Is "early retirement" insensitive right now?

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut Just don't get a bumper sticker that says "My grandchildren are cuter than your grandchildren." Them is fighting words.

We win -- TKO in the 3rd :

[FDC319]

I don't worry what other people think. No offense, but folks are too sensitive these days. I laugh at those people. I don't worry about other people's success or failures. I wish them well either way. All I worry about is me or mine. I don't gloat, I'm not green with envy, I just go about my life.. I have a blue collar background and made a decision to stay in a blue-ish(green?) collar career. I don't care about those born into wealth or those who have had significant pressure by parents to go into lucrative careers. MYOB, have a thick skin, and expect others to do the same is how I go through life.

<--happily retired at 47.

[Dtail]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 We win -- TKO in the 3rd :

Very cute. The one on the left looks a little like your wife?

[CardsFan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom This would be an interesting topic for another thread - how much people feel they have sacrificed to achieve ER. It has probably already been the subject of a thread, I imagine. I don't feel that I sacrificed much at all, as I'm naturally wired to save, and not consume excessively. When I see posts by folk talking about how they sacrificed to achieve ER, I wonder whether it was really that hard for them, or whether they're merely feeling a little superior.

Bold by me.

I think sacrifice is too strong a word. Even saying that we "did without" isn't right. We just made choices. My son "did without" $100 Air Jordan's in 1990. Sorry, the cost/benefit was not there. He did, however, get a fully paid education at a pretty good university, with no loans.

We took vacations. Simple at first. Camping in the Berkshires, or a weekend on Cape Cod (off season). We visited family 2-3 times a year. Boston, SFO, Tahoe, STL, Cape Cod. Even took a 3 week National Lampoon European Vacation (seriously, it WAS that bizarre).

We did not get here by sacrificing, but by saving and investing, and the acronym we all know by heart LBYM. That does not mean you cannot have fun, just be a little smart about it.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dtail Very cute. The one on the left looks a little like your wife?

She's the one to be watched out for, so it's quite probable.

[anothercog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset Think of it as leaving a job opening for someone else, an act of charity

I actually do see it that way. I have a number of great people on my team right now and me staying is curbing their ability to rise in my department.

[Lienlord]

This is probably how I'll feel, so this is probably what I'll say!

[RobbieB]

Guilty are you? Of what? What evil did you inflict on humanity to feel guilty about?

[Badger]

Congratulations on your well earned retirement!


Cheers!

[Major Tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst Ants are wired differently from grasshoppers, it's true. That doesn't mean the ant wouldn't have liked to be carefree as a grasshopper. Ants just can't get away from thoughts of the cold hard winter, without anything saved in the nest

Very true. I think that many (most?) of us are not that exceptional, in that we are simply acting according to the way we were conditioned when growing up. The folk I admire, are those who succeed in breaking patterns of destructive learned behavior, and replacing them with new, more beneficial behaviors. Now that is hard work.

[Andre1969]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst This is the part that other people don't want to hear about. Nobody outside this forum welcomes stories of "what I suffered to get where I am today." (But you can share all the details with us, and we'll even try to top your tale of deprivation). To the rest of the world, it comes across like telling all the overweight people that they could be thin, if they'd only eat less and exercise more, like you do.

Yep, and those are the same people who will downplay your hard work and success by saying "you don't know how lucky you are!"

[retired1]

No guilt at all. In fact it'll be a sign of encouragement for others to save and get out of rat race early.

[Amethyst]

My Dad did that, long before I arrived. Granted, based on what he told us (and what I surmised, much later on) he only changed because he had to. But that in itself is an accomplishment. Some people will go on pressing the same broken doorbell all their lives.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom The folk I admire, are those who succeed in breaking patterns of destructive learned behavior, and replacing them with new, more beneficial behaviors. Now that is hard work.

[Amethyst]

That's the only way they can stand it. "Luck! It's all luck!"

And they're always partly right about that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andre1969 Yep, and those are the same people who will downplay your hard work and success by saying "you don't know how lucky you are!"

[RobbieB]

I stopped worrying about retirement sensitivity a long time ago.

Sorry, I lied. I've never worried about retirement sensitivity.

If ya gotta work, ya gotta work.

As for me I ain't gotta work anymore so I'm gone with the wind -

[2017ish]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom This would be an interesting topic for another thread - how much people feel they have sacrificed to achieve ER. It has probably already been the subject of a thread, I imagine. I don't feel that I sacrificed much at all, as I'm naturally wired to save, and not consume excessively....

We are basically wired like you, and from very early on had a plan to retire relatively early to travel. Others sure thought we were weird though. DW was the only doc who drove a cheaper car than most of her staff. I drove a cheaper car than any other lawyer that I worked with (and most of support staff). And, our conflicting schedules limited our travel (which is why we wanted to retire....).

But, all the kids got challenging schools and highly selective colleges without loans, and our annual week of travel as a couple was generally a pretty nice dive trip. We really didn't feel like we sacrificed at the time--although we sure do enjoy going out to eat every week now, not feeling compelled to always buy generic, and not characterizng grilled Chuck roast as "steak."

LBYM is the key--whether "sacrificial" or not.

[ls99]

For all my w*rking life never gave a thought to retirees, ER or otherwise. Having been retired for over 10 years, I never consider if anyone is bothered by retirees, ER or otherwise.

[brett]

IF I was considering early retirement at the moment during this covid period the question of whether it would be insensitive would be very far down my list.

Probably right before or right after the question should I buy a vacation home in North Korea or Syria.

[flyingaway]

Why is it insensitive if you have donated a job for those much needed?

[Amethyst]

I wonder if the question could be rephrased as, "Do other people ever have the right, depending on the state of the world etc., to make you feel guilty for retiring earlier than they do?"