“I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom”
Bob Dylan
Like most people, I spend too much time thinking about money. I’m not attracted to the social prestige that comes with money, but I believe that the ultimate thing money can buy you is freedom. In The Bed of Procrustes, Nicholas Nassim Taleb said “The ultimate freedom lies in not having to explain why you did something.” For the last few years, I’ve optimized my life for freedom and getting as much money as possible. On top of that, I read every book on the FIRE movement (for those unfamiliar, FIRE stands for “financial independence; retire early”) and watched as many videos on the topic as possible. I did all that only to realize it might not be what I wanted.
I want the possibility of not having to go to work if I don’t want to. In other words, I like the possibility of retiring in case something disastrous happens in my life. Nevertheless, I still want to get up early, go to work, and struggle like everyone else. Many writers and philosophers discussed the meaning of life, but one of my favorite definitions revolves around struggle. At some point, everyone fantasizes about sipping margaritas on a white-sand beach. That sounds fun, but it probably gets boring after a day or two. The solution isn’t to eliminate our problems but to keep our favorite ones and work on those forever.
I recently read about how the Japanese don’t have a word for retirement. They have a singular passion and then work on it until they die. For a lot of people, that sounds like a nightmare. Nevertheless, while it may not be what you want, it may be what you need.
There’s an inherent sacrifice that comes with freedom. Robert Henri put it best when he said “To be free, to be happy and fruitful, can only be attained through sacrifice of many common but overestimated things.” Similarly, George Bernard Shaw once said, “Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.”
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