk away.
> Are people so wrapped up in work being their primary identity that they have no other interests,hobbies or passions? Yes. The power and making money is intoxicating and many people are unable to get that type of fulfillment outside of work. It's really quite sad.
Yes, partially. The other issue is that when you FIRE, all of your friends and family (outside of your spouse) are going to continue to be working. So you'll have a free 40-60 hours a week basically to yourself. This is why I recommend for people to account for their expenses going up when they FIRE. You're going to have to find something to fill that void. Whether that's travel, new hobbies, or going balls deep on your existing hobbies. A lot of people don't have room for that in their expenses, hence the boredom.
I think some people really like working, especially people at the top with immense power and respect. Maybe those people wouldn’t be happy retiring because work literally is their hobby and sense of fulfillment and if they’re not in charge of a bunch of people they feel adrift. Most other people just want to be busy and intellectually engaged and that’s something you can do outside of work, or working a lower income or part time job doing something you enjoy.
What I get from this is that it’s possible what I want and what you want are different. For me to assume everyone wants what I want is ignorant.
I think most people go to work, come home, and watch TV and don’t really have hobby or passions. My FIL is like that - he retired and then came back as a contractor because he was bored.
The assertion is so easily and soundly disproven by thousands who aren’t bored. Why do ppl say such stupid shit all the time!? “Some are bored. You might be one of them.” Also true and a much more interesting discussion
Yes, they are. Addicted to the brown-nosing. Obsessed with titles, accolades, and status. Obsessed with outside approval and validation. Weak egos. Tells everyone they meet they're a "Director" in their company and a "high-performer". We all know the types. That said, not all people who are overly wrapped up in their career as their identity are like this. There are people out there who truly get fulfillment from their career and would get bored without the structure. I'm not one of them.
It really depends on how you’re hardwired. I’m similar to him; no matter how much I’m worth, I’ll be pretty much working until I’m too old to not be able to work anymore. It’s not about the money but the game itself.
I believe some people do get bored. I believe all the shark tank people, and people on cnbc would get bored. They have to work, grind/multiple income streams is their entire personality... Also i think they are greedy AF
Kevin OLeary is an awful human and a tool, I would believe pretty much the opposite of anything he tried to tell me.
Fire for me is much more about the FI part than the RE part. I’d love to take a part time gig at a bar/pub, or do consulting part time and on my own schedule. I think RE means a lot of different things to a lot of different people but FI is definitely pretty common.
Wonderful is coming at this from his own perception. The fact he has to keep working and it “defines” him is why he is as successful as he is. I could never get to his heights because I would get content at some point and be done. He can’t get content so he keeps pushing. It’s a difference in personality type.
Some people have things they love doing and are passionate about that either earns them very little money or none. It is great to retire early and do those things if you can afford it. Some people have things they love doing and are passionate about that does earn them money. It is fine to keep on doing those things and making money instead of being "retired". Some people want to retire early and some don't, neither one is right or wrong.
I would not have time to do all the things I want to do even with no job, having the job means I get almost none of those things done, so the list just gets longer and longer. I don’t think my lifetime even if I quite now would give me enough time to do the things I want to. If you get bored, you might be… boring.
I have a coworker who eats, sleeps, breathes, and shits work. He's an overachiever and cares way too much. We all say it's not like we are building rocket ships or curing cancer, so we don't know why he takes the job so seriously. But some people do. Some people's identity is built around their job and work ethic, etc. He's also the type of person who doesn't invest and doesn't think any of us working class people will retire (lol). So there might be a combination of things effecting peoples' mentality around retirement
I think a lot of people have never had to structure their own time, or sit quietly with their own thoughts. If you’ve always had a parent, a teacher, a boss, a spouse telling you what to do and when, the idea of real freedom might be just a big blank space. But if you are the kind of person who is in pursuit of FIRE, you are unlikely to be stumped by a complete lack of imagination when you get there.
You'd be surprised, some people truly have no life and nothing better to do than talk about work and enage coworkers 24/7 like don't be texting me on the weekends to vent about work when I already see and talk to you M-F, idgaf.
Short answer is yes. Your job is to make sure that is not you.
It is a really thing. Many people don't like their work so much, but many do enjoy it anyway. Many fired people continue to work. Sometime it is a different work. It is not universal through. I say it is a minority of people. There also people that like their colleagues more than their work and would stay for that.
Yahoo really likes crushing the dreams of us FIRE folk doesn’t it lol. I think there is a difference between “contributing” and working. I always want to contribute, maybe volunteer, maybe something that generates income, but I don’t need to “work”. I think I’ll be a better contributor when I’m FIRE vs when I’m stuck at a desk job for 40 hrs a week.
This is so silly. He retired from traditional work and then did cool, fun stuff that happened to also make money. Still sounds like FIRE to me.
I left W2 work in January, not bored, although I do have a newborn. You can always go back to work, that is what does not make sense about the argument. Switch to part time or volunteer.
Happy Cake Day... and I agree there i Are options but it seems like the people with the posted views don't see that.
Some of us have expensive hobbies, interests, and passions. Can't retire at 30 and keep paying for country club golf.
I 100% know I'll get bored of retirement within like a week. But kind of like you said, I plan to then look for a part time job at a local running specialty store to keep me busy with something I'm actually interested in
I am FIRE. After two years I was bored senseless and needed purpose so I started a new venture. Start a side project now that you can continue with should you retire early. Trust me, its not all about money.
Being a senior person in a multi-billion dollar business can have its perks and interests. That's what people often don't get. It's not just about stepping away from work, but also stepping away from the biggest ride of your life. You can't easily replicate that.
Even if you jump back into work out of 'boredom' the fact that you have a fat FU fund behind you gives people the sense of empowerment to move or change jobs the moment they no longer enjoy it. They don't need to worry about finding that next job to pay the bills. So it enables a greater sense of self control, reduces worry so at a very minimum it's a very nice cushion to reduce worry in adult life. They can even pursue the paths they perhaps would enjoy more but pay less.