Non-Normative Life Paths? How to do something no one has ever done before?

[BRUTE]

taking the OP literally, the easiest way to do something no humans has ever done before is probably to combine cross-domain activities, and add something to the mix that's only recently been possible. e.g. being the first human to sing Merry Christmas on Easter while riding a unicycle while wearing pink shoes while not wearing pants while carrying a late-model phone.

just typing this out brute realizes that it's really just an exercise in looking closely enough until enough detail for uniqueness emerges.

[TopHatFox]

Could be the making of a fun Youtube channel lol

[BRUTE]

sounds like signaling uniqueness is the goal

[TopHatFox]

Nah, I think the more important part of this post is what it means to live a meaningful and fulfilling life/ how to do something interesting that also makes us happy (though not necessarily other people or the masses)

[stand@desk]

I'd say find a good looking but not too good looking yet trustworthy life partner with a good family. Have a child or two and stay cash flow positive your entire life. The rest will take care of itself.

[stand@desk]

To further add to the conversation, relinquish the need to be or do something that has to be named so you can take an identity from it. Like going "vegan" for instance, or becoming a "marathoner." The bias for all or nothing in theory rarely transfers easily or accurately in practice. Sure, my wife and I have some vegan meals sometimes but not all the time. We do a lot of running but we don't only do marathons. Life is a long evolvement from one stage to the next. It is not static. If you do ERE at 35 or 18 or 50, you might also make some money on the side working on your own terms instead of the mans. Planning and discussing something named is great but in practice life is more fluid and I'd like to share a quote that has resonated with me recently:

"The meaning of your life is in the hands of those to come; that you do not have an authoritative voice in the meaning of your life. You do not, and it is proper that you do not..It is your humanity that the world needs. It is not you." -Stephen Jenkinson

Yes you can have some degree or a large degree of control of your life. But the meaning comes from those around you. It doesn't really come from you yourself.

[BRUTE]

I'd say find a good looking but not too good looking yet trustworthy life partner

but not too trustworthy

[Salathor]

I'd say find a good looking but not too good looking yet trustworthy life partner

but not too trustworthy

Ha! Stand@Desk's advice is good, though.

Responding to OP, though, have you considered whether the desire to follow 'non-normative' paths for the sake of not following the herd may be a weakness rather than a strength? Uniqueness often carries an added cost, and I'd imagine the same is true for lifestyle designs/costs, as well. Ie, being a vagabond wandered may come at the cost of not being able to develop long-lasting, fulfilling relationships as easily as you otherwise might.

One may say that this doesn't matter--and, indeed, deciding where to buck herd behavior for one's benefit is the whole point of ERE--but it's entirely possible that much of the "herd behavior" developed because it's best for "survival" in the metaphorical (not literal, anymore) sense. In other words, working while young, marrying and staying married, having kids, etc., may have physiological and psychological benefits that have conferred a survival advantage over the generations, and that's why they're now the norm.

I don't know why overspending has become the norm, unless it's our species' way of "peacocking" to attract a mate.

[stand@desk]

There is a lot of truth to the adage "Safety in the pack." -- Similar to the safest way to invest is in index funds because it's just safety in the pack investing. (Although I expect many on this board may have a different viewpoint on that statement.)

I believe it was Jacob that made a comment some time ago about opinions (or viewpoint of the world) on a spiral staircase. As you start out, your opinion of something may be a certain way. Then as you learn and gain experience your opinion changes to something different, and as you grow and gain even more experience, your opinion may be akin to your original opinion, but for completely different feelings and reasons.

I think it is like a distance runner. The best are able to run at many different speeds and hold the pace (depending on what type of training or racing they are doing), where beginners may not have that type of control over their running, so they just run the same pace all the time and think they are doing the right thing or what is right for them. And if anyone tries to tell them different they are unwilling to hear it out.

I guess the upside to living a non-normative path is that if it doesn't work out you can always write a book on it!