July 8th, 2023: Greetings from Connecticut! It’s been nice to enjoy the milder weather in the northeast for a couple of weeks. We are headed back to Austin this week and putting our stuff in storage to head abroad again for a few months, mostly in Taiwan.
Also, the “life energy” factor is a great argument for sabbaticals—for a year’s earnings, you are probably investing in better health later in life, or at the very least in one year of more energetic leisure
I am definintely interested to read more in his book.
How much is enough? Some never know when to stop squirrelling away all of their money, but for what.
I recently lived in South Korea for 1.5 years and saw a lot of old people selling things on the street, collecting cans etc. Some are in poverty, others just don't know when to stop because they were conditioned by the war. That, I understand.
Yet, I feel that in the West many keep saving because it's their default mode. They never think twice about what they're saving for or why.
'Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.'
+I published a podcast conversation with Luke Burgin which was an absolute delight. His book Wanting is one of the best books I read this year. The artful mixing of his personal stories with the ideas of mimetic desire was well done. Our conversation is here.
As a (former) financial planner who also read this book, I deeply appreciated the ways in which it challenged my own underlying beliefs/scripts about money—many of which I brought to the table in my work with clients.
I love the point you make about using other, responsible-sounding reasons for avoiding the discomfort of reevaluating our relationships with money. For me, taking care of my mom in hospice care was a wake-up call on this front. And as you argue so persuasively here, we’d all do well to think more critically about these issues before it’s too late.
I was putting so much energy into being good at my job that I put off spending quality time with my family “until things settled down” at work...but I had less time with them than I’d hoped.
It prompted a reevaluation of work that led me to your writing, TBH, as well as a reconsideration of the ways I was putting energy into living for tomorrow (including financially).
I got a lot from this book too. It was helpfully recommended to me by a coaching client, after I’d previously recommended The Pathless Path to him!
The idea that “A person’s ability to extract enjoyment from their money begins to decline with age” was something that seems clear in hindsight, but I hadn’t fully comprehended it until it was laid out there before me.
Also, the “life energy” factor is a great argument for sabbaticals—for a year’s earnings, you are probably investing in better health later in life, or at the very least in one year of more energetic leisure
This is one of the best books Ive read in a while. It seems to align quite nicely with your ideas too!
Great blog, Paul.
I am definintely interested to read more in his book.
How much is enough? Some never know when to stop squirrelling away all of their money, but for what.
I recently lived in South Korea for 1.5 years and saw a lot of old people selling things on the street, collecting cans etc. Some are in poverty, others just don't know when to stop because they were conditioned by the war. That, I understand.
Yet, I feel that in the West many keep saving because it's their default mode. They never think twice about what they're saving for or why.
'Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.'
Burgis :-)
+I published a podcast conversation with Luke Burgin which was an absolute delight. His book Wanting is one of the best books I read this year. The artful mixing of his personal stories with the ideas of mimetic desire was well done. Our conversation is here.
Good catch. Thank you sir
Happy to spot check typos if you ever need :-) having seen so much of his work, I couldn’t help but notice
“If we take the economic system’s goals for our own, we forget we have a life to live” 🔥🔥🙏🏽
As a (former) financial planner who also read this book, I deeply appreciated the ways in which it challenged my own underlying beliefs/scripts about money—many of which I brought to the table in my work with clients.
I love the point you make about using other, responsible-sounding reasons for avoiding the discomfort of reevaluating our relationships with money. For me, taking care of my mom in hospice care was a wake-up call on this front. And as you argue so persuasively here, we’d all do well to think more critically about these issues before it’s too late.
in what ways was it a wakeup call?
Great question.
I was putting so much energy into being good at my job that I put off spending quality time with my family “until things settled down” at work...but I had less time with them than I’d hoped.
It prompted a reevaluation of work that led me to your writing, TBH, as well as a reconsideration of the ways I was putting energy into living for tomorrow (including financially).
I got a lot from this book too. It was helpfully recommended to me by a coaching client, after I’d previously recommended The Pathless Path to him!
The idea that “A person’s ability to extract enjoyment from their money begins to decline with age” was something that seems clear in hindsight, but I hadn’t fully comprehended it until it was laid out there before me.