> Did you go through all your education and training just to hit a certain number and call it quits? Yes, I don't see what's so surprising about that. Most peo

> Did you go through all your education and training just to hit a certain number and call it quits? Yes, I don't see what's so surprising about that. Most people do the same but instead of being an amount of money, it's an amount of years, or an amount of money that you will get more slowly. > In some ways I don't get the "financially independent" life. Sure, you're no longer absolutely needing to have a job. But what do you do with the rest of your life? You're just retired at 50? With what to challenge / strive for? Whatever you want, that's the point. If you want to spend all day in your bed, you can. If you want to go very deeply on one topic, you can. If you want to surf HN all day you can. If you want to give time to charities you can. You can even go back to work if you want to! > Maybe I'm just fortunate in that I don't mind working / find some fulfillment from it, and don't have a burning desire to sit around with no activities for 5 days a week. > What takes the place of work? Your comment seems to asume that working is a natural state and that you need an opposite "burning desire" to not want to work. I personally don't get much fulfillment from work. It's nice and all but I'd rather not do it. In a way it's like washing the dishes: sometimes it feels a bit good to do it, and most people need to do it, but if I can get a dishwasher, I'd rather get one and use one.