Comments for The Happy Philosopher

Comment on How Understanding the Marginal Utility of Money Will Make you Happier by Roopali Garg

Roopali Garg — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 07:19:49 +0000

Recent studies refute the 75000 max. But even older studies- is that gross before taxes, net after? Is that a vhcol area or lcol? Is that for an individual, couple, family of 4? You wrote this in 2016, I’m looking at 2023 numbers where I can put 41k into my 401k, IRA, and HSA. 8k into taxes would leave 26k for me to live on. That won’t cover a mortgage here in DC. Keep in mind that most people won’t make their highest income early in their career so there will be time to make up.

I mean if we’re talking 75/person, that’s a $300k family income, top 3% of the US. Sure most of us should be happy there.

Comment on Understanding the Relationship Between Utility, Happiness and Cost by RG

RG — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 00:48:07 +0000

I keep thinking about this in regards to food. Calorically speaking, I know that when I’m successful on a diet, I enjoy a low calorie level. Having said that, splurges on a diet feel that much better. Finally on a monetary level, food is cheap. Even a nice steak is under $10, and I wouldn’t cook red meat regularly for health reasons. And yet I alternate cheap with luxury and find it suits me. I ate cheese and crackers for dinner instead of my usual salad and loved every bite. I bet tomorrow salad will taste better too.

Of course if it was that simple, we’d all be thin. Knowing that ice cream will only bring 10 minutes of joy doesn’t stop me. Maybe I’m stressed or sleep deprived or happy. Maybe I’m hungry or hot. Maybe the unhappiness of being fat is less than the happiness of that ice cream.

It seems easy to say: stop buying/ eating stuff you don’t need. Actual, in the moment change is hard.

Comment on Kill Your Television! by TheHappyPhilosopher

TheHappyPhilosopher — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 23:19:43 +0000

In reply to Danny Lee. :)

Comment on Kill Your Television! by Danny Lee

Danny Lee — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 15:03:14 +0000

When my first daughter was one, the sun was shining the birds chirping and the stroller was set for a nice summer morning sunrise walk. However, my favorite show came on (Kung-Fu), so it sat for an hour. Then another episode came on after that, then another, it turned out to be a marathon, and six hours later, the stroller wheels never spun an inch. It was an old portable black and white , and I got so upset with myself, a beautiful morning and afternoon wasted ! I grabbed the TV, walked over to the second story window of my apartment which was directly over the dumpster and watched it drop to its electronic death. She is 35 years old now. It was the best decision I ever made. One wasted morning turned into a life of independence to think for myself, and grow my kids to use the World book encyclopedia for info, play board games, back yard games, and be a family without the third person (boob tube) barking for attention and diverting attn away from them. They are articulate, caring, and have the art of conversation, which many children are missing in their lives. One impulse moment turned out to change our lives , not just for the better, yet looking back I can see how bad I would have been…conversations at the office show me how addicted, how mind controlled (brain washed), and unaware one can get while so much is happening while you can be a part of it, as opposed to watching other doing life. If you have never considered detaching the leash, fear not, the dividends are priceless! Your first two weeks may be rough, the next two months will be easier, and by the time 6-months has gone by you will have forgotten what shows and their times come on, and you will never go back. In fact, you will feel sorry for the ones that do have a talking box which repels self thought. I challenge you to liberate yourself and be the person you should be, not the controlled sheep “they” tell you to be. You can do this, and you will NEVER regret it. If you think your kids will be made fun of because they don’t have TV, don’t worry, they won’t. Mine never had. Ever. Odd as it may sound, and yes it was a concern of mine early on, it just never came about. I have had people ask me “what do you do without all that time ?” The reply is always the same, “ I don’t sit in front of a box hours on end. I play frisbee with my friends and kids (and now grandkids), I have a clean house, I communicate with my wife and family, I work on the cars, I work around the house and the yard and garden looks great, I chat with neighbors over the back fence, we take evening walks, we play tennis, do chores like laundry and dishes, we visit family and extended family. So my follow up is also, “ I don’t see how I would get anything done if I had one of those awful things in my house”.
Liberate yourself, you will not only see the world as it really is, not what “your told” it is. Blessings and enjoy life ! The sunshine is waiting, and we only have a limited sunrises in our life.

Comment on The Government Doesn’t Want you to Work (Too Much) by Wes

Wes — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 09:49:31 +0000

Awesome article, year before last I ended up in the 24% or 22% bracket, upped the contribution to 401k and stayed in the sweet spot of 12%.

Comment on How Embracing Insignificance Can Improve Your Life by Bieon

Bieon — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 21:41:30 +0000

This could be my most favorite article of all time.

Comment on A Physicians Guide to Working Part Time by Paul

Paul — Sat, 27 Nov 2021 00:24:14 +0000

I’d like to express my own newfound appreciation of the impact of core personality differences in rending some people better or worse suited to certain careers. It’s a perspective that also seems to help understand some of the psyche behind the protests and frustrations some folks have during these covid lockdowns, including those who are vaccine refusers.

I’m now happily out of the workforce (having followed the FIRE lifestyle for decades), and upon self reflection in these 3 years of freedom I’ve come to recognise that I sit very deep on the introvert side of the scale, and as such that made me ill suited to a job where I was constantly face to face with an endless line of clients.
To an extrovert such a job might seem energizing and fun. To an introvert it was draining. I’d finish the week only to be left with 2 days to ‘recharge’. Even the weekend felt like a race to prepare for the coming week of work. My workdays were a blur, and with the exception of achieving FIRE savings, my life really didn’t seem to be one I was living for myself, only for my future self who was timing his escape.

Lockdown has been a time of welcome calmness and rest for an introvert. I suspect the opposite is the case for extroverts, who need the stimulation of a more varied and social environment, and I suspect that goes some way to explain the various ‘disrupters’ in the lockdown. The vaccine deniers, the mask refusers, those who decline to stay at home and in so doing become vectors for virus spread… they likely are extroverts who find the confines of a lockdown to be uncomfortable.
Yes, these are coarse generalizations, but I’m confident there’s a degree of truth to be found among them.

Comment on How Understanding the Marginal Utility of Money Will Make you Happier by Paul

Paul — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 08:59:10 +0000

Dude! (or Dudette – I haven’t yet delved that far into your blogs to know) Thanks for your words.

I’ve been acutely aware of the terrible trade that employment can be. We are attuned to think we are trading our time/energy for money, and nothing more. But the truth is that we are trading our youth, our stongest and fittest years, our energy, our training, our experience, the best hours of the day, and only getting dollars in return.
At the end of our careers we are left with aged bodies and minds, We get our ‘retirement’ as we’re basically no longer fit to exploit for the profit of others. What we are left with is aged, aching bodies and forgetful minds. What great resources to take into those few final years of life… enjoy your retirement – now that you are at your least able to truely relish it.

Is your career / income really worth exchanging for your lost youth and fitness? Your time away from friends and family?

Comment on Water and Fish by Chérif FENICHE

Chérif FENICHE — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 09:01:01 +0000

Hi Happy philosopher,
I also have got 30 mn to have lunch and it s very short indeed. Here in France, things have also went wrong for this part of the work day
Fortunately, i ll be part time 4days a week on 2022.
I do agree for the lunch shaming.
Anyway, i cultivate happiness whch is the main goal for me now at 47 years old.

Thank you.
Take care.

Comment on If We All Stop Buying Stuff Will We Destroy the World? by Artie Whitefox

Artie Whitefox — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 17:19:41 +0000

Money is destroying the world. People are making this patent, and that patent, hoping to make a buck. People are getting whatever from the earth, putting a price on it. There are things with many different price tags on it. Those things would be greatly diminished had people be able to ask for the best of whatever. God gave to us the best of whatever. We are God’s children, needing to to that with each other. Money is making our recourses to run out at a rapid rate.