20 Things I Should Have Known at 20

jennypenny · Post by **jennypenny** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 4:21 pm

Interesting list that includes some ERE-type ideas. The first one is funny "The world is trying to keep you stupid." Found this at code name insight's blog.
http://inoveryourhead.net/20-things-i-s ... own-at-20/
I think I would add "enjoy the journey" or a similar cliche. Death is the only meaningful finish line. I don't think you should go through life waiting to get to things or finish things.

Post by **jacob** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 5:16 pm

What about 5 things I should have known at 5?
1) Never attribute to evil what can be attributed to incompetence(*).

2) The world is not a meritocracy and shit rolls downhill.

3) Getting the right answer matters more than getting the answer right.

4) Do or do not, there is no try.

5) Don't be self-constrained by self-imposed persistence.
(*) Although there's a fine line between evil and oblivious self-interest.

secretwealth · Post by **secretwealth** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:14 pm

I love your list, Jacob. I think those are all really good--but depressing--life lessons every child should learn. It may be difficult, but it'd save a lot of heartbreak in adult life.

TheWanderingScholar · Post by **TheWanderingScholar** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 4:26 am

I like inoveryourhead. Its a cool blog, very EREisque in attitude, and its a minimalist blog at that.
The list is very eye opening so to say.

aussierogue · Post by **aussierogue** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 7:10 am

Yes i like the first one too.
Id add - always be yourself. The longer your fight your true self the more distortions, anxieties and problems appear. And this starts imo with career. Listen to the personality test, vocational testing experts.

karim · Post by **karim** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 7:12 pm

Good posts. And when it comes to right or wrong actions, I've found: "whether you can sleep at night with what you are about to do" is a good gauge.

Spartan_Warrior · Post by **Spartan_Warrior** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:17 pm

@aussierogue: "And this starts imo with career. Listen to the personality test, vocational testing experts."
I knew I should've listened to that high school career test that said my top career was "rock star".

Dezdura · Post by **Dezdura** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 1:52 am

The people who you work for do not "care" bout you. Neither do the people you work with. It is dog eat dog competition for top spots at work. Show no mercy.
Oh, and talent means nothing. It IS "who you sleep with.

TheLuckyWizard · Post by **TheLuckyWizard** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:28 am

lesson from buffett, never do anything you wouldn't want to read in the newspapers in the morning

dragoncar · Post by **dragoncar** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:57 am

Lucky wizard, this is why I never poop.

TheLuckyWizard · Post by **TheLuckyWizard** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 10:52 pm

exactly!

epoch707 · Post by **epoch707** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 10:07 pm

Here is one thing that I wish I had known at 20, the power of compounding returns. It is amazing the difference in saving/investing at age 20 vs age 30.
I found this article that explains it quite clearly:
http://www.patientcashflow.com/2012/04/ ... u-are-set/

Chad · Post by **Chad** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 3:17 am

"lesson from buffett, never do anything you wouldn't want to read in the newspapers in the morning"
Personally, I would go the other way with advice for my 20 year old self. I would say don't care at all what others think.

LonerMatt · Post by **LonerMatt** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:08 am

Epoch - that article assumes an 8% return.
:S
I know that's not the crux of the article's argument, but still.

aussierogue · Post by **aussierogue** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:43 pm

@spartan Warrior....its never too late...
keep rockin

Aussie

jennypenny · Post by **jennypenny** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 2:09 pm

@Chad, I wholeheartedly agree. People thought I was a wild child, but I loved my life and have no regrets.* You should make your big mistakes when you're young enough to get away with them.
*Of course, those were the days before YouTube

jzt83 · Post by **jzt83** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:16 pm

Don't allow wanderlust or indolence to cause you to work sporadically! You have the discipline to very easily save $12k to $18k per year. Just keep working full-time and don't give into the temptation to save a few grand, then stop working, then save a few grand, then stop working... Just keep on working full time. Being 29 now, I will stick to being a mad squirrel stashing money away. I've seen much of the world already, so I no longer day dream about far away exotic places. I no longer wish to up and move on a whim like in the past. I've learned from previous actions and will take the best course towards ER.

palmera · Post by **palmera** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:41 pm

I know the guy who writes this blog. I met him at a couple different conferences. He's as awesome and down to earth as he sounds. Yes, I have a small crush on him, but alas, he has a gf ; )
Also, he's honorary ERE, as in, he's abided by ERE type principles, and is probably ERE, but works for himself b/c he loves it.

Lepore64 · Post by **Lepore64** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:20 pm

@LonerMatt there's a comment at the bottom of the article that addresses the 8% saying that the S&P historically returns more than 8% "so there you go" he says.
Also, I'm only 25, so maybe I just still need to learn it, (how old is the author anyhow?) but most of that list seems petty. I mean, it has this big sense of happiness being something you have to go out and find, so you better start young.
Maybe I'm just a boring person.

The world does want to keep you dumb, that's gold.

epoch707 · Post by **epoch707** » Mon Jul 23, 2012 7:26 pm

For those of you that are questioning the 8% figure, historically the S&P 500 has returned 9.8%. It says somewhere in the article, if you don't know what I am talking about it it this one:
http://www.patientcashflow.com/2012/04/ ... u-are-set/