How Does A 4 Hour Work Week Sound? Part 7

January 24, 2011

“Most people will choose unhappiness over uncertainty” – from The Four Hour Work Week

The below definition of retiring closely matches the conventional middle-class definition of retiring:

-    to fall back or retreat in an orderly fashion and according to plan, as from battle, an untenable position, danger, etc.

“It’s lonely at the top.  Ninety-nine percent of people in the world are convinced they are incapable of achieving great things, so they aim for the mediocre.  The level of competition is thus fiercest for “realistic” goals, paradoxically making them the most time and energy consuming.  It is easier to raise $1,000,000 than it is $100,000.  It is easier to pick up the one perfect 10 in the bar than the five 8s.” – from the Four Hour Work Week

Let’s face it.  Retirement is a concept suited for and sold to the middle class by banks, insurance companies and financial advisers for their benefit, not that of “retirees”.  They want people to “invest” their money in risk free retirement savings plans and low risk mutual funds which give a small, pitiful rate of return for the middle class’ money.  These institutions then loan out middle class investment money on higher return investments such as credit cards and mortgages and keep most of the profits for themselves.  These institutions put the middle class’ money to work for the institutions, not the middle class.  Essentially, the middle class works for their money, while true investors put their money to work for them.  As long as there are people unwilling to put their money to work for them there will be people willing to put it to work for them.

“Busy yourself with the routine of the money wheel, pretend it’s the fix-all, and you artfully create a constant distraction that prevents you from seeing just how pointless it is.  Deep down, you know it’s all an illusion, but with everyone participating in the same game of make-believe, it’s easy to forget” – from The Four Hour Work Week

Filed under: Inspiration

Tags: 4 Hour Work Week, 80-20 Rule, 90-10 Rule, Ferriss, Four Hour Body, Four Hour Work Week, New Rich, Nouveau Riche, Pareto Principle, real estate, real estate agent, realtor, Tim Timothy, virtual assistant