I care not about a man's personal living situation, what I care about is his effect on the greater population at large. Is Melvin a burden on society by depending on government handouts (welfare etc)? No. Does he commit crimes in order to make ends meet? No. He might not live the life many here desire or envy, but he does live life and on his terms.
I believe Melvin strives for financial independence and employs methods that likely result in him not having to work as much as the next man. If he has a formula that works for "him" which allows him to invest more of his time enjoying his life, then good for him I say. Notice how many times I used "his" & "him", because ultimately what matters is his own happiness, not whether we interpret his accommodations as happiness inducing.
His living accommodations might not necessarily work for me, but I have also been both spoiled and brainwashed by living in NYC, where "more" is "better". Undoubtedly, I can see the fault in my thought process. The older I get, the more I realize that time is truly the most scarce asset we have. If we spend a lifetime trying to amass riches, only to appreciate life in small bursts, we've failed at living and instead succeeding at a form of slavery. We've become a civilization obsessed with the idea of attaining money by any means. We envy others who hold more money and have shinier looking homes and vehicles. None of it matters. What we take with us over our lifetimes are the memories of time we've shared with those we love and care for the most (could be family, friends or even single-serve friends).
Remember, the richest man in the room is not the man with the most money, but instead the man with the most time. He is the man able to do whatever he wants with his life, versus trading hours of his life for currency.
I'm not saying it isn't nice to own a nice home or a fancy car, but once you ALL have that, you will notice the novelty of those things wears off VERY quickly. You guys ever remember your first time with a woman? I bet that memory echoes over time throughout your hippocampus. Now, can you tell me what you spent 3 days ago while at the convenience store? Not really.
Chase memories and experiences with people, less so riches.
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