Early Retirement Extreme Forums

Fresh off the press...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDvGK3NpyqA

This is probably my most wide-ranging interview so far.

The interviewer's passion for ERE was nice to see. You seemed more laid back in this setup, I enjoyed the discussion!

You mentioned how it is a pet peeve of yours of those who get together to talk about problems and just agree to talk about them some more later on. I couldn't help but chuckle as today is the first day of the UN Climate Change Conference where they will be doing just that .

Bonus points for the Refrigiwear suit in the background.

"Don't tell me what you think, show me your portfolio." Taleb

"Don't tell me how you live, show me your wardrobe." Jacob

My stream of thought while watching:

You haven't aged a day in... a while. I forget how many years.

Regarding systems thinking: I think this is the third interview of yours I've heard? Pretry sure it is. And every time I am struck with the degree to which you feel responsible, not for others explicitly, but specifically for how your daily decisions may affect theirs. It's like you are playing pool and thinking "If I knock into that red ball, then these four other balls will move also, and what will be the ramifications?" It honors others to acknowledge that they have agency. I admire this position.

On unhappiness leading to change: I was recently in a conversation with an old friend who said that she didn't think people ever really change... that we are the same at 18 and at 80 (that's a terrible thought). But I have seen people change radically, and most of the time the catalyst has been... not just unhappiness but tragedy. Do people need to experience life-redefining loss in order to be receptive to new paradigms, to actually become more mindful, IOW? I don't know. It's certainly true that when people are successful by their own definition, they see no reason to make sweeping changes. (What might one do to spur change, then? My dark sense of humor takes over here.)

On being a resource: Many threads on the board touch on this: is our value in what we produce? Is education that is not "put to use" a waste? And is the answer different if we change the wording of the question to "put to commercial use," or "put to social use," or "put to personal use?"

I have a borderline unhealthy affection for tech gadgets that has grown stronger since leaving the workforce, even though my attachment to all my other belongings has lessened. As I think of it, I believe this is because I worked in tech, and this is my way of clinging to my old occupation and identity.

"Interesting to more than 5 other people in the world..." Well, you've achieved that, hehe. Start talking about money with honesty and ingenuity, and the whole world sits up straight and listens. For 5 minutes, anyway.

"...we congratulate ourselves on our complications." Yes. And peculiarly, every simple thing is either suspect or revered. Sometimes both.

"The way we have organized society is not smart at all." and "[it would be difficult to] agree to collectively do something [different]." And isn't this the real rub everywhere. In a group/society somebody always benefits. Ask yourself who benefits, and there you have why it works the way it does, AND who will present problems if you try to change things. [My 11yo during a history lesson: "Everything is about taxes really, isn't it, Mom?"] The interviewer asks how to change things, you say one starfish at a time... again, is the answer to system and individual change to allow pain?

I am reminded here of Dan Carlin's interview of James Burke where the latter suggested that countries are vestiges of an earlier time, and the time is ripe for something to replace them.

"One hand for the ship and one hand for yourself." I've never heard this phrase before. Love it.

...politics...and Futureama... are they synonymous? Details at 11.

"...worse than an anthill." I laughed out loud. Yes: human social systems ARE inferior to ants. Functionally, anyway.

And finally, a paraphrase of Jacob on politics: The elephant has Covid, and we have no vets.

Thanks. I enjoyed that.

Me too enjoyed it very much. I echo the host in that I appreciate you making the effort and coming out with all the ideas, trying to share them.

Sobering interview. Making me think very carefully about where I'm putting my energy.