Jacob's ERE from ERE???????????????????????

DividendGuy · Post by **DividendGuy** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 7:31 pm

@EMJ
I do wonder if people are going to think of Jacob as a sell out. That's a high possibility. I doubt Jacob cares.
But, you do make good points. It would have been awesome if Jacob instead focused his time/effort/intelligence on solving world problems like energy/food shortages rather than go into high finance, which is just about as completely opposite of ERE as you can get.

4444 · Post by **4444** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 7:52 pm

Thanks for the website!

sky · Post by **sky** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:02 pm

Quant trading is a mathematical puzzle where the variables are constantly changing. What better math challenge for a physicist to take on? When 3D chess is no longer a challenge, try building a math model to beat the market.
This job fits Jacob's skill set far better than hoeing beets on an organic farm.

slacker · Post by **slacker** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:09 pm

@ Don Emmanuel: Purely from a practical perspective, let's not forget that Jacob is very much FI, so anything he does now needn't have to be sustainable forever, so its okay to be doing something very specialized too, as the money from this isn't required to flow in forever. Especially as this thing is something that interest him very much, to enable the unhindered pursuit of which is one of the primary goals of ERE.
But from a moral perspective, well I'm not sure: If ERE is good for the world,which all of us believe it is,and what the financial world is doing by and large is bad, which most of us again believe to be true, then there're surely some moral issues..

buzz · Post by **buzz** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:24 pm

After reading Jacob's blog post, I don't think he'll be replying to this thread or commenting on the questions posed here. Even so, I am very appreciative of what Jacob has done: spreading his message, creating this community, and promising to keep this place available as a resource.
People change. This may be an experiment for him, and I think it's very disrespectful to call him a hypocrite until he creates a blog espousing the virtues of consumerism. Why is it that his personal life has to be questioned and examined? He is a guy just trying to live his life like all of us. I'm aware that this happens to all public figures (see celebrities for extreme examples) but I've never understood it. Why does discussion have to go from his message/philosophy to his personal motives and lifestyle choices post FI?

slacker · Post by **slacker** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:26 pm

...that brings up another question: it's a foregone conclusion that a lot of what the financial world is doing is bad for 99% of people, but then again, most of us here are traders/investors in the very same markets. We are players in the same field, only the scale is different. That's oversimplifying things, because there are key differences, but still, nothing's keeping us away from the markets, is it? So, if making money from the markets for oneself is okay, how would making money for someone else from the same markets at a larger scale be bad, assuming you're still playing by the same rules? This is where the problem begins, eh? Because do THEY play by the same rules as the ordinary investor? Is it all fair? I really doubt it.

Post by **jacob** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:28 pm

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/ ... ost1136679
http://earlyretirementextreme.com/so-lo ... ment-31565

Protege · Post by **Protege** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:34 pm

Jacob,

I wish you all the best in the next challenging phase of your life. Thanks for inspiring me to change my life and opening my eyes to all the possibilities.

slacker · Post by **slacker** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:46 pm

@buzz: I don't think Jacob would have a problem with the questions posed,if he's even reading them anymore,even the nasty ones..hehe..(he's had a lot of practice dealing with them..especially outside of this site

) because we have always been questioning something or the other here, haven't we?
In fact, it is questioning something that probably led each one of us here, right? Agreed, a few of us like me had nothing better to do at work and just stumbled upon ERE just like that;)
> Why is it that his personal life has to be so

> deeply questioned? Why does discussion have to

> go from his message to his personal motives and

> lifestyle choices?
None of us has any business questioning anyone's personal choices, but you must understand that the personal choice being questioned here ( well..it's not really even 'questioning', it's trying to understand) is not something like why he practices Shinkendo and not Kung Fu, or likes this color and not that, NO!
The question we're talking about here is at the very core of the whole idea for the basis of the ERE philosophy. Remember that it is a philosophy ( and we've had numerous discussions on these things), and philosophies come with the baggage of morals and ethics and all other nasty things..so most questions are honest and nothing else...or at least mine are.

BeyondtheWrap · Post by **BeyondtheWrap** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 1:30 am

I personally would prefer if Jacob could keep updating the blog periodically. I'd like to see his Chicago budget, for instance.

dragoncar · Post by **dragoncar** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 3:25 am

I imagine that his budget will have to increase... Will he have time to build a rake or even garden with a quant job? I thought the hours were long but perhaps I'm mistaken. Still, I have trouble thinking he'll start shopping at brookstone and fill his garage with unnecessary stuff. Remember, he was originally saving large amounts of money by accident-- simply because there was nothin he wanted to buy. As someone who works and sometimes spends money on certain outsourcing tasks, I think there's no shame in greater expenses. The shame would be lazy acceptance that all chores must be contracted out regardless of value proposition.
I dont know much about dw, but maybe she wants to take a turn at not having a job.

Heliotrope · Post by **Heliotrope** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 5:59 am

I am fairly new to this site. I have no judgement to place on Jacob. I have wondered about how entrenched people become in their working lives, defining themselves by their career and how challenging it is for many to imagine what to do with their time once they have it. We are all trying to develop and grow. How great it must be to have the freedom and flexibility to change direction when the current project has run its course. I have learned a lot here and look forward to reading the forums and archived blog posts.

DividendGuy · Post by **DividendGuy** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 8:38 am

Count me in among those that hope Jacob occasionally updates his blog and posts information about the revised Chicago budget. Re-entering the work force is something rarely touched on here and I think Jacob could be a great source of knowledge on some of the trials and experiences of such a task.

Post by **jacob** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 7:22 pm

I'll probably do a post on the budget in a few months.
The object for me is to
1) Stop thinking so much about all the management/support/public relations of ERE.

2) Only spend 5 minutes a day on maintenance and do it in batch form. I need to spend less time on the ERE dog and pony show, period

3) Try to get the blog and my person back to the glory days when I weren't a "public figure" on the internets.
= I'll still participate in the forums but hopefully more as a "civilian" than a "general".

jforest · Post by **jforest** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 7:31 pm

@jacob Congratulations on using your financial independence as you see fit!
I think that's the essence of what we're all trying to accomplish. Enjoy it!

sshawnn · Post by **sshawnn** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 7:36 pm

Take a look at all the comments on "Thanks For All the Fish" Good stuff. Except for a couple that I had to refrain from making derogatory comments towards..... I have regarded Jacob very highly after reading the book and seeing an imaginative "new" way to view the world. Reading these words has drastically morphed the lives of my nuclear family. As usual, I can not write or speak as eloquently as I like but bigato's words.......WoW. Bigato, I can not always get on board with all your points but I always enjoy reading your posts. (I see where your coming from but I am still a Neanderthal compared to you in terms of ERE development) The leader to a better life part hits the nail on the head
bigato said,

I don’t see how commiting to something changes anything about your example. You wouldn’t be free if you couldn’t commit to whatever you choose. How nice that it will bring some money too.
Thanks for being my leader to a better life. You have put together one of the most important pieces of knowledge I was able to find in written history. Important to my life. You are surely among the top three, and I am not able yet to say in what position.
If I can help you with anything you just ask.
People you have touched so deeply as me feel as you are a intimate friend, even if most of us never met you in person. That’s why we keep saying we want to hear updates about your life. Also because you are considered by some of us as a leader and as an important example for us to learn with. But I think you should not expose much of your private life on the web so you don’t become target for bullshit. Maybe you could have an account on facebook where you add only people you trust? Anything you are willing to say or write, I’m willing to know.

hickchick · Post by **hickchick** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 8:45 pm

It's been obvious that our fearless leader has been a bored lately. I can't believe that there are people out there that are petty enough to give him flack for doing something interesting.
@Jacob - Thanks. Congrats. And good luck.

Felix · Post by **Felix** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 10:08 pm

Best luck to you, Jacob. Thanks for an excellent blog, book and forum. I also hope you find a way to fix the financial system. You could manage to do that.

jeremymday · Post by **jeremymday** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 12:58 am

Hi All,
I posted most of my sentiments as a comment on the blog post but I will repost here for anyone interested. I will say this though...
I think it takes a unique person to actively chose to step down from fame, and try to stay away from becoming a figurehead. Jacob wrote about what he was passionate about, but too many people now seem to want to follow Jacob instead of the ideas he so passionately wrote about.
It is good to let the ideas stand on their own merit, withstand the test of time, if you will... And I think Jacob is smart enough to see that...
"Hi Jacob,
I am with Maus and Bigato, and many of the other long time readers of your blog wishing you the best in life.
I'll speak for myself in saying that I have seen the proverbial writing on the wall for awhile. The worst prison for many of us Myers Briggs Rationals is boredom. The idea of retirement in many peoples minds is not the retirement we dream of.
We dream of a retirement where we can pursue what is most interesting to us. I must admit, quant trading is a subject that is intriguing to me and I would do the work involved simply to learn more about it for free. I am sure you feel likewise.
You are one of the most inspiring people I know. I am pursuing multiple life goals concurrently, and financial independence is a big one. Without your blog and book I wouldn't have progressed as far in achieving that goal.
Yet true retirement isn't really in the cards for me. When I am old and gray perhaps I will retire to some country estate and continue to read vast amounts of books and continue practicing various experiments. But as many will admit, having a job is still one of the best ways to stay connected to society as a whole. And staying connected with society is where learning is freshest and most profound.
In solving the bigger problems of our world we have to realize that leaders aren't enough, we need followers as well. We need large numbers of people all using their strength together, pulling the same direction on the rope, to achieve anything as large as some of the problems that face us today.
With that being said, perhaps the greatest need is for as many people as possible to be recruiters for the cause. Quit whining, complaining, degrading, criticizing, and start actually doing something.
Jacob started a community here, it's up to all of you to continue to it, expand it, and make this idea more prevalent among the masses.
If you want to keep it to yourself that is fine too, but please don't criticize it. It just wastes everyones time.
Ok, now that that is off my chest. Jacob, I wish you the best, and hope you will continue to write about your adventures in quant land.
Cheers,

Jeremy"

jeremymday · Post by **jeremymday** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:07 am

I wanted to repost what I found to be the best statement of Jacob's response to the people on the early-retirement.org forum
"To me what I've written about on ERE is a philosophy of life. The financial independence part is something that's a consequence of the main goal which is to be frugal, autonomous, live self-sufficiently, and have a small environmental footprint." -Jacob