Disqus - Latest Comments for The Financial Philosopher

Re: The Ego Economy: Why the Freedom Economy Is Passing You By

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:44:51 -0000

Clay:

The problem is that people are not leading their own paths. They see someone else making money doing someting, think it sounds great and start doing it.

I think you are getting closer to defining "freedom," Clay. At a minimum, people should understand that money should not be the pursuit.

The phrase may be completely warn out but it really is true that life is about "the journey" and not the destination.

Personally, I do not write in a blog to be "a blogger." I write to help myself make sense of the world and to test my ideas on people smarter than me. I don't care about the money but if my blogging turns into an income stream then so be it...

"What is important in life is life, and not the result of life." ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"I write to keep from going mad from the contradictions I find among mankind - and to work some of those contradictions out for myself." ~ Michel de Montaigne

"I tell you that virtue does not come from money but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man." ~ Socrates

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:58:44 -0000

Kenny:

If we really think about it, the worry over money reveals how much energy we give to it. You are fortunate to realize this now...

If our priorities are aligned properly (and we have food, shelter and clothing), then our concerns over money, material wealth and social status will be minimal, if not non-existent.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts...

Kent

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:11:15 -0000

Will:

I'm a fan of Seneca as well! Here's one of my favorite quotes:

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that things are difficult." ~ Seneca

Thanks for sharing the quote...

Kent

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:34:52 -0000

Clay:

Thanks to you for the honor of writing this guest post on your blog! You have a good thing going here and your efforts have certainly impacted people in a positive way.

You are a great "philosopher!"

"The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things." ~ Epictetus

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:22:02 -0000

Thanks, Maria...

I believe the conventional wisdom for many of my fellow financial planners and investment advisors falls short of the kind of guidance people really need.

Following a "plan" can be quite hyper-intentional, which can lead right over a cliff or close doors to unforeseen opportunities. People need more "life planning" and less "financial planning."

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. I'll look forward to you joining in the discussion at The Financial Philosopher...

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:40:22 -0000

Kenny:

Thanks for the comment! I hope to hear from you over at The Financial Philosopher...

Cheers...

Kent

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:27:39 -0000

Tim:

Having children of your own is an incredible gift. Once your son is able to speak and communicate with words, he will teach you more about life than you thought you would ever learn.

Thanks for the comment and yes, I will certainly check out your blog...

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:32:36 -0000

Thanks, Ben...

I have not seen "They Live." I'll add that to my Netflix rotation...

I am thankful that I have realized at the young age of 39 that money, material wealth and social status are almost completely void of meaning. I will say, however, that there is absolutely nothing wrong with "wanting more" as long as we are content with what we have now.

You are correct: Money is a tool. Thanks for the thoughts...

Re: Cubicle Pwned

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:10:57 -0000

Clay,

If you are not "this guy" anymore, then who are you? I imagine your absence for several weeks from this blog means you are seeking to answer this question. Good for you!

"I know not how I may seem to others, but to myself I am but a small child wandering upon the vast shores of knowledge, every now and then finding a small bright pebble to content myself with." ~ Plato

Cheers...

Re: The Best Hate Mail Message EVER

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:56:59 -0000

The "hate mail" appears completely manufactured. No one spells "misogynist" correctly and has broken English at the same time. The email is still entertaining, although not in the way it was intended...

Anyway, welcome back Clay -- not that you were ever "gone" -- it's just nice to have your voice present again.

I just read your most previous post and wanted to offer my favorite "death" quote for you...

"We say that the hour of death cannot be forecast, but when we say this we imagine that hour as placed in an obscure and distant future. It never occurs to us that it has any connection with the day already begun or that death could arrive this same afternoon, this afternoon which is so certain and which has every hour filled in advance." ~ Marcel Proust

Re: The Best Hate Mail Message EVER

The Financial Philosopher — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:21:08 -0000

Don't sell yourself short! Actually, I meant the originator of the comment obviously manufactured the misspelled words. I'd publish the comments as posts until the idiot stops commenting. If they don't stop, you'll have a whole new category of posts. If they do stop, the idiot will disappear.

Either way, you're a winner!

Re: What’s Been Keeping Me Up At Night

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:04:16 -0000

Jim:

I live in Charleston, SC. You can find my email on my blog if you would like to ask me any questions about the area.

Cheers...

Re: Giving Up the “Good Life” to Try and Build Something Great

The Financial Philosopher — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:28:12 -0000

As you might guess I would say, Clay, I'm neither one nor two. I will say, however, that I am closest to number two.

Lately I've been reading existential philosophy (Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kierkegaard) and I'm confident that the primary challenge most of us have is with language.

For example, specifically with language, you say in this post, "Sometimes it seems like the only things people have to say about work is that they don’t want to do it." An existentialist, especially Heidegger, would say that these people are unhappy because their definition of work is aligned with social conventions -- that they need to define "work" for themselves, then pursue that definition.

"Man acts as though he were the shaper and master of language, while in fact language remains the master of man." ~ Martin Heidegger

It seems as if you are defining your own terms, Clay, such as freedom, work and value.

Keep up the good "work."

Kent

Kent

Re: 3 Things I’m An Idiot for Not Telling You About Earlier

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:38:09 -0000

Escaping from anything conventional requires self-knowledge. When you know yourself, you are given confidence to separate yourself from herd behavior.

If your number one job is understanding yourself, then you will be successful at any other "job." Self-knowledge is three-tiered: 1) Understanding yourself as a human; 2) Understanding yourself as a unique individual personality; and 3) Understanding your environment.

"Nearly all mankind is more or less unhappy because nearly all do not know the true Self. Real happiness abides in self-knowledge alone. All else is fleeting. To know one's Self is to be blissful always." ~ Ramana Maharishi

Re: Why I Don’t Make Good Points Very Often

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:51:47 -0000

Clay: You are actually articulating the essence of "non-being." Once you realize that you are nothing, you are really something. The idea of non-being is rooted in Taoism but some more recent philosophers, such as George Hegel, have written about being and non-being.

Hegel would say that the highest form of reality is not "being" but it is "becoming." Becoming is the process of moving from being (something) toward non-being (nothing).

I may have shared this quote with you before, but it expresses the idea of and meaning of becoming (the synthesis or process of moving from being to non-being):

"You spent the first half of your life becoming somebody. Now you can work on becoming nobody, which is really somebody. For when you become nobody there is no tension, no pretense, no one trying to be anyone or anything. The natural state of the mind shines through unobstructed -- and the natural state of the mind is pure love." Ram Dass

Re: How to Not Fuck Up a Public Launch

The Financial Philosopher — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:04:53 -0000

Congrats on the launch, Clay. Personally, I was impressed, especially by your humble submissions of learning.

My observation, via your recent blog posts, is that your learning (and teaching) is more a result of "doing" rather than a result of "knowing," which is why (and how) you have demonstrated that conventional education has little correlation with success in business or life.

"Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught." ~ Oscar Wilde

Cheers...

Kent

Re: Things to Think About

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:48:11 -0000

You make many great points. As a financial planner and investment advisor, I tell clients, friends and readers of my blog that this environment is where planning can be most useful and comforting.

As humans, our greatest fear, simplified, is the unknown. We would prefer to see something ugly in plain view than to feel and see the nothingness of the dark -- and often the picture painted by one's imagination is a magnified version of whatever emotion one is currently feeling.

For example, in "good times," one's imagination will fill any existing empty spaces (unknown) with over-confidence and positive images. In "bad times," one's imagination will fill those empty spaces with pessimism and horrific images.

Financial planning, by virtue of shedding light on one's financial picture, removes much of the unknown, at least on a personal level, and enables an individual to begin stepping forward again with renewed confidence -- regardless of how ugly the immediate environment...

"Once men are caught up in an event they cease to be afraid. Only the unknown frightens men." ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Re: A Fool’s Predictions

The Financial Philosopher — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 08:18:06 -0000

Great points, Carl...

"Fear always springs from ignorance." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge." ~ Lau Tzu

Re: Representativeness

The Financial Philosopher — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:00:46 -0000

Carl,

I appreciate your illuminating explanation of heuristics -- something I believe more people should be aware of...

Self-awareness and self-knowledge are key ingredients to success in any endeavor and our brain's use of heuristics, for better or worse, is fundamental to our decision making process.

As you stated, heuristics worked quite well for primitive man. The human brain, however, has not significantly changed in 100,000 years but our environment certainly has dramatically evolved.

Complicating matters for modern man is the incredible amount of external distractions and overwhelming number of choices available for every decision.

If one takes a moment to think about it, the saber-toothed tiger is much less frightening than the environment we live in today.

"Thought is the organizing factor in man: intersected between the 'causal' primary instincts and the resulting actions." -Albert Einstein

"In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity." ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Re: Cover to Cover: Glimmers of Hope

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:37:55 -0000

What I find amusing (and revealing) is that my first interpretation of this magazine cover was that the larger fish represents hope and that, perhaps, those of us who have been patient are getting closer to having our first satisfying meal in a long time.

The problem is perception. Why couldn't anyone out there "be the big fish?" Sadly, the vast majority see themselves as the smaller fish behaving with the herd mentality and swimming toward a deceiving light.

In my view, I'm the big fish; the light represents patience; and the school of small fish represents the many small but compounding accumulations of returns I receive for staying true to my "plan."

"There are no facts -- only interpretations." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Keep up the good work...

Kent

Re: On Alternative Productivity and Anti-Hacks for Living

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:25:37 -0000

Everything begins with self-awareness, which is "disabled" by external influences. We must know ourselves first as humans, and then we must know ourselves as unique individuals. As humans, we are hard-wired for simple, survival-oriented pattern recognition, which can potentially doom the average person to failure. Our "rat brains" prefer shortcuts or "heuristics," which is why the "self-help movement" is so popular. Humans love shortcuts and convenience...

As individuals, we are all unique and one person's "path" is almost never appropriate for another's...

It is too challenging to look within for answers so most of us take "the path of least resistance" rather than "the path to a meaninful existence" or true self-actualization...

I like your blog. It makes me think. I also am a fan of Frankl. Good work! Keep it up...

Cheers...

Re: How to Take the Red Pill

The Financial Philosopher — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:03:13 -0000

I believe what you are saying is that self-awareness and mindful attention to the present moment will help prevent "outside noise" from filling in those "gaps in reality" in forming the complete picture that we see...

It is truly a learned skill to separate "illusion" from reality. Often it is our emotions that fill in those gaps in reality. In my investment advisory practice, as you may imagine, I observe how emotion fills in those gaps...

With that said, illusion can be quite fulfilling and entertaining. In fact, humans don't mind being "tricked," especially if the illusion brings some type of joy, such as with art and motion pictures...

"Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces." ~ Sigmund Freud

Re: On Growing the Growing Life

The Financial Philosopher — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:05:28 -0000

Once you obtain self-awareness, everything seems to become more clear and life's challenges, lighter...

"There is more happiness in doing one's own path without excellence than in doing another's path well." ~ The Bhagavad Gita

Re: The Predictable Irrationality of Life

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:14:09 -0000

The fact that humans seek the rewards of the material world goes back to primitive man. Our brains are wired for simple, survival-oriented behavior. Our primitive brain, also known as the "rat brain," seeks patterns or short-cuts to these rewards, much like a rat learning the shortest route to a block of cheese. The primary problem with us humans is that we choose the wrong "rewards," which are only short-term and come from external sources. Once the reward is obtained, we begin the search for the next reward...

The material world likes to promote its offerings, such as the mass-media promotes the idea that we should have bigger homes, bigger cars and more "stuff" to make our lives better. If we can find shortcuts (i.e. hacks), then that is the preferred route, as opposed to the longer and more rewarding route to self-awareness.

Fortunately, as known by philosophers for centuries and recently proven by neuroscience studies, humans have the ability to change the make-up of the brain and form better habits while minimizing or reducing bad ones. We can "train" ourselves to think differently by "thinking about thinking," much the way that Buddhist Monks can train their brains to think a certain way. This self-awareness brings happiness or well-being from internal sources, as it should be, as opposed to external sources, as our rat brain and material world friends would have it...

Re: The Battle for Our Minds

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:40:53 -0000

Emotional intelligence (EQ) matters more than IQ. This EQ and your "perspective" comes from self-awareness.

The real problem with us humans is that we do not combine our knowing with our doing. In school, we are taught to "talk smart" but are not taught to actually "do" anything. We are rewarded for talking smart by receiving praise for class participation and for finding clever ways to communicate old ideas on paper. What about the "doing" part?

Here's some philosophy to add to your other wise thoughts:

"All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, till they take root in our personal experience." ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought." ~ Basho

Re: 70 Simple Power Tao Secret Hacks to Writing the Perfect Productivity Article, Plus a Guide & System for Doing It

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:51:23 -0000

Your list is filled with irony and misguided wisdom. To illustrate, I'll make a list:

1. Our human "rat brain" likes shortcuts. We prefer to have someone else tell us what to do than tell ourselves what to do.
2. Lists are pure marketing ploys to attract the rat brain and "steal our attention."
3. Bloggers don't use lists to provide useful information. They use lists to attract more readers, hopefully through the leverage of social networks.
4. Most lists are created under the guise of productivity but actually have quite the opposite effect: They are completely anti-productive because they have a "dumbing down" effect and distract people from finding their own path.
5. Read
6. My
7. List
8. Of
9. Top Ten Reasons
10. to Avoid Lists: http://financialphilosopher.typepad.com/thefina...

Clay, I believe you are a good enough writer to attract more readers without the use of lists. I hope you soon return to your usual higher level of intelligence.

Re: 70 Simple Power Tao Secret Hacks to Writing the Perfect Productivity Article, Plus a Guide & System for Doing It

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:02:42 -0000

Clay,

Disclaimer: I must admit that, in disgust, I completely skimmed to the bottom of the post without catching the humor element. I will say, however, that if you truly believe lists are not useful, then this will be your last list!

Thanks for the "list!"

Re: The Alternative Productivity Manifesto

The Financial Philosopher — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:11:10 -0000

Clay:

I believe you are on to something here and it's exciting to see! Take #25 and run with it. Also, don't beat yourself up for making a list. This time it's a means of creating simplicity, not a means of attracting blog traffic, as follows...

Keep going in this direction:

1. Productivity is another word, such as wealth, success and happiness that must be defined by the individual. Through the lens of the business world, it is not designed to translate into something positive (i.e. happiness) for the employee. It is designed to translate into a better bottom line for owners and investors.
2. Productivity must be a personal endeavor. For example, I started my own business. In a financial context, I'm not as "productive" as I could be. In a happiness context, I'm more "productive" than I've ever been. It's a matter of priorities...
3. In a business context, our capitalistic society demands productivity. As long as consumers demand lower prices for goods and services and investors demand increasingly higher returns on their investments, increases in productivity (by way of technology and squeezing more work for less pay out of employees) is absolutely necessary.
4. Productivity should not be about doing more things in the same amount of time or less. Productivity should be about prioritizing our lives so that they align with our values and this is made possible through self-awareness.
6. Self-awareness does this: It aligns "who we are" with "what we do."

Keep moving in this direction! Your finding meaning and purpose here! Great job!

Re: The Life Hack Misnomer

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:56:06 -0000

Clay,

I like how you say, "Anti-hacks respect the notion that in the game of life, there are often no tricks or shortcuts."

This wisdom is a modern version of something said over 2500 years ago: "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." ~Lao Tzu

While the word, "hack," is reaching an annoying level of trendiness, I believe it, essentially, is a metaphor for the "primitive brain" or what many neuroscientists have affectionately labeled as "the rat brain."

The rat brain consists of "hard-wiring" geared for simple, survival-oriented pattern recognition and it seeks mental shortcuts that link patterns to potential rewards, much like a lab rat that learns the shortest route to a block of cheese. These shortcuts and patterns were quite effective in aiding primitive man to find food and flee danger but arguably are counter-productive in modern man's short-term physical-world rewards, such as more money, a bigger house and greater social status.

The problem with "hacking" is that it absolutely perpetuates this human need to find shortcuts. What is worse is that these shortcuts are often false rewards that are nothing more than short-term happiness. We soon set our sights on the next reward.

As for Jared's comment, the hacks that technology may bring us will only be positive if they help free more time to find meaning in our lives, not to fill that time with more false pursuits...

I believe it was one of your previous posts that pointed out that technology has given us the capacity to be at least double our productivity in recent decades but are we twice as happy as we were 50 years ago?

Re: Alternative Lifestyle Designing (The Rabbit Hole Tax and Baselining)

The Financial Philosopher — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:01:26 -0000

Clay, you are indeed a philosopher...

"People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

"If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires." ~ Epicurus

"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are." ~ Chinese proverb

"The wise man knows that it is better to sit on the banks of a remote mountain stream than to be emperor of the whole world." ~ Zhuang Tzi

Re: Project Liberation

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:31:27 -0000

The "ideas" need to come from you only; therefore, I can not provide any. I can say, however, that "following your own path" is never wrong. I started my own investment advisory business a few years ago and will never "work for the man" again. My life is my own...

Here's what I've learned:

1. As you age, you understand more of who you are by eliminating who you are not.
2. If you tread your own path, there is never any "step back..." only different directions.
3. As you already know, social convention is a primary inhibitor of self-awareness. Other inhibitors include media noise, social pressures, language, and inertia.
4. Define words for yourself, such as wealth, success, strength and weakness.
5. If you have good health, food, shelter and clothing, then any material objects beyond those basic needs will not bring well-being.
6. Study yourself.
7. Remember that you will die and you do not know when your dying day will come...

"You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self. Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain you don't have anything to learn from them." ~ Richard Bach

"No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path." ~ Buddha

"The unexamined life is not worth living." ~ Socrates

"We say that the hour of death cannot be forecast, but when we say this we imagine that hour as placed in an obscure and distant future. It never occurs to us that it has any connection with the day already begun or that death could arrive this same afternoon, this afternoon which is so certain and which has every hour filled in advance." ~ Marcel Proust
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Response:
This is excellent advice. I wish I could plagiarize it and use it as a blog post :-). Thanks.

Re: Project Liberation

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:40:16 -0000

Clay:

I just sent you an email with a vision I wanted to share with you. Please let me know if you do (or do not) receive it.

Cheers...

Kent

Re: Not Being a Real Person: The #1 Self-Development Anti-Hack

The Financial Philosopher — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:43:16 -0000

I like your philosophical direction. Here are a few of my favorite pieces of wisdom:

"You spent the first half of your life becoming somebody. Now you can work on becoming nobody, which is really somebody. For when you become nobody there is no tension, no pretense, no one trying to be anyone or anything. The natural state of the mind shines through unobstructed -- and the natural state of the mind is pure love." ~ Ram Dass

"Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy." ~ Lao Tzu

Cheers...

Kent (The Financial Philosopher)
--------------------------------
Response
Kent, where do you get these amazing quotations? Are they just sitting in your head most of the time for you to pull out on demand.

I never thought of the similarities between non-being and "not being a real person." Thanks for that.

Also, that Ram Dass quotation is dead on. Who is he and where did you find it?

Re: The Income Snowball & Funding Your Freedom: A Four-Part Guide

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:24:25 -0000

I'll provide testimony that starting your own business or a new career with children is quite possible. I started my own business two years ago with two young children and a stay-at-home wife...

The only financial advantage I had was equity in my home (but not a large amount) to finance the business.

For me, the ability to make the change came from a combination of frustration with constantly hitting dead-ends and glass ceilings working for "the man" and an attitude that money is abundant. In my first year of business, I gave money to charity even though I was not profitable; my wife and I never changed our lifestyle; I continued my masters program; I started a blog; and the newfound freedom opened new doors as my creativity exploded.

Now I see that the possibilities are only limited by my imagination...

My advice to others is that "being responsible" can actually be counter-productive and the quest for discovery is limited without adding adventure to our responsibility...

"We have to recognise accident, i.e., the fact that there is no formula, no 'principle', which covers all things; that there is no totality or system of things. And this recognition at once supports a life of 'responsibility and adventure' and leads to scientific discovery." ~ John Anderson

Great post...

Kent (The Financial Philosopher)

Re: Hacking Your Life vs. Hacking Your Computer, Abundance 2.0, and Dealing with Bugs

The Financial Philosopher — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:57:41 -0000

So true. Our path, or potential, already exists -- we simply need to discover, or uncover, it. What keeps our true self "covered" is social conventions, media noise and language.

The process of self-discovery (finding our own path) is not necessarily one of doing but one of UN-doing; rather than learning, we un-learn; rather than constructing we are de-constructing; and so on...

"No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path." ~ Buddha

Cheers...

Re: Why The Job-ification of Your Passion Can be the Ticket to Hating Your Life

The Financial Philosopher — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:44:17 -0000

Clay,

This post is strong but I would be careful how you use the word, "freedom."

Where people make mistakes is thinking that "do what you love" brings freedom. It's because social conventions like to use that word. Freedom is liberating and romantic but it is also deceptive...

Let's say an aspiring blogger becomes financially successful and decides to make blogging their single source of income. The blogger is "free" or liberated from their 9-5 job but now they MUST BLOG or their source of income diminishes or disappears. Is this "freedom?" Will the "passion" for blogging stay the same when it is chained by financial demands?

While it is virtuous to "do what you love," the perspective changes when you MUST do it for an end other than the enjoyment of doing it...

I suggest you "do what you love" only if you are willing to do it for free (notice that "for free" connotes "no money"). If money follows, then great. If not, nothing should change. Once money becomes attached to a passion, then the passion is bound by the money, and we can only be free if we are free from the desire for the money...

"Freedom is not procured by a full enjoyment of what is desired, but by controlling the desire." ~ Epictetus

"You have freedom when you're easy in your harness." ~ Robert Frost

"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it." ~ William Faulkner

Thanks for provoking thought...

Kent (The Financial Philosopher)

Re: I ALMOST Shut Down The Growing Life Forever . . .

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:06:49 -0000

I'm not sure how a life can "grow" with money...

"Wealth and rank are what people desire, but unless they are obtained in the right way they may not be possessed." ~ Confucius

"A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart." ~ Jonathan Swift

"Money often costs too much." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

It appears you made the right decision. I'll "see you" Tuesday...

Kent (The Financial Philosopher)

Re: The Whole Scoop: Why I Almost Shut Down The Growing Life

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:15:54 -0000

Clay:

As a follower of your blog for several months, I feel compelled to match your "long-ass post" in kind...

I believe I can be more of a "friend" by asking you a few tough questions rather than "pat you on the back" like everyone else:

It sounds as if you are a person who has difficulty finishing things that you start. How is "Finance Your Freedom" any different? Is this really something that reflects "who you are" or is it an imitation of other similar ideas, such as "4-hour work week?"

How do you define "freedom?"

Do you believe you have "found" something or do you believe you are "in search of" something?

How can you lead others to "financial freedom" if you've not done it before? Or have you?

Is there really such thing as "financial freedom?" Is it not more prudent to seek contentment?

You said in your post that "Finance Your Freedom" is not for you but for the readers. Since I don't know you, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt but I still find it difficult to believe that this new project is absolutely an altruistic venture.

Here's my assessment: You are trying to "figure out" the world and your personality has you floating around like a leaf in the wind. You are not doing this new project for anyone but yourself because it helps you make sense of things. Your writing is not a selfless exercise to "help" people -- your writing helps yourself, and if it helps others then that is even better.

I could be wrong, but if I'm right in my assessment, then you are exactly like me...

As always, I will crystallize my thoughts with those of someone else -- this time all of the thoughts are from the same person -- Michel de Montaigne:

"I know well what I am fleeing from but not what I am in search of."

"Not being able to govern events, I govern myself."

"No wind serves him who addresses his voyage to no certain port."

"I put forward formless and unresolved notions, as do those who publish doubtful questions to debate in the schools, not to establish the truth but to seek it."

"Every one rushes elsewhere and into the future, because no one wants to face one's own inner self."

"I write to keep from going mad from the contradictions I find among mankind - and to work some of those contradictions out for myself."

Let me know if I can do anything to help. I am an entrepreneur on a path to self-discovery and would be happy to share more thoughts with you.

Kent @ The Financial Philosopher
------------------------------------
response:
Hi Kent,

Thanks for the comments. I have found financial freedom. But my site isn't about financial freedom. It's about the logistical aspects of liberation. It's about the practicalities and real world aspects of freeing one's self from a 9-5 job.

And I never once say that I don't benefit from my own writing. I love writing and find it very rewarding.

Thanks again for the questions,
Clay

Re: The Whole Scoop: Why I Almost Shut Down The Growing Life

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:08:40 -0000

Clay:

Thanks for the direct response. It appears, as I suspected, that you have a good sense of your direction. I only read a few blogs and I like to gain an understanding of the person behind the words.

It is quite easy to fall prey to the "illusion" that is the blogosphere, both as a reader and as a writer, and my faith is restored that you are "real."

"Art has a double face, of expression and illusion, just like science has a double face: the reality of error and the phantom of truth." ~ Publilius Syrus

"Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces." ~ Sigmund Freud

I will look forward to following your "growing life" with the new project and again, please let me know if there is anything I can do to help...

Kent @ The Financial Philosopher

Re: Finance Your Freedom Sneak Peak: The "Interviews with Lifestyle Design Renegades Series"

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:46:18 -0000

Clay,

This series, and your new direction with FYF, looks quite useful and promising. I am both an outspoken believer and an experienced practitioner in "financing freedom" via self-discovery.

If you have a "list" of individuals who have financed their freedom via entrepreneurialism to interview for your new project, please feel free to add me to that list! I would love to be involved with this kind of creative energy that is useful for those wishing to find themselves and to make money while they are at it...

"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves." ~ Carl Jung

If you want to reach me, my email is available on my blog...

Cheers...

Kent @ The Financial Philosopher

Re: The Ego Economy: Why the Freedom Economy Is Passing You By

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:44:51 -0000

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:58:44 -0000

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:11:15 -0000

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:34:52 -0000

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:22:02 -0000

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:40:22 -0000

Kenny:

Thanks for the comment! I hope to hear from you over at The Financial Philosopher...

Cheers...

Kent

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:27:39 -0000

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:32:36 -0000

Re: Cubicle Pwned

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:10:57 -0000

Re: The Best Hate Mail Message EVER

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:56:59 -0000

Re: The Best Hate Mail Message EVER

The Financial Philosopher — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:21:08 -0000

Re: What’s Been Keeping Me Up At Night

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:04:16 -0000

Jim:

I live in Charleston, SC. You can find my email on my blog if you would like to ask me any questions about the area.

Cheers...

Re: Giving Up the “Good Life”

The Financial Philosopher — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:28:12 -0000

Re: 3 Things I’m An Idiot for Not Telling You About Earlier

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:38:09 -0000

Re: How to Not F*ck Up Your (Public) Product Launch

The Financial Philosopher — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:04:53 -0000

Re: On Alternative Productivity and Anti-Hacks for Living

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:25:37 -0000

Re: How to Take the Red Pill

The Financial Philosopher — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:03:13 -0000

Re: On Growing the Growing Life

The Financial Philosopher — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:05:28 -0000

Re: The Predictable Irrationality of Life

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:14:09 -0000

Re: The Battle for Our Minds

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:40:53 -0000

Re: 70 Simple Power Tao Secret Hacks to Writing the Perfect Productivity Article, Plus a Guide & System for Doing It

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:51:23 -0000

Re: 70 Simple Power Tao Secret Hacks to Writing the Perfect Productivity Article, Plus a Guide & System for Doing It

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:02:42 -0000

Re: The Alternative Productivity Manifesto

The Financial Philosopher — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:11:10 -0000

Re: The Life Hack Misnomer

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:56:06 -0000

Re: Alternative Lifestyle Designing (The Rabbit Hole Tax and Baselining)

The Financial Philosopher — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:01:26 -0000

Re: Project Liberation

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:31:27 -0000

Re: Project Liberation

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:40:16 -0000

Clay:

I just sent you an email with a vision I wanted to share with you. Please let me know if you do (or do not) receive it.

Cheers...

Kent

Re: Not Being a Real Person: The #1 Self-Development Anti-Hack

The Financial Philosopher — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:43:16 -0000

Re: The Income Snowball & Funding Your Freedom: A Four-Part Guide

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:24:25 -0000

Re: Hacking Your Life vs. Hacking Your Computer, Abundance 2.0, and Dealing with Bugs

The Financial Philosopher — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:57:41 -0000

Re: Why The Job-ification of Your Passion Can be the Ticket to Hating Your Life

The Financial Philosopher — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:44:17 -0000

Re: I ALMOST Shut Down The Growing Life Forever . . .

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:06:49 -0000

Re: The Whole Scoop: Why I Almost Shut Down The Growing Life

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:15:54 -0000

Re: The Whole Scoop: Why I Almost Shut Down The Growing Life

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:08:40 -0000

Re: Finance Your Freedom Sneak Peak: The "Interviews with Lifestyle Design Renegades Series"

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:46:18 -0000

Re: The Ego Economy: Why the Freedom Economy Is Passing You By

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:44:51 -0000

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:58:44 -0000

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:11:15 -0000

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:34:52 -0000

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:22:02 -0000

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:32:36 -0000

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:40:22 -0000

Kenny:

Thanks for the comment! I hope to hear from you over at The Financial Philosopher...

Cheers...

Kent

Re: What is the Meaning of Money?: A ‘Philosopher,’ a 4-Year Old and a Path

The Financial Philosopher — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:27:39 -0000

Re: Cubicle Pwned

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:10:57 -0000

Re: The Best Hate Mail Message EVER

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:56:59 -0000

Re: The Best Hate Mail Message EVER

The Financial Philosopher — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:21:08 -0000

Re: What’s Been Keeping Me Up At Night

The Financial Philosopher — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:04:16 -0000

Jim:

I live in Charleston, SC. You can find my email on my blog if you would like to ask me any questions about the area.

Cheers...

Re: Giving Up the “Good Life”

The Financial Philosopher — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:28:12 -0000

Re: 3 Things I’m An Idiot for Not Telling You About Earlier

The Financial Philosopher — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:38:09 -0000

Re: How to Not F*ck Up Your (Public) Product Launch

The Financial Philosopher — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:04:53 -0000

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