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Not sure for why you’re getting downvoted, but I think your point (which I would agree with) is that if large majorities were to act in this way, that system wo

Not sure for why you’re getting downvoted, but I think your point (which I would agree with) is that if large majorities were to act in this way, that system would be sustainable for nobody. The reason why FIRE works in this way is that people are piggybacking on a consumption culture to reap the benefits of compounding interest on stocks, without personally contributing to it. You’re not going to see avg 8% gains in index funds in a world where wealth is hoarded, and FIRE isn’t going to work without that high compounding rate. This is one of the things that bugs me about the FIRE “movement”. it’s a great hack for the people doing it, but it can’t become a mainstream system without breaking.

jogjayr 8y ago
It's been addressed on MMM: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/04/09/what-if-everyone-became-frugal/ http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/04/09/what-if-everyone-b... The key quote: "If an entire society gradually decides that it wants to consume less, then it needs to produce less as well. If there is less stuff that needs to be produced, then people don’t have to work as many hours to create it. That’s perfect, because many people will be dropping out of the workforce much earlier as they finish earning the money they need to get going on their early retirement. The shortage of available work will be balanced by the reduced number of people willing to do that work."