I read The 4-Hour Workweek a little while ago. I’ve mentioned it before on my blog that it has some good advice on how to live, instead of being lived by your job, company etc. It questions the idea of retirement. Tim Ferriss, the author, gives examples of how most people work hard and aspire for the 60 hours a week job to eventually retire when they are old. But as he points out, what is the point? Why slave off first while doing something you do not inherently like? Those statements go against the grain, because our societies are built on these principles.

His book might lead to too much self indulgence and egoism, because his idea of retiring is self centered. It is for his enjoyment and at the expense of others (you hire people to work for you while you are in Argentina sun basking). Granted, he mentions volunteer work and other meaningful activities, but this does not take away that his lifestyle smells a bit like exploitation (which is a bad word in the rest of the world btw).

I’m of the opinion that we got to live now, but that means to develop oneself, spiritually, mentally and physically, in that order, and at the least cost of others possible. We got to become full persons first, to culture ourselves, and we can’t wait for retirement to accomplish that. We first got to know how to enjoy before we set out in the world. And that doesn’t always mean we live by society’s expectations.