I talked about the dangers of value drift/cognitive dissonance upthread, and this is a prime example of what I'm talking about. It is very easy to say "I'll jus

I talked about the dangers of value drift/cognitive dissonance upthread, and this is a prime example of what I'm talking about. It is very easy to say "I'll just work this job until I'm financially secure". But then you start hanging out with a bunch of highly paid people, and start to feel that you need "a few hundred thousand [dollars] in passive income" (which really means ~$7 million in assets, depending on what you mean by "few"). That is, from any objective viewpoint, absurd. Moreover, it's a recipe for talking yourself into an ever-extended stay in a situation that, fundamentally, doesn't comport with your values. I don't say this to attack the OP – I've seen the same process happen to good people, seen people feel "poor/underpaid" while making $200k. Instead, my focus is on the other people. Pay attention to OP, and realize just how powerful an influence the right (wrong) "circle of friends and family" can be. Imo, you should think very carefully before spending your life around a circle that would cause you to think financial security requires $7 million.