Discovering FIRE and learning to question everything — even things I didn’t even know to question — has allowed us to live better lives by making changes we otherwise would not have known about. Not for nothing, it’s also allowed us to save money, increase our net worth, and lessen our carbon footprint. It’s been a highly useful shift in perspective. And now I’m an even bigger nudnik than I used to be.
Baaaaad idea?
I find, in my little corner of the universe, that most people blindly follow the herd flock. And I know that there’s a certain comfort that comes from that. One experiences the familiar. The comfortable. Few others, if any, raise thought-provoking or uncomfortable questions about your choices. It’s easy.
But is it wise? I think not. I like to say that there’s a reason that there are exchanges devoted to options trading. Smart people will pay a lot for options because they can be exceptionally valuable.
When you question things, you have the opportunity to discover, and take advantage of, options.
To change, or not to change: that is the question.
Maybe during the course of following the flock you decided to ask probing questions but then decided to stay with the herd. Great! You didn’t change your situation, but you did consider and evaluate any available options you learned about. And being positioned to make a decision based on a better understanding of the landscape of options is a good place to be in.
But maybe you learned about one or more better options you never could/would have known about otherwise. Good on you! Now you have a chance to improve your life. As Mark Twain said, “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect”
Be wary of being a sheep, Dear Reader.
