You only live once - help

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jacob
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by jacob »

distracted_at_work wrote:
Fri Apr 21, 2017 8:44 am
What's the saying? "Plan like you will live forever, live like you will die tomorrow". Pretty words but light on the key details that fall in between methinks.
You just have to readjust the range. For example,

Plan like you will live 10-20 years more, live like you will die in 2-3 years.

Here's an interesting metaphor. Most fighter planes have a radar gun sight that computes speed and bullet deflection to tell you where the bullets you fire now (in the present) will be by the time they cover the range to enemy target. Using that kind of sight, you put the enemy in the crosshairs and hope he stays there until your bullets have traveled the distance. You can also hold the trigger down and position the cross hair in a way so that the enemy flies through the bullet stream. Effectively .. if you yaw suddenly, your sight will yaw along with you.

There's another kind of sight which is IIRC is called a "historic sight". This kind of sight will tell you where any bullet you fired in the past will be now at the range of the enemy aircraft. So, e.g the bullet velocity is 3000fps and the target is 1500ft out, then the sight will show where bullets fired 0.5 seconds ago are NOW. (The previous one would show where bullets fired now are 0.5 seconds in the future). To hit with this one you would arrange your aircraft in a way so that the enemy will fly through your sight in short order and then fire before he moves. Effectively .. if you yaw suddenly, your sight will stick for 0.5 seconds and then catch up.

There are thus TWO different ways of being future oriented. One is to make projections and think of the future as a time where one will eventually be (the future sight). The other is to live in the present but do so in a way that prepares and accounts for the fact that the future will eventually become the present (the historic sight). THAT is how I understand the quote above. You're not planning for the future. You're living today in such a way that when the future eventually arrives, your past actions were such that the future they resulted in are now good.

IOW, where you are today are the combined outcomes of choices you made 5-10-15 years ago.

I think that's the difference between YOLO .. that's what YOLO is lacking. There's rarely if ever any concern for future impacts .. so YOLO actions while always positive in the present are randomly positive and negative in the future. This way no momentum is built .. and eventually YOLO people run out of energy in their 40-50s ...

Dragline
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by Dragline »

distracted_at_work wrote:
Fri Apr 21, 2017 8:44 am
In terms of travel, my interpretation of what Dragline and 7Wannabe5 are saying is that certain experiences one has traveling can be replicated at home, which I agree with. I'd hedge that and say there are a number of travel experiences that cannot be replicated at home. It'd be up to the individual to figure out which type they value more. Yes?
Yes. Beautiful sunsets/sunrises and cheap wine with friends may be had in many places. Grand canyons and geysers not so much. I do like to see things like this -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDJ8XUghYXw

On the other hand, bear in mind that most places in the world are better not visited -- like the rest of Turkmenistan and various polluted and crowded cities in China and elsewhere.

Did
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by Did »

Dragline wrote:
Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:22 am
On the other hand, bear in mind that most places in the world are better not visited -- like the rest of Turkmenistan and various polluted and crowded cities in China and elsewhere.
Wow. No, not my view at all. But then everyone is different, and has different skills. I think if you enjoy (and are good at) exploring and having new experiences then most places in the world offer something. Bangkok for example is a wonderful place to visit, and it is extremely polluted and crowded. Paris is also crowded.

BRUTE
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by BRUTE »

Dragline wrote:
Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:22 am
On the other hand, bear in mind that most places in the world are better not visited -- like the rest of Turkmenistan and various polluted and crowded cities in China and elsewhere.
lol, "interesting" view.

brute would also say the complete opposite. almost all places in the world are, in their own way, unique. now what they have to offer might not be what that individual traveler might be looking for at the time of visit, but so far brute has found every place somewhat unique.

the grand canyon is nice, but only cool to look at for 2 minutes. there's more to see on every street corner in Bangkok. and even within countries, different cities have very different vibes to them, just like the US. big cities have different corners, just like Lower Manhattan is hard to compare to Brooklyn or the Bronx - there are many cities much bigger than NYC, where the contrasts are even starker.

IlliniDave
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by IlliniDave »

I tend to fall closer to Dragline's perspective. I've said before that I was born without the wanderlust gene, so I've only got to find the different environments I like once. Seeing another riff on the same theme 5,000 miles away is not an urgent need.

Jacob, as he has more than once, brings up the key piece so often overlooked--that where you start today is highly likely to have a substantial dependence on your past choices. YOLO cuts both ways. You can't go back in time and prepare for your future, so if you YOLO too long there's a certain amount of breathing room you may not be able to achieve later (time is your best friend when it comes to building wealth). The right kind of past choices will leave you with increasing future freedom.

I suppose it comes down to what a person truly values. A common sense approach might be to include all the things you value throughout you life. I value my recreation/adventure pursuits (modest in the context being discussed here), my hobbies and creative endeavors, but also value future financial independence. That forces me to moderate a little in all three areas. I don't think I'll lie on my death bed bemoaning the fact that I sacrificed somewhat in one area of my life for the sake of another area in my life I value just as much.

Dragline
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by Dragline »

BRUTE wrote:
Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:35 am


but so far brute has found every place somewhat unique.
Exactly. All the more reason to explore your local environs -- people erroneously equate "far away and somebody talked about it on the internet and whoo-hoo, won't people be jealous when I talk about this" with "interesting in its own way if I looked hard enough."

Why get on a plane when you can get on a bicycle? Or just frickin' walk? You want to see New York? Walk down Broadway from North of Times Square to Bowling Green at the tip of Manhattan.

It's lot more interesting than being stuck in traffic in Jakarta or getting stuck in the Charles De Gaulle airport because somebody went on strike. Believe me.

And Zarafshan, Uzbekistan is nothing to write home about. You might as well go to Ely, Nevada.
Last edited by Dragline on Sat Apr 22, 2017 8:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

TopHatFox
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by TopHatFox »

I've been exploring the concept of past lives and reincarnation recently, so if you do get hit by a bus in this life, perhaps you can say to hell with the deposit in your next life? Should you remember anyway... :P

I agree on the time-tables idea dragline mentioned. To add to it, if you can find a way to make your current job enjoyable, AND you're working toward even more happiness down the road by leveraging the resources you're accumulating, you're in the clear. I try to think of it as what we would do if we could never retire (make our work life enjoyable to the best of our ability I imagine), except that we can, and in very short order.

I'd much much rather combine a high income job I like with microadventures early on and then have that money compound on my behalf throughout life by the salary class than constantly be worried whether my blog or vlog will produce enough income for me to continue my perma-travel lifestyle, or if I do get injured during the travels (like breaking a leg while hiking).

------

Oo, one more thing: delete the worst of social media (FB, Pinterest, Tumblr, Snapchat, Instagram) and go on outdoor or travel trips on evenings or weekends. This will help with not comparing your cube with the (usually indebted) 20-somethings in Paris or SE Asia. Let these personal experiences be your badass motivation to raise income/lower expenses, to the point where you're still happy anyway.

James_0011
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by James_0011 »

Dude, if you're really going to be FI by age 29 whats the rush? 29 is really young, and this is coming from someone who is in his early twenties.

I disagree about what dragline said though to some extent. I think traveling as most people do it - visiting a place for a week or two is dumb, but "slow travel" or moving to a place for at least a year or more is something that I don't think you could replicate in your current area. This is especially true if the cultural shift is significant and you make an attempt to learn the local language.

James_0011
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by James_0011 »

Oh also, have you tried getting a location independent job? I'm trying to do this right now. Im not sure how common this is in your field though.

TopHatFox
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by TopHatFox »

Incidentally, how many people get hit by buses anyway? It's probably not that many...:P

distracted_at_work
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by distracted_at_work »

@Olaz. I could have been the King of England in a past life for all I know. Since I don't know, I will assume I turn back into space dust when I die. That means I need to get to the bottom of this problem in this life! :D

I think you're absolutely correct that a high income job, time and compounding interest is the best way given our present situation. Simply put, I am wavering a bit knowing how many neat things I could be out doing that aren't sitting in an office. That I'm working for the rest of my twenties, guaranteed and potentially wasting my best years.

I keep FB around as world wide phone book, otherwise I despise it. I can't defend the other apps given the amount of my time wasted.


@James. 29 doesn't seem young looking up at it I guess.

I think I'm done with 2 week vacations abroad. I think post-ERE 6 month stints with a goal (learn a language, etc) would suit me much more.

Unfortunately very uncommon in my field; it's not in the culture. I'm trying to change this.


@Jacob @IlliniDave Extremely key-piece indeed. I need to adjust my thinking to the "historic sight".

Dragline
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by Dragline »

Meh, I'm past fifty and can do anything you young pups can do, at least when it comes to going or living somewhere or having some kind of experience. (I just can't do it as fast or recover as quickly. :lol: )

The people who "have regrets" about not traveling to exotic places or doing certain things often have let their health go to an extent that they are not up to it physically. Take care of yourself and chances are very high that you will not have these issues.

Yes, you could get hit by the equivalent of a "rare medical disease" bus, but what that tells you is that you should get checked out regularly, not that you need to live your whole life before 35 or 40.

OTCW
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by OTCW »

Life goes on past the age of 29. I promise. And it's actually not all rocking chairs, soft foods, and confusion.

BRUTE
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by BRUTE »

Dragline wrote:
Sun Apr 23, 2017 11:19 am
The people who "have regrets" about not traveling to exotic places or doing certain things often have let their health go to an extent that they are not up to it physically. Take care of yourself and chances are very high that you will not have these issues.
this is probably the big issue. the other side of it is fucking up financials and not saving money, and ending up at 65 years old without ever having traveled, and without the money to do it then. brute knows plenty of old geezers that have out-partied him in all corners of the world, at 2x the age. in a wheelchair. not kidding.

regarding the local travel vs. far-away travel, brute has enjoyed both. they're different. there are things that a bicycle ride to upstate NY will not teach humans, while traffic jams at 2am in SE asia will. for one, living in a completely different culture (pretty much any eastern, latin, and presumably African culture) and standing out like a sore thumb is probably a worthwhile experience that most humans would find hard to replicate within 500 miles of their place of birth.

ebast
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by ebast »

on another mildy-correlated axis with young vs old, traveling while single can be pretty different than traveling while partnered

7Wannabe5
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Dragline said: Meh, I'm past fifty and can do anything you young pups can do, at least when it comes to going or living somewhere or having some kind of experience. (I just can't do it as fast or recover as quickly. :lol: )
lol- Ditto. Of course, I never was into anything requiring super-extreme fitness when I was young either, so...
ebast said: on another mildy-correlated axis with young vs old, traveling while single can be pretty different than traveling while partnered
True. Solo and/or single is different than with a partner, or with another couple, or with kids! Watching a sunset while drinking cheap wine is an entirely different experience if you are also responsible for keeping toddlers from falling in the water. I like to live with other people, but I really enjoy traveling or having adventures all by myself sometimes. Maybe because I am processing so much new input I don't need as much social interaction.

I really don't relate to YOLO or its polar opposite, because I am more of a make-work-fun/make-play-productive type, and there's really no age limit on taking it easy.

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jennypenny
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by jennypenny »

I think it's important to distinguish between 'you only live once' and 'you'll only get this opportunity once'. The first is an excuse to spend money. Unique opportunities, however, should be considered carefully. They are actually mentioned in jacob's description of ERE on the wiki. Part of the reason you buckle down early to get yourself into FU territory is so you can say yes to as many appealing opportunities as possible ... for the rest of your life. :)

OTCW
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by OTCW »

Battle of current self vs future self is always interesting.

Dragline
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by Dragline »

BRUTE wrote:
Sun Apr 23, 2017 2:36 pm
standing out like a sore thumb is probably a worthwhile experience that most humans would find hard to replicate within 500 miles of their place of birth.
If you are tall and go to Indonesia this will happen. Literally when you are in a crowd. But the view is good.

Dragline
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Re: You only live once - help

Post by Dragline »

jennypenny wrote:
Sun Apr 23, 2017 6:27 pm
I think it's important to distinguish between 'you only live once' and 'you'll only get this opportunity once'. The first is an excuse to spend money. Unique opportunities, however, should be considered carefully.
I got to the Isle of Skye that way. I happened to be in the UK and wanted to go to the end of Britain. I was sorry later when I heard they put a bridge where the ferry used to be.

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