Come to the Dark Side (of ER)

[Klubbie]

What a joke of an article. Someone who wants to retire at 45 says early retirement is bad. Lost any credibility right there.

The idea that early retirement is somehow a way of taking the easy way out and instant gratification also makes no sense seeing as to achieve it, the amount of money I must save today in order to reach that goal takes away from many things I would love to be doing now, but choose not too.

Complete hogwash.

I forget whether it was on ER Forum or some other place - something was posted about "regretting your life" because you hadn't done Great Things. Man, when I think about all the terrible things I had the chance to do in life - but did not do - I think, "Right there, I've already lived a good life."

I find the "Great Things" attitude to be perverse. Sure, people who do Great Things are great, but that doesn't mean everyone else is a loser! It's as if it's not enough to have been kind to others, done your best at work, paid your bills and taxes, and raised good kids/dogs/cats/whatever being you prefer. No, you should have achieved world peace while you were at it.

+1
I don't even know what "Great Things" means when I read things like that. When I was fresh out of college I thought I was going to change the world through my work. I am now 10 years out of college and have come to realize that the "Great Things" I am going to do in my life have nothing to do with work or career. In fact, I will go as far as to say that for most people, they will not change the world through their work and that's okay. That doesn't mean that work can't be meaningful, it doesn't mean that work can't be fulfilling, and it doesn't mean that you can't help people at your job on a day to day basis.

But anything I have ever done at work pales in comparison to what I have done, or will do, pales in comparison to what I have done as a husband, father (if I am lucky enough), friend, neighbor, pet owner, son, etc. I work hard and do the best I can at work but ultimately my greatest gratification and accomplishments happen outside the office and that has nothing to do with being lazy.

 

[travelover]

I think the term for the author's attitude is "sour grapes".

 

[ls99]

Well then, you missed the gem that ER people are lazy and want things now. And here I always thought that one of the reasons I could ER is that I worked hard and didn't spend my money on junk for immediate gratification. But I'm not a financial samurai so what do I know?

I suppose I proved his point that some ERs are lazy, then topped it by being disinterested and early quitter to boot.

 

[NW-Bound]

I would feel like a disgrace not to at least try and do great things.

45 is just an age goal. If I haven’t achieved my potential by then, I don’t plan on retiring even if I have the money to do so.

Quitting for real at 56, I did not retire that early although I was working only part-time since 47.

I could have easily gone on to higher positions by staying at megacorp and climbing their ladder, but that would be the same as selling my soul to the devil.

I did try to achieve great things outside of megacorp, but I failed.

So, there is no regret.

 

[streamjp]

“To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - that is to have succeeded”


― Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

[Souschef]

Slightly off topic, but scrabbler1 talks about "life scripts". The best advice I got was from a friend who said get out of NY. As a graduate engineer, I could have gotten a job on "the island", married, had my 2.6 kids, and been involved in local activities.
Instead I worked overseas as a field engineer in Asia, Alaska and Scotland. The experience was priceless!
The Emerson quote from streamjp also touched me as I fly for Angel Flight, taking sick adults and children to and from their appointments.
To me there is no "Dark Side", only one professed by people who are jealous and are stuck in their high consumption low saving habits.