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I think personal finance is itself a broken system, and education about it is like putting up signs about missing steps on a stairway. You can make a super-visi
by forgotmypw17 5y ago
I think personal finance is itself a broken system, and education about it is like putting up signs about missing steps on a stairway. You can make a super-visible sign or even post an attendant to alert people, but really, those are temporary measures, and the missing step itself should be fixed.
We have the means today to no longer require people to manage their bank accounts and investments and tax deductions. It's a huge waste of effort and time and life's energy.
Personally, I have already refused most of it. I stopped working for money, instead focusing on relationships, volunteering, and personal projects. I've stopped filing my tax returns, because I no longer have to. I no longer have a bank account, investments, etc. And I'm quite happy with it.
Edit: Yes, I am extremely privileged to be able to develop FOSS and have enough support and education and all the other privileges to pull it off. I do not deny this. It still took a lot of courage and discomfort and accepting my own disabilities to get where I am here. And it took rejecting something that everyone had told me was a unalterable given.
- dchuk 5y agoCurious, how do you practically operate in life? Where do you live? How do you pay for food and living accommodations?
- forgotmypw17 5y agoI operate by beginning my day with prayer and meditation. I then follow my calendar appointments, mostly volunteering and classes, and whenever I'm not doing that, I work on my software project. I live in any spaces which will have me. My needs are very minimal, and through prayer and faith, I am provided for. I eat whatever food is made available to me by the Universe, and when it is not, I am fasting. If you want to know more details, I recently posted a comment with an overview: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31077742 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31077742
- spicymaki 5y agoVery interesting. Thanks for posting that. Good luck on your journey.
- markdown 5y agoWhat a privilege it must be.
- xwdv 5y agoIndeed, but it is a life accessible to all as long as you can find a sponsor to cover your needs and fund your adventures in philanthropy and self exploration.
- kurisufag 5y agoso your prescription is that instead of teaching kids how finance works, we tell them to hire some effectively unknowable third party to do it for them? and you think this is appropriate for everyone?
- julianlam 5y agoThat's capitalism, baby!
- urthor 5y agoYou may be speaking from a privileged position, of lifelong financial education & socioeconomic advantage. Even if you automate your tax deductions, you gotta know what a tax deduction is. Many people in tech come from a position of privilege. Family backgrounds where things like carried interest and depreciation are dinner table conversations. It's hard to appreciate. But for families where the younger generation is the first to college, the basics of finance are not obvious.