Weird? Faced a lot of hardship? Take heart.

[Brett_Cameron]

Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

[Delaney]

I'm #1 and #2.

These findings make sense to me. Being #1 might help with planning.

I think being #2 might make it more important to escape the cubicle and also makes it less likely that we would be bored in retirement.

[Calico]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ER Eddie You're welcome. Here's the full text. "1. Honor Your Eccentricity. Throughout most of our lives, many if not most of us strive mightily to fit in. Whether we are in the fifth grade, in high school, on the basketball team at college or at work, the great majority of us want to be accepted by the people around us. But perhaps somewhat surprisingly, many of the most successful retirees I interviewed claimed to have failed miserably at doing this, referring to themselves as 'wacky,' 'weird,' or a 'lifelong misfit.' Indeed, having so many energized seniors tell me how socially inept they had been as younger adults caused me to wonder if the very fact that these people had to come to terms with being 'odd' earlier in life helped give them the strength to do well later. 'At first it surprised me when so many life-loving retirees cheerfully described themselves as 'odd,' 'a little nuts,' or even 'a true deviant,' but when this theme kept cropping up, I took it more seriously. Eventually, I even began asking my interviewees if they believed that odd or eccentric retired people do better than their more conformist peers. The majority answered with a resounding 'yes.' One friend explained it like this: 'I am the first to admit that I have always been a little odd. You can't help but observe how you fit -- or in my case, often don't fit -- into the world. The result is that I gained a sense of humility, or reduced expectations about life that many conventionally popular people never achieve. Thus I was better adapted to being old in America, a country where everyone over 60 is considered weird.' 2. Develop and Respect Toughness. A common demoninator of many of the retirees I identified as living particularly well was a belief that in their earlier years they had lived harder lives than many of their contemporaries. They believe that having had to cope with tough problems as children or young adults left them better equipped to deal with old age -- a time when living a fulfilling life commonsly requires putting all sorts of survival skills to work. A common attitude seemed to be, 'Yes, getting old is rough. I look like a prune, my physical problems have increased, and I am often lonely. So what? I learned years ago that life can be hard and that each day I have a choice -- I can give up or I can confront my obstacles and either overcome them or learn to live with them the best I can.' " (Get a Life, pp. 147-148).

Thanks - very interesting! I'm going to check out the book.

[ejman]

#1 throughout the day, # 2 every morning like clockwork. Maybe I should read what we are talking about first?

[Major Tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Don't you people ever tire of toilet humor?

After reading this, it feels a little Freudian declaring that I'm more of a #2 guy.

I don't think I've experienced any significant hardships, and if I had, I'd have blithely ignored them and concentrated instead on how I was going to get where I wanted to be.

[ER Eddie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calico Thanks - very interesting! I'm going to check out the book.

I got it from my library. I wouldn't recommend buying it, unless you've got spare cash. It's okay but a lot of it is pretty common-sensical.

[Animorph]

Not really #1, but #2 certainly fits. Isn't that supposed to be good for investing also? Maybe it's not as easy for "normal" people who want to follow the heard.

[jollystomper]

I might fit #1. Though I grew up in what many would call a ghetto, I never felt I lacked anything at the time, and the basics (food and shelter) were always covered by my parents who, while acknowledging that things might be tough, were always optimistic for our future.

#2 I'm not sure. I never felt myself as a "misfit". However, I did have the confidence of my convictions so sometimes would take a stand on things without being obnoxious about it, and was willing to adjust when I was proven wrong. DW said that was what attracted her to me during college - she saw me as someone who was popular but not a crowd follower, who got along with folks whom I disagreed with. Perhaps that helped in life to focus on the goals I wanted to accomplish without worrying if I was doing better" or "poorer" than my peers.

[timo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ER Eddie You're welcome. Here's the full text. ...They believe that having had to cope with tough problems as children or young adults left them better equipped to deal with old age " (Get a Life, pp. 147-148).

This makes more sense, that people believe that they had it more difficult, rather than that they actually had it more difficult.

That said, I match both 1 & 2, but then I have Sensory Processing disorder, so of course I would feel that.

[Calico]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ER Eddie I got it from my library. I wouldn't recommend buying it, unless you've got spare cash. It's okay but a lot of it is pretty common-sensical.

I was using "check out" in that sense - meaning literally from the library! If I have extra cash it goes in the retirement savings.

[ER Eddie]

Same here.

[Caoineag]

Both for me. I think the big thing with #1 is that it makes you think harder about what you want out of life.

[dmpi]

With regard to #2. A human being has thousands if not million of different attributes. Most of us have two arms, two legs, we like cheesecake, we like to watch movies, etc. Of these attributes many are different among people but yet many more are exactly the same. Considering yourself similar or different from others has largely to do with how you define yourself and what attributes you want to focus on.

[grasshopper]

I have lived in a blessed state my whole life. Maybe that is why I am such a #2.

[HFWR]

#1, because of #2...

[jayc]

While standing in a lift line in Summit county Colorado where the male ski bums outnumber the female ski bums 6/1, I heard one female ask if this is a good place to meet guys. The other female responded "The odds are good but the goods are odd".