https://www.amazon.com/Poor-Richards-Re ... letio03-20
Hahahaha I friggin' enjoyed listening to this guy's crazy Youtube rants at one point. I was only somewhat surprised to see him here! I think I had sent him an e-mail about ERE once.
His views are horribly racist, xenophobic, sexist, hyper-judgemental, and every other -ism one can throw at them. He's an asshole. No, seriously - that's his tagline. See his Youtube channel for evidence. That said, he does have some great points on the failings of American capitalism for the everyday person. He also has great points on avoiding overconsumption. And solid points on not making your partner your only source of purpose.
I may read it and pick out different points that seem reasonable. I found it interesting that it's listed on the front page of ERE. it's definitely not your polite or just book. What do you all think of Aaron and his views?
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Started listening to the book. He makes a good point that our current retirement system will only work for a small percentage of Americans. Ah, inequity. Awell, better start enacting strategies of the rich to make sure that small percentage is us!
Aaron Clary's Book featured on ERE!
Aaron Clary's Book featured on ERE!
Last edited by TopHatFox on Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jacob
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Re: Aaron Clary's Book featured on ERE?
This better be a book review and not a rule 6 push.
Re: Aaron Clary's Book featured on ERE?
The book is toned down compared to the Youtube channel. I've learned a lot from Aaron, even through the self-described veneer of "assholeness." I'm listening to the book. Maybe I'll write some comments later.
I'll let our lovely eccentric caravan and Dear Leader Jacob decide where this thread goes!
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Update: Book was a good summary of stuff we talk about a lot around here. People > rat race, minimalism, stoicism, principles > budgets, etc. I did think the negatives he painted on two-income households was poignant. I see a lot of that first hand with parents I've met who both work. Not sure how I felt about the part of the book placing human's economic woes on genetics alone. What about the giant marketing machine from a few humans pushing us all to consume? The Attrition piece in the end struck a chord. It's my most recent learnings. Quality humans are rare, find them and let them go when life changes. Get to work on finding some more.
I'll let our lovely eccentric caravan and Dear Leader Jacob decide where this thread goes!
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Update: Book was a good summary of stuff we talk about a lot around here. People > rat race, minimalism, stoicism, principles > budgets, etc. I did think the negatives he painted on two-income households was poignant. I see a lot of that first hand with parents I've met who both work. Not sure how I felt about the part of the book placing human's economic woes on genetics alone. What about the giant marketing machine from a few humans pushing us all to consume? The Attrition piece in the end struck a chord. It's my most recent learnings. Quality humans are rare, find them and let them go when life changes. Get to work on finding some more.
Re: Aaron Clary's Book featured on ERE!
I somewhat agree with his take that selling women on career = freedom was the last great gasp of the consumerist marketing century. It was also the death knell of home production. Of course, this was subsequent to the mid-century isolated nuclear family commuter-Dad, suburban-home-Mom model that was also quite flawed, therefore ripe for such exploitation. The industrialization of agriculture towards maximization of efficient production of calories is most likely root cause.
The difficulty is that there is an inherent conflict in designing most efficient, sustainable, "happiest" or least wasteful system depending on boundary. If you enclose all of humanity and nature into your boundary, and attempt to design THE BEST sustainable system from your Benign-Ruler-of-the-World-at-the-Center-of-the-Universe-Chair, then you will definitely limit freedom and utility (since you are not omniscient) within your mad grasp to take on all responsibility and authority. OTOH, drawing thick boundary lines right at the level of each individual human's skin sack is equally ridiculous, happiness-squashing and wasteful. The truism towards self-aware-self-care and maximization of overall utility is "Put on your own oxygen mask FIRST", not "ONLY."
Anyways, that is why I have some sympathy for young men like Clary, because behind all the "ist" ranting, there is likely a bit of an old-fashioned sweetheart desire towards placing the boundary at the level of "family" in an environment that is making this increasingly difficult. Not everybody wants to be a Global Citizen or live solo in a pod sucking soylent. It pretty much comes down to land and tools and contracts/boundaries/obligations. What and where will you share and with whom? The same part of your brain lights up when you consider your relationship with future you and/or your relationships with other humans (or any anthropomorphized others.) IMO, kind of a waste of time even starting to do the math until you establish these boundaries for yourself or your own ideal lifestyle systems design.
The difficulty is that there is an inherent conflict in designing most efficient, sustainable, "happiest" or least wasteful system depending on boundary. If you enclose all of humanity and nature into your boundary, and attempt to design THE BEST sustainable system from your Benign-Ruler-of-the-World-at-the-Center-of-the-Universe-Chair, then you will definitely limit freedom and utility (since you are not omniscient) within your mad grasp to take on all responsibility and authority. OTOH, drawing thick boundary lines right at the level of each individual human's skin sack is equally ridiculous, happiness-squashing and wasteful. The truism towards self-aware-self-care and maximization of overall utility is "Put on your own oxygen mask FIRST", not "ONLY."
Anyways, that is why I have some sympathy for young men like Clary, because behind all the "ist" ranting, there is likely a bit of an old-fashioned sweetheart desire towards placing the boundary at the level of "family" in an environment that is making this increasingly difficult. Not everybody wants to be a Global Citizen or live solo in a pod sucking soylent. It pretty much comes down to land and tools and contracts/boundaries/obligations. What and where will you share and with whom? The same part of your brain lights up when you consider your relationship with future you and/or your relationships with other humans (or any anthropomorphized others.) IMO, kind of a waste of time even starting to do the math until you establish these boundaries for yourself or your own ideal lifestyle systems design.
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Jason
Re: Aaron Clary's Book featured on ERE!
I watched one of his videos.
So he's just the Fox news version of MMM, right?
So he's just the Fox news version of MMM, right?
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James_0011
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Re: Aaron Clary's Book featured on ERE!
I listen to his podcast and agree with a lot of his views. I am more liberal than him (libertarian left) on the two axis chart, however I don’t like that a lot of liberals are afraid to speak the truth to avoid hurting peoples feelings.
I think he is doing a good thing overall by encouraging minimalism, and telling young people to major in practical subjects and to avoid debt. He also talks about not having a kid (which I agree with), and avoiding marriage (which I also agree with). He does have a very masculine slant, and I suspect that almost all of his listeners are men.
I think he is doing a good thing overall by encouraging minimalism, and telling young people to major in practical subjects and to avoid debt. He also talks about not having a kid (which I agree with), and avoiding marriage (which I also agree with). He does have a very masculine slant, and I suspect that almost all of his listeners are men.