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18 May 10 Lifestyle Design as Survivalism
Just because your paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you
I’m a short term pessimist, but long term optimist when it comes to my outlook on the world. Our planet is a dangerous, volatile, unpredictable place and the economic policies of many countries are akin to letting the lunatics run the asylum.
Maybe my paranoid, survivalist streak is borne out of growing up under financially strained circumstances, maybe it’s to do with graduating with an Computer Science degree in the aftermath of the dotcom bust and all that it meant in terms of struggling for work and money. Or maybe it is to do with becoming a “grown up” in relative terms just in time for the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression.
Either way, my circumstances in coming off age has meant I’ve never taken anything for granted, including the relative affluence I have achieved thus far in my life - the shit can hit the fan at any given time, and it’s best to be prepared.
Case in point: the recession that just was. Probably the worst since the Great Depression, and personally I think the policy responses we have seen from politicians and Central Banks will mean that they have only postponed the correction, meaning the next recession will be even more brutal.
Or maybe I’m just being paranoid. Either way, I prefer being prepared for the worst, though I hope for the best.
Being prepared to me means having the financial means to get through tough times, having the skills and knowledge to thrive in any environment and constantly improve them. To be able to create wealth for yourself rather than wait for someone to give you a job. To have the agility in your life to adapt to new circumstances and move to a completely different place should it become necessary.
In other words: being in control of yourself and your own destiny, rather than being at the mercy of others and being chained down by your circumstances.
To me, Lifestyle Design isn’t just about enjoying life more (though it is a key part), it is also about surviving and thriving in a world that is increasingly dangerous and unpredictable.
