In light of it being Thanksgiving, I thought I’d share something that I’m thankful for. I’m thankful to be in such a blessed position, one I no doubt worked hard for. But I’m also thankful to have the perspective that allows me to realize that not everyone has the opportunities I’ve had, which makes me appreciate it all that much more. There are so many people out there that have it worse off than I do, which is something I aim to help correct over time. To those who think only the “1%” are really fortunate, think again. We are the 1%. Happy Thanksgiving!
There’s massive income inequality present in this country right now.
No doubt about it.
Including capital gains, the top 1% of US households are estimated to have an income share of 20%. 70% of countries in the world have more equal income distribution. So there’s some room for improvement here.
But I believe those who protest and experience dismay just thinking about the wealth and income concentration at the top 1% of US households are looking at it completely wrong.
Why Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy
Theodore Roosevelt said it best:
Comparison is the thief of joy.
I think it’s an apt insight into humanity, although it’s really sad that this is true. It shouldn’t be so.
When one compares their situation to someone else’s, they’re almost always looking up.
If you have a house that’s 1,500 square feet, you’re comparing it to the house down the road that’s 2,000 square feet. All of the sudden, your house feels small.
If you have a Chevrolet, you know that it’s not the BMW your neighbor is sporting. Cloth seats just aren’t leather. The car becomes embarrassing and/or not good enough over time.
If you’re wearing a Polo suit, you suddenly feel underdressed when you see someone else walking down the street in a bespoke suit.
In almost every comparison you’ll ever make, your joy is stolen. One feels bad about oneself when comparing their situation to someone else’s situation because they’re almost always looking at someone who has excelled even more than they have. You’re looking at someone smarter, faster, richer, better. And guess who that person who is smarter, faster, richer, or better than you is looking at? You guessed it: someone else who is seemingly smarter, faster, richer, or better than them. And on and on it goes.
Instead of using our best as our benchmark, we’re using someone else’s best. It’s nonsensical and harmful. It’s also a complete waste of time.
I think comparing oneself at all is silly. But if/when one does compare, it’s always a comparison to something or someone more.
Why is this? Why don’t we look down?
If you have a house that’s 1,500 square feet, you should be grateful knowing that it’s a lot better than the 1.6 billion people worldwide who lack adequate housing.
If you have a Chevrolet, you should be glad to own a car at all; global vehicle ownership per capita in 2010 was 148 vehicles in operation per 1,000 people.
If you’re wearing a Polo suit… give me a break.
The reason why comparison is the thief of joy is because people have this obsession with comparing their situations to other situations that exceed their own. Whatever they have isn’t enough. And with this mindset, it’ll never be enough.
Complaining about being in the bottom 80% of US households as it relates to income share is like a dog bemoaning his allotment of two full bowls of food per day only because another dog is allowed 20 full bowls of food per day. Even though the two full bowls are more than enough, it’s not 20.
Moreover, the dog is made to look even more ridiculous when there’s a dog next door that doesn’t even have regular access to food.
We Are The 1%
The median personal income for the US population age 25 and older working full time in 2005 came in at $39,336. I’m sure it’s even higher now.
This is an incredible amount of money.
Those complaining about the income concentration at the top 1% are forgetting that if they’re making anything even close to $40,000 per year, they’re already in the top 1%.
Earning $39,336 per year puts you in the top 0.59% of the world.
I was making more than $60,000 per year as a service advisor for a luxury car dealership, before I officially “retired” from that career back in 2014, at the advanced age of 32 years old.
That income put me in the top 0.20% of the world.
Another way of looking at it is this: that would average out to $28.84 per hour, assuming an average full-time workweek. That’s over 70 times what an average Indonesian laborer earns. So it was almost like I had 70 Indonesians shadowing me every minute of the workday, multiplying my workload and income.
To be anything but financially free in my mid-30s would be almost crazy, in my opinion. How can you be in the top 0.20% of the world and still be living paycheck to paycheck? It defies logic.
If You Must Compare, Compare To Those Who Have Less
I think comparing yourself to anyone else is a fruitless exercise. I personally have only one comparison: the best version of me.
Every day, I wake up and think about how to better myself, my situation, and the world around me. Thus, my benchmark is my greatest possible output. When I feel like (or know) I left something on the table, I’m disappointed.
But I can say for sure that I experience not even an ounce of disappointment when I see, meet, or hear of someone who has something more than me. Whether they’re bigger, faster, stronger, or richer – it matters not to me at all.
I see life as almost like a board game, where everyone is given different rules, advantages, and disadvantages. The boards (life) might look similar at first glance, but we’re all starting and playing the game differently. Luck and genetics has a lot to say about where you start off, as well as where you end.
The key, however, is to maximize your own potential through effort. Your starting point might be fixed, but your personal effort is almost unlimited in terms of its power. After all, it’s not where you start but where you finish.
Personally, I was lucky enough to be born in the early 1980s in the United States. And I was born a Caucasian male, which has a certain set of advantages.
Being born in, say, India in the late 1800s would have been a far less fortunate start.
Then again, it wasn’t all luck, as growing up fatherless in a ghetto of Detroit with a drug-addicted mother made things more difficult.
Nonetheless, I’ve put in as much effort as possible over the last eight years to better myself. I moved across the United States. I did away with personal transportation. I worked 100 hours per week… many, many times. I saved, invested, saved, invested, and saved some more. I spend hours per day reading, exercising, writing, thinking. I try to become a better version of myself every day, which has an amazing cumulative effect.
So my rules are unique to me. My situation isn’t anyone else’s. To compare what I have to anyone else out there, or to have someone else compare their situation to mine, is just foolish.
The only thing I can say is that I’ve made the most of what I have. I’ve been lucky in some respects, unlucky in others. But I never gave up hope. I’ve remained optimistic. And I never stopped pushing forward.
Some born into similar circumstances might have less, or they might have more. Those putting in maximum effort are probably content. Either way, their situation has nothing to do with me, and vice versa.
But if you are insistent on comparing yourself, compare your situation to situations that are less fortunate than your own.
Look around at the 800 million people who are starving.
See the billions of people around the world who lead lives where regular access to electricity, quality housing, water, healthy food, and transportation are difficult or impossible.
Instead of complaining about the top 1% in the US, look at the 99% across the world beneath you. And then look to see how you can help change that.
Conclusion
As I marched from below zero to financial freedom, I never spent time comparing myself to others, being upset about those that are in the top 1% of US household income, or feeling like I wasn’t as fast, smart, rich, or handsome as someone else.
Spending time and energy on comparisons is less time and energy you can spend on bettering your own situation. Time is our most valuable and rare commodity, and it’s becoming more valuable and rare every additional minute you’re alive. To spend even a second of that comparing yourself to someone else is such a waste.
But if you’re ever upset about not being in the top 1%, fear not. You almost certainly are. If you’re in the United States and have access to the electricity and internet connection in your own home necessary to read this article, you’re doing far better than more than a billion other people out there.
This article wasn’t written to make you feel bad about your own fortunate situation. (I’ll quickly note that I plan to dedicate the last 1/3 of my life to philanthropic causes. And if you feel a bit more obliged after reading this, that’s great. If not, that’s okay, too.)
This article was actually written to motivate you to spend more time and energy on the effort that will actually propel you to becoming your best self, rather than uselessly comparing yourself to others that seemingly have it better than you. The foolishness of this is compounded further when you realize that those who seem to have it all are also comparing themselves to others they perceive to have it even better than they do. So on and so forth.
To be in the top 1% of the world and still be dependent on a paycheck in your 40s, 50s, or 60s, if you don’t want to be, in this day and age, seems a little crazy to me. But if you’re always complaining because the top 0.5% of the world have it better than you, you’ll never see that you’re already in the top 1%… and you’ll never truly be free.
What about you? Spend time comparing yourself to others? Do you feel good knowing that you’re in the top 1%?
Thanks for reading.
Image courtesy of: aechan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
Well said Jason! You are wise beyond your years.
Retired in Idaho,
Thanks so much! 🙂
Appreciate the kind words and support.
Best regards.
Excellent point of view Jason.
I always tell people I know that them and myself have won the “birth lottery”
The chances of being healthy in North America are so overwhelmingly positive it is actually better then hitting the jackpot of the lottery!
Happy Thanksgiving.
DiviCents
Absolutely. We’re all incredibly fortunate. We are the 1%. It’s important to always keep that perspective. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by!
Happy Thanksgiving.
Cheers!
Hi Jason,
It is a shame most people in the western world don’t get it that the belong to the 1%-club, mainly because the mainstream media always refers to the 1% like those are only the richest people in that country while on a global level most will be very well of. But I guess it is typical for most people to try to keep up with the joneses.
Have a good thanksgiving.
Cheers,
DC
DC,
It is a shame. It’s really unnecessary discontentment.
But Roosevelt was right. A lot of insight there with that quote, even though it really shouldn’t be so.
The “We Are The 99%” crowd is pretty ironic. And myopic. I think 90%+ of the world would love to be part of that club.
Thanks for stopping by!
Best wishes.
Interesting take! I find myself in a situation sometimes where it’s easy to compare yourself to others. Or see others do it as well. It’s easy to ask why them and not me. It shows that whatever you do there will always be someone better, so why try at all?
But the thing helping me, is to think about what would make me happy (instead of others). And to look at my own expectations in life. Most often it’s something I’m already having, currently doing or trying to achieve. I’m not settling for anything less, but as you say, continue to learn and grow myself over the years.
Thanks for sharing, definitely an interesting article to read 🙂
Divnomics,
That’s really where it’s at. It’s looking inward for happiness. Your benchmark should always be your best, not someone else’s best. 🙂
Glad you found the article interesting. This is one of my personal favorites.
Thanks for dropping by!
Cheers.
Great post. I completely agree. Focus on making yourself better, not on others.
I have been very lucky, I’ve also worked hard and learned a lot, and I am extremely grateful to be where I am today.
Off to a national conference today to give some presentations on personal finance. Paying it forward 🙂
sandaiben,
Thanks so much!
That’s great you’re paying it forward. I remember talking to this high school class out in Denver a while back. Felt great to spread the knowledge a little bit. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, and so will the audience. 🙂
Best wishes!
Jason,
Happy Thanksgiving to you!
I loved the article. I think the problem is that many of us grow accustomed to comparing talents to other people. This is because early in life we learn from others and try to emulate others. At some point our personalities are more fully formed and we should be able to learn based on our desires and to use the teachings and accomplishments of others as guides, but not as yardsticks, to measure our own life. I’ll tell you a personal story as an example:
I remember earlier this year bicycling up Thailand’s highest mountain, Doi Inthanon, about 60km South of Chiang Mai. The starting elevation was at 1000 feet above sea level and the top was around 8300′- that’s over 7000 feet of climbing! It took me about 5 hours. I didn’t train at all and had a clunky mountain bike and went by myself. I was so proud of this accomplishment since it was pretty tough and after about 3 hours I was relying on mental toughness more than physical toughness. I was curious to know if other people were doing this since I saw no other bicyclists there so I looked it up online. It turns out there is an annual race up the mountain and the winner did it in about 2 hours. He had a pro road bike and a support team and he was very well trained.
After being shocked at his accomplishment I then started to think about if I were to do it again, what techniques could I use to shave time off? I walked part of the distance, I took some breaks, tried to search for water, did some sightseeing. I started to feel disappointed about my time being 5 hours. When I take a big picture look at it this is all pretty silly but that is how our minds work. So having awareness of our constant tendencies to compare is important and being mindful of comparing up versus down is a good trick too.
I think your article should be changed to “We are the 10%” although it wouldn’t be as catchy. The concept is spot on but the numbers from the comparison calculator doesn’t make sense to me. The USA has 4.2% of the world population so if the median income is $40K it would mean that half the population of 2% of the world population is above that. This assumes that the percentage of the population working in the USA is the same as the rest of the world. I’m pretty sure that there at least is another 4X the above median USA income located in other parts of the world. That number alone would equal just 7% of the combined populations of China and India. This is a very minor nit pick to an otherwise great article, and one not aimed at you so much as the calculator that is referenced so much on the internet.
Have a great evening with Claudia and the dogs.
-Mike
Mike,
I agree with you that it’s something we’re accustomed to. I think it’s part of the human condition. It’s not necessarily a good thing, though, which is why I try to add perspective with pieces like this.
Your personal story there is a good example of that. Instead of looking at all of the people that aren’t even physically capable of making that trip, or looking at all of the poor Thais that are too busy trying to feed their poor families to even think about something like that, you’re looking at the time someone who won a race put in. That’s actually a really good example of how all of this scales. You’re probably up in the top percentage of people who are physically, mentally, and financially able to do something like that over there, whereas most people in that country don’t have that kind of opportunity. Thailand is, after all, quite poor. That’s why comparison is the thief of joy. We’re almost never looking at those below us; rather, we’re almost always looking up. It adds unnecessary discontentment to our lives, and it’s really silly.
I’m not sure you’re looking at that calculator right, though. The calculator isn’t using the US income math like that. It simply allows you to use any input you want, and then it tells you where you’re at relative to everyone else. I used the average US income to make a point, which is apt. If you pop around the internet, you’ll see that economists that have looked at the numbers tend to agree about the 1%/99%. So I don’t believe “We Are The 10%” would me more appropriate/accurate. In fact, the average monthly income for the world is something like $1,500 per month. That tells you a lot right there.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope all is well!
Best wishes.
Thanks for the reply. Indeed I’m so very blessed to have good health (in spite of knee problems this year that has killed my running career), mental faculty and financial acumen. That drives me to use my time responsibly and wisely and give back to the world as best I can.
We’ll have to agree to disagree on the top 1%. 1% of the world population is 72 million people, and there is more than that number of people earning more than $45K or whatever each year.
I want to touch on another important point / question in another comment.
Thanks for doing what you do. You really inspire me.
-Mike
Mike,
“1% of the world population is 72 million people, and there is more than that number of people earning more than $45K or whatever each year.”
Any source on that?
Cheers!
Great question. Now that I’m looking for this it’s hard to find the raw data. The easiest to find is that there are 38% of all 125M US workers earning more than $40K a year (the same number as in this article), this would be about 48M people.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/10/goodbye-middle-class-51-percent-of-all-american-workers-make-less-than-30000-dollars-a-year.html
I can’t get good granular information on other countries. There are graphs on income by population but no link to the table of data and not easy to integrate the area under that part of the curve.
I’m pretty sure that more than 24M people globally but outside the USA who are working and making more than $50K a year.
It doesn’t change the concept of the article one bit so I won’t put any more energy into this.
Cheers,
Mike
Mike,
Well, I suspected that US workers would make up the vast majority of the top 1% or so of all global income earners. There could be another 24 million workers outside the US who are making more than $40k/year, but based on how far the US has to stretch just to come up with ~50 million, that’s not a foregone conclusion. Nonetheless, your earlier comment that the headline would be more accurate as “We Are The 10%” is clearly quite off here, as you now see. I think people lack perspective in regard to just how poor most of the world is, but this kind of exercise is fantastic for opening our eyes.
But I do agree that it doesn’t change the concept of the article. I still believe the calculations are roughly accurate, however.
Thanks for looking that up!
Cheers.
Jason,
I agree that the 10% estimate will be off and towards the high side for sure. It’s was worth looking it up. Sometimes local biases color perceptions. When travelling around Asia for work I see what appears to be huge amounts of wealth and earning power spread out across what appears to be millions of people but obviously there are many who have not much at all.
Cheers to you out there in SW FL.
Jason,
This piece really got me thinking. More specifically about the nature of our expectations and competition. Isn’t it competition between people, countries and organizations what drives improvements in the world? And part of competition is comparing to the benchmark, the best, and feeling disappointment, discouragement and pain when not achieving the goal of being the best.
Consider the silver medalist in the Olympics who is happy to have placed from an exterior perspective but who is very upset with herself for missing the gold and the world record by 0.1 seconds and vows to train more intelligently and harder.
Consider also the following short video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcUAIpZrwog
Here, the impetus for the growth of the lobster is the pain and discomfort caused by being confined in his shell. Without this discomfort there would be no reason to shed off the shell.
So what keeps you hungry and motivated to keep pushing yourself harder and reaching for more (knowledge, learning, depth of writing, etc) during this period?
We are all wired differently but for me I need a blend of self motivation and external motivation for me to perform at my best. Too much of either is not ideal. In the process I often go through periods of distress or suffering. Is that avoidable or is this just part of the process?
-Mike
Mike,
I disagree with what you’re saying here.
Competition is healthy so long as you’re using your best as your benchmark. Using someone else’s best as your benchmark, when they could very well be playing by very different rules, is not only silly but potentially harmful. I play basketball almost every Friday down at my local gym. But I’m not using Michael Jordan as my benchmark. I’m only there to give it my all. Using someone else as your benchmark is likely only going to lead to disappointment… because I can guarantee you there’s always going to be someone better, richer, faster, smarter, or more handsome than you. It’s naive to think otherwise or shoot for some unrealistic and unrelated ideal.
As for the lobster growing out of its shell, that has nothing to do with what I’m saying here. That’s a natural instinct. It’s survival. And it’s indeed survival that leads us to and through the first couple of tiers in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. From there, one should be aiming for higher-level needs, striving toward their ultimate potential as a human being. Notice that Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has nothing to do with someone else’s best.
These concepts are all interrelated, part of living a holistic lifestyle that’s designed to allow one to pursue happiness with maximum effort/chances of success.
Of course, you can roll your eyes at everything I’m saying here and instead believe in what everyone else is doing. Corporate America is full of direct/external competition. And everyone is happy there (*rolling my eyes*).
Best regards.
Thanks for your reply.
I like this part of your comment:
“As for the lobster growing out of its shell, that has nothing to do with what I’m saying here. That’s a natural instinct. It’s survival. And it’s indeed survival that leads us to and through the first couple of tiers in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. From there, one should be aiming for higher-level needs, striving toward their ultimate potential as a human being. Notice that Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has nothing to do with someone else’s best.”
-Mike
Well said, it’s quite ironic sometimes. We compare ourselves to our friends, family, coworkers, the known, but never the unknown because well, they are the unknown. It also has to be obtainable too, I don’t know many people that compare themselves to Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos. They would certainly like to be those people, but to compare to them would be a different story. The wealth difference is too great and they can’t imagine the steps it would take to even approach their level of wealth. But comparing to somebody who situation seems obtainable makes much more sense, which leads to jealously and usually no action. In the end what is left is a negative, grim feeling that will drown out the joy in you. Focus on what you do have and complete/improve yourself and you will be a winner every time.
Greg,
Absolutely. All that awaits you is envy and the loss of joy if you’re busy comparing yourself to others that have more (of whatever) than you. The funny thing is that if people spent all of that energy instead bettering themselves, the whole world would be better.
And you’re probably right in that it’s usually those closest to us that are the easiest targets for this. I saw it firsthand with my own family. I was really close to my very small family for my whole life. We had a tough go of it there when we were young. So I think we had a stronger bond than most. But then my success led to resentment, where some people in my family envied what I had. That envy led to the loss of joy (for them), and it even decayed and eventually ruined relationships. They became unhappy knowing I had attained so much, even though their lives hadn’t changed at all. It’s really crazy, but I do believe it’s part of the human condition. Doing what I can to inspire, though. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by!
Cheers.
In the rich industrialized countries we take for granted many things that much of the world can’t enjoy, which is of course very nice for us. The educated middle class is likely doing just fine even if they are not millionaires, but there is a certain amount of wealth that is needed for a decent life. From what I’ve heard, the problem in the USA is that many low-income people work 2 or 3 jobs and still have trouble making ends meet. When the extremely rich avoid paying taxes or fair wages while just piling up even more money to their accounts, it hurts those in the bottom.
I don’t live in the USA and don’t know if the problems of the low-income people come from really not getting a chance or if it’s more often just about using too much money (which I’ve also heard). However, I really believe that after a certain wealth threshold, people getting even richer will not add any real value to themselves, but will take value away from the bottom.
Keljulvan,
Definitely. There’s a lot we all take for granted. I think it’s just part of life. It’s hard for human beings to constantly have the appropriate level of perspective and appreciation, as I suppose having all this empathy all the time will kind of overload one’s system. But I think it is important to at least intermittently be reminded of one’s station in life, which, for just about anyone in the US, is pretty great.
Yeah, working two or three jobs here in the US, as I just showed, puts you in the top percent or so of the world. Even 40 hours a week at just $10/hour, your standard of living relative to most people in the world, as well as most people who have ever lived in this world, is pretty strong. But as I noted, people aren’t comparing themselves to starving children in India; they’re comparing themselves to the people driving around BMWs.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
Best wishes.
In the end it doesn’t really matter what you earn, but what’s left at the end of each month. Living in a western country usually means earning a lot of money compared to someone in (for example) Thailand. But the living cost in Thailand is also a lót cheaper compared to a western country.
I mean, groceries in Holland will usually cost you anywhere above €40 a week for 2 people. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could live off €4 a week for 2 people in Thailand!
For me, what’s more important is that you look at the percentage that you have left at the end of the month, and what that percentage gives you. Saving 30% on your income, wherever you live, means a year of living completely free, every 3 years of saving. Looking at your income like that, and there really is no 1% or 99%.
The only “1%” I look at, is the 1% who is “abnormally rich”, like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet for example. They have more money than they’ll ever spend, and their saving’s rate is/could be off the charts. For people like them it’s a lot less important to look at a savings rate like how most employees do. And rightfully so I think… if you work hard enough and are successful enough, you end up having different problems and enjoyments in life. 🙂
Joram,
I stayed in Thailand for a little while earlier this year, and I think you have a very flawed idea of the cost of living over there if you think groceries cost 4 euros a week for two people. Western food actually costs more over there in most cases (because the stuff is imported). You may want to actually visit the country at some point. You then might actually know what it’s like over there. Even eating street food – we’re talking AT LEAST $1 per plate, but I think that’s even too low. Probably $2 to $3/meal per person, and that’s eating Thai food every day. This is another way in which people lack perspective, which is why I write like I do. You have this flawed mentality that people who earn less in Thailand are somehow compensated by a much lower cost of living. Well, you can live without running water and eat rice every day in the US and live on very little, too. I mean, we have to compare apples to apples. If you want to live a comparable lifestyle, it’s going to cost you almost as much. Many things are definitely cheaper, but it all depends on the standard of living you’re willing to take on. Many Thais live very cheaply, but they’re not living a lifestyle even close to what Westerners are used to. If you want to live a lifestyle like you’re used to in the West, the cost of living is not that skewed. I could probably live on about $700/month or so over there (replicating my exact lifestyle), but I also live quite cheaply over here.
You are correct in that it’s really what you have left (savings) that matters most when we’re talking about getting ahead, but the problem with that is that most people spend that which they have. People who earn $50k/year naturally spend much more than people who earn $25k/year. If that weren’t the case, predictions made by economists like Keynes would have come true a long time ago, and most Americans would be financially free at a relatively young age. But we all know that’s not the case. Lifestyle inflation is natural and widespread. But I think it’s important that these people who think they’re not part of the “elite” realize that they really are (on a global scale).
“Looking at your income like that, and there really is no 1% or 99%.”
That’s incorrect. It doesn’t matter what you’re saving in the context of what we’re talking about here. My 50%+ savings rate that I maintained for many years doesn’t negate the fact that I was part of the global 1%.
By the way, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are not part of the 1%. Your neighbor over there in Holland might be, but Gates is part of the 0.0001% (or whatever). It’s a big difference – like, a few orders of magnitude.
Take care!
I live in Thailand and totally agree with what Jason is saying in the first part of the comment. If you are willing to live with lesser standards you can almost live for free. I know some Thai people who live in ultra cheap places (just a single room with a small toilet / shower gun) and sleep on the floor with no air conditioning and using no fan just to safe electricity. They are living for less than $50 per month with this arrangement. If you want creature comforts (a nice condo or apartment to stay), air conditioning at night, a hot water heater for the shower, etc then you must be prepared to pay up.
Labor is cheaper here than the USA but many items that are real goods are far more expensive than in the USA. Cars are 70% – 300% more expensive than in the USA although servicing is much cheaper due to the labor component. If you want to live a low cost lifestyle here expect to deal with a lot of waiting for services and minimal creature comforts.
My lifestyle here is more expensive than living in a small town in the USA but cheaper than living in a big city.
I agree with Jason that most of us dropping comments on this blog and reading them are in the privileged global minority.
-Mike
Great article, Jason. I like your view of the world.
Let’s all be the best version of ourselves we can be and at the same time be grateful and enjoy what we have. To quote Charles T Munger “Envy is a really stupid sin because it’s the only one you could never possibly have any fun at”.
Happy thanksgiving!
dividendincomebuilder,
Thanks so much. I’m really glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Love that Munger quote. It’s one of my favorites. He’s great at getting straight to the point.
Best wishes!
A very interesting article, giving some food for thought.
Personally I do compare with others too often. This article is another reminder that should change this and instead spend more time taking care of my health, which is “cheaper” than my current lifestyle of crap food and too much idle time.
Rowing investor,
Food for thought is exactly what I aim to provide. 🙂
Best of luck with improving your health and becoming a better version of yourself!
Cheers.
Jason,
I totally agree with your comments. Comparing ourselves really takes the joy away. Millions worldwide do not have the luxury we enjoy here. My family came from Cape Verde Islands, although it’s not a third world country anymore. Thousands still don’t have a decent drink water every day. There is no work to even say you can work and buy things. Most people there rely on Remitance sent from the USA or Portugal and other countries. So we really are fortunate in this country. Thanks for your inspiring work reminds us all al the things we should be thankful for.
Cheers,
Dividend pursuit
DP,
It’s a shame that there are so many people out there struggling. The world is really a crummy place for the majority of human beings walking the planet right now. Knowing that makes me sad, but it also makes me appreciate what I have that much more. And it also motivates me to make a difference.
Thanks for stopping by!
Best regards.
I’m late to this conversation. In my travels I’ve always taken note of how much of the world lives. While nothing is perfect, I’ve come to truly appreciate The US system. People complain about those who make more, but the truth is that nearly all of us are so much better off than 99% of the world. I recently heard an obese woman complaining that her kids didn’t have enough to eat, give me a break, I’ve seen real hunger in other countries.
I wish the people who are often negative about the US, could travel some and come to know how good we have it.
Freddy,
Couldn’t agree more with you. Many of us take all of these advantages for granted. I try to keep perspective, but I also sometimes lose sight of just how fortunate I really am. But being mindful of just how wonderful life is here in the US (and some other parts of the world) in the year 2017 allows one to maintain a sense of empathy, which I think is an essential part of the human experience. Enough empathy probably pushes you toward philanthropy and self-actualization. It’s all part of being the happiest/best version of yourself and making the world a better place. 🙂
Cheers!
Great article here Jase! It’s sobering to consider that by earning a touch over 40K leaves us in the 1%. It’s inspiring at the same time to then be able to give back (where I can) and that’s part of a big “why” for me..
Not sure when I’ll start to dedicate more time to giving back although it will gradually become more..
Out of interest what are your goals for the next 5 or so years? Big question I know although thought I’d put it out there!
Jef,
It’s definitely sobering. But I agree that it’s also inspiring. It can inspire us to do more, give more, and be more. I’m giving a little now, but I see philanthropy being a huge part of my life down the road.
As for five-year goals, it’s tough to say. I’ve already achieved so much. I’m super fortunate to be in this spot. But there’s also a lack of urgency for me, which is a bit strange. The focus and drive doesn’t go away, though, so I’m not sure what’s going to displace some of the goals I’ve already knocked out. The ongoing theme for me is really just to continue striving toward my potential as a human being. I don’t think in terms of goals so much anymore. I just wake up and do what drives me. For now, it’s the coaching, reading, and writing. But I’m sure there’ll be a time when it’s something else. When that happens, I’ll pivot over to whatever that my be. I don’t have a goal or time frame in mind. Not really interested in forcing it. But I seriously doubt I’ll still be blogging in five years.
Thanks for dropping by!
Best wishes.
That’s a cool way to look at it Jase, must admit that’s very zen of you and must have taken a bit of reflection to get to that view.
Thanks for sharing and looking forward to following your projects!
Hi Jason,
Your above-mentioned post really set me going. I think that one does not realise that he/she has achieved financial freedom whilst trying to benmark with those people who fare better. It’s like a rat race which will never stop until the day one leave the world. I feel that the solution is to be contented with the current lifestyle and make full use of the available resource to achieve financial freedom on own term. That be said, the bar of the financial freedom should be flexible and achievable. Life is short and be happy always.
Ben
Ben,
Absolutely. If your benchmark is always someone else’s best, you’ll never feel happy or content. You won’t even know what it’s like to be free, because you’ll be imprisoned by society’s expectations and benchmarks. You can only be free once you free yourself of unnecessary and harmful comparisons that probably don’t actually correlate all that well with your own happiness and quality of life.
Best regards!