In the FI sphere, from time to time, we come across some form of resentment from the general populace. It's this difference of opinion about reaching financially freedom that never fails to baffle me. So recently, another article appeared online about someone reaching FI and there were a lot of hostile comments. It got me thinking about the reason people lash out the way they do.
Who wouldn't want to be financially independent?! Especially if it means improving the quality of your life by no longer worrying about overwhelming debt, collection calls, bankruptcy, etc. Being FI can improve the quality of your life by opening doors, providing a myriad of options you never had before. Don't like the demand put on you at your current job? Has your boss become a micro-manager? Has your workload increased exponentially? Are you one of the many people who gets physically ill come Sunday night because you dread the coming week where you spend countless hours in a lifeless cubicle? If you were FI, you could walk away to find a job that was more fulfilling, more inline with what you enjoy doing. Or, if you'd prefer, you could retire altogether and spend the rest of your days doing whatever you wanted to do instead of what someone else dictated.
That's the reality of becoming financially independent. I think everyone would love to achieve that goal so I don't think this is where the difference of opinion lies. If it were a case of people not wanting that kind of freedom, then I don't think we'd see the huge increase in sales and long lines for lottery tickets when the jackpot reaches an all-time high. Instead, I believe there are other reasons underpinning the different views of the FI camp and the non-FI camp. I think this latter group is composed of people who've become complacent in their lives and poo poo the idea of improvement; it's just too hard to change! It's easier for them to raise their hands in despair because they've given up. They've lost their will to fight, to buck the system.
Whether you follow the path to FI or you're one of those poor people trapped in a consumerist lifestyle, you've gotta hand it to the marketing agencies; they're really good at what they do. If marketing campaigns were much less successful than they are, society would probably be better off financially than it is now. At least, that's what I believe.
Advertisements do a great job of reaching into our psyches to stimulate our urge to spend so that we can appear successful. "Hmm, if I bought that new BMW, then my coworkers would see how successful I really am." "Bob just got a new 58 inch flatscreen to watch the Super Bowl. If he can afford that, then I know I can afford that 64 inch model." These are just two silly examples of the kind of thoughts people have everyday, sometimes multiple times a day, of things that will enrich their lives; things they think will improve their lives and make themselves happier. And marketing agencies all over the globe are studying the psychology involved in our purchases. They spend large sums of money to develop commercials and ads to persuade us to make a decision to part with our hard earned dollars in an effort to fill a void in our lives. That void is where happiness should live. But, here's the truth: filling that void with material things isn't how you achieve happiness. Certainly not in the long term.
Like opinions, everyone's ability to achieve happiness and what happiness actually means will differ. However, I'd bet that to achieve happiness in your life, it most likely won't come from owning the newest, shiniest gadget that hits the market. If that's what gives you pleasure then you're deeply entrenched in the sheep herd and it's time to remove your blinders. Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Have you over-extended your credit to buy the newest, shiniest toys? Do creditors call regularly (and are you avoiding them)? Are you one emergency away from being unable to pay a bill (or bills)? If you lost your job tomorrow, would you be okay until you found another or would your life suddenly be up-ended like a snow globe?
Consumerism and debt is a slippery slope that, if left unchecked, becomes a foundation built on sand that will eventually erode causing everything to come crashing down. It's unsustainable in the long term. Becoming FI is a stone fortress built on bedrock that will withstand the test of time. If you're living a lifestyle of the former and encounter someone pursuing FI, you might think, "What a jerk! He thinks he's better than me." Or maybe, "What kind of idiot wants to eat rice and beans when you could be enjoying steak and shrimp?" Here's another: "Why save everything today when you could die tomorrow without ever having a chance to enjoy it? No thanks!" You're in the camp that is against pursuing FI. You're one of the multitudes hurling epithets when someone proclaims they've finally attained the goal we all secretly want to achieve: Financial Freedom.
Why the vitriol and disdain when someone else reaches the goal of financial independence? If they had just had a baby, would you not congratulate them? If they just got approved for a mortgage on a house they really loved, would you not express happiness for them? Surely you'd congratulate them if they had won the lottery, right?
I think the resentment comes from a deep-seated envy based on the complacency I mentioned earlier. "How come (s)he can be financially independence and I can't?" "What makes him/her so special?" The people thinking these kind of thoughts have probably spent years chasing status symbols, seeking acceptance from the rest of the herd. The mentality has become ingrained. Deep down, we are a species who feels the need to belong. It's a part of our evolutionary biology. When our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, they realized there was safety in numbers. So, belonging to the tribe is in our genes. The people striving for financial freedom are doing things differently. They're not a part of the herd. They're the dreaded outsiders. Gasp! So what does that mean, that they deserve to be mocked and ridiculed? No. That's how the tiny reptile brain thinks. We're highly evolved humans now.
Advertisers have figured this out. They make you think you're a failure at life if you don't have the things that other, successful(-looking) people around you have. So, feeling a strong urge to be accepted, you do what you can to obtain these shiny new things. The latest fashions, a new car with the most recent safety features, a bigger house in an upscale location. Whatever it is, there will always be something newer, flashier vying for your attention and your hard earned dollars. This keeps you hopping from one foot to the other to earn, earn, earn so you can buy, buy, buy. More, more, more! You're helping to make the corporations and their marketing teams billionaires. It's time to get off that treadmill because the happiness dangling before you like the carrot is a false thing.
It's not too late to reverse course and get out of the tar pits of debt and nebulous splendor consumerism provides. Look deeply at the reason you chide someone striving for financial freedom and ask yourself why you feel a sense of envy and resentment. If it's because you think they're living like a pauper; an impoverished life spent clipping coupons and reusing coffee filters, etc, then you might be surprised to find out that's probably very far from the truth. No one wants to live an impoverished life, not even those on the path to FI. In fact, it is possible to enjoy life while pursuing FI. You don't have to live in seclusion eating only rice and beans. It's simply a matter of changing your mindset, of living within your means, and to stop trying to seek approval and acceptance from strangers. Strangers who, by the way, are probably in debt up to their eyeballs. Who've built their luxurious status symbol on the shaky sands of financial ruin.
So, if your idea of living an adventurous life involves juggling credit card debt, robbing Peter to pay Paul, and playing creditor-call hide-n-seek, then I can understand why you'd ridicule someone living a boring life in pursuit of FI. If, on the other hand, you would also like to be financially free, then don't denigrate someone else for achieving that goal. Sure, you probably feel a strong sense of envy, and I get that. Even those of us still in pursuit of the goal feel jealous because we're not there yet. But, the goal is still there. It's still attainable. You've just gotta put in the effort, because it's not only for the privileged elite. And it's never too late to get there. You just have to want it and start out on the path.
Do you agree? If not, what do you think is the source of resentment from people toward others who've reached FI?
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