He achieved the "American Dream". It was "terrible".

[twdavis]

https://www.dailyworth.com/posts/3430-buying-my-first-house-impoverished-my-family

Saw this on Reddit in the /r/SimpleLiving sub, because I do like simplicity.

Basically speaks for itself but I rolled my eyes through the whole thing.


I guess our definition of the "American Dream" is far different from how most people think of it.


Brings someone to mind who is proof of the TRUE American Dream being alive and well.

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[AgainstAllOdds]

https://www.dailyworth.com/posts/3430-buying-my-first-house-impoverished-my-family

Saw this on Reddit in the /r/SimpleLiving sub, because I do like simplicity.

Basically speaks for itself but I rolled my eyes through the whole thing.


I guess our definition of the "American Dream" is far different from how most people think of it.


Brings someone to mind who is proof of the TRUE American Dream being alive and well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not trying to knock down the message you want to convey, but Elon Musk is not the best example of the American Dream.

If you watch any documentary on Elon, you'll notice that there was a large luck factor a few times in his life. He was against the ropes and set to lose everything, but a few times lucked out.

Note: I'm not saying that Elon musk doesn't deserve to be where he is. I'm just saying that for every one Elon, there's hundreds of individuals that are just as intelligent and capable, but didn't have luck on their side. I'm sure that no matter what adversity would occur in Elon's life, that he would be worth at least $100M, but luck did play a role in getting him to "Tony Stark status".

In my opinion, Individuals like MJ are better examples of the American Dream, since they're examples of dreams that 99% of the time we can get to through hard work, smart work, and perseverance. Becoming Tony Stark on the other hand, is not something that we have as much control over. It's something to strive for, but not something to be upset about when you "didn't achieve the American dream."

 

[The-J]

Nothing wrong with wanting 2.5 kids and a house in the suburbs. But the housing crisis and the following crash outlined what kind of risk people are taking in order to achieve that.

A lot of people don't know what they can actually afford. Gotta ask yourself, if you lost all your money, your home, and your income sources tomorrow, would you be able to get back on your feet relatively quickly? Most people would say 'That could never happen!' but it can, and it does.

 

[twdavis]

Not trying to knock down the message you want to convey, but Elon Musk is not the best example of the American Dream.

If you watch any documentary on Elon, you'll notice that there was a large luck factor a few times in his life. He was against the ropes and set to lose everything, but a few times lucked out.

Note: I'm not saying that Elon musk doesn't deserve to be where he is. I'm just saying that for every one Elon, there's hundreds of individuals that are just as intelligent and capable, but didn't have luck on their side. I'm sure that no matter what adversity would occur in Elon's life, that he would be worth at least $100M, but luck did play a role in getting him to "Tony Stark status".

In my opinion, Individuals like MJ are better examples of the American Dream, since they're examples of dreams that 99% of the time we can get to through hard work, smart work, and perseverance. Becoming Tony Stark on the other hand, is not something that we have as much control over. It's something to strive for, but not something to be upset about when you "didn't achieve the American dream."

I dont really believe in the concept of luck but I get your POV

 

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[twdavis]

But I do completely agree that @MJ DeMarco is a perfect example of the American Dream.


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[GuestUser113]

Not trying to knock down the message you want to convey, but Elon Musk is not the best example of the American Dream.

If you watch any documentary on Elon, you'll notice that there was a large luck factor a few times in his life. He was against the ropes and set to lose everything, but a few times lucked out.

Note: I'm not saying that Elon musk doesn't deserve to be where he is. I'm just saying that for every one Elon, there's hundreds of individuals that are just as intelligent and capable, but didn't have luck on their side. I'm sure that no matter what adversity would occur in Elon's life, that he would be worth at least $100M, but luck did play a role in getting him to "Tony Stark status".

In my opinion, Individuals like MJ are better examples of the American Dream, since they're examples of dreams that 99% of the time we can get to through hard work, smart work, and perseverance. Becoming Tony Stark on the other hand, is not something that we have as much control over. It's something to strive for, but not something to be upset about when you "didn't achieve the American dream."

 

[RazorCut]

That is just BS

"Overnight, instead of a homeowner’s blissful daydream, the house became a nightmare we couldn’t afford. We’d purchased the house for $240,000. Just weeks later, it was worth less than $150,000. Our mortgage stood at $1,200 a month, plus utilities, taxes, insurance, and everything that goes with the American Dream."

They knew what the bills were going to be before hand. The market caving and the house therefore dropping in value from 240k or 150k has no bearing on the bills as they stay the same. So how come then "Overnight, instead of a homeowner’s blissful daydream, the house became a nightmare we couldn't afford". That's not the American Dream that's just dumb a$$ stupidity.

You make your bed....

 

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[twdavis]

That is just BS

"Overnight, instead of a homeowner’s blissful daydream, the house became a nightmare we couldn’t afford. We’d purchased the house for $240,000. Just weeks later, it was worth less than $150,000. Our mortgage stood at $1,200 a month, plus utilities, taxes, insurance, and everything that goes with the American Dream."

They knew what the bills were going to be before hand. The market caving and the house therefore dropping in value from 240k or 150k has no bearing on the bills as they stay the same. So how come then "Overnight, instead of a homeowner’s blissful daydream, the house became a nightmare we couldn't afford". That's not the American Dream that's just dumb a$$ stupidity.

You make your bed....

The whole thing reeks of incompetence.




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[twdavis]

My problem with this whole thing is buying a house that was clearly above your means to afford, claimed to have achieved the "American Dream" and once you realized you could not afford it you tried to blame it on market fluctuations which are exclusive of your living expenses, and then used that as a (poor) leg to trash the concept of the same "American Dream" you had just claimed to achieve.


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[randomnumber314]

Wow that's some major victim mentality. Interestingly, during that same period, I left my job in the military (steady pay anyone?) for an unknown, bought a house I could afford under any circumstance, oh and my wife was pregnant.

This sob story has sever undertones of "no one took care of me." Well, so what, shut up and figure it out.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

I haven't read the entry as I'm not in the mood for a pity-party, but it sounds like (based on the reaction here) he perverted the American Dream to his own version of entitlement and buying shit he couldn't afford.

Yea, can't see how that turned out wrong.

Stupid decisions have stupid prizes.

 

[twdavis]

I haven't read the entry as I'm not in the mood for a pity-party, but it sounds like he perverted the American Dream to his own version of entitlement and buying shit he couldn't afford.

Yea, can't see how that turned out wrong.

Stupid decisions have stupid prizes.

Yes!!!!

Thank you!


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[Digamma]

Is the "American dream" getting a huge mortgage when you are about to have twins? Cool!

 

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[MitchC]

That is just BS

"Overnight, instead of a homeowner’s blissful daydream, the house became a nightmare we couldn’t afford. We’d purchased the house for $240,000. Just weeks later, it was worth less than $150,000. Our mortgage stood at $1,200 a month, plus utilities, taxes, insurance, and everything that goes with the American Dream."

They knew what the bills were going to be before hand. The market caving and the house therefore dropping in value from 240k or 150k has no bearing on the bills as they stay the same. So how come then "Overnight, instead of a homeowner’s blissful daydream, the house became a nightmare we couldn't afford". That's not the American Dream that's just dumb a$$ stupidity.

You make your bed....

You missed the part where the husband lost his job and couldn't find work for 2 years.

Sure that just highlights what we already know, you have no control with jobs and it's not as safe and secure as people think, but give them a break I doubt it was that bad of a decision at the time.

 

[twdavis]

You missed the part where the husband lost his job and couldn't find work for 2 years.

Sure that just highlights what we already know, you have no control with jobs and it's not as safe and secure as people think, but give them a break I doubt it was that bad of a decision at the time.

The thing I've learned in the last 1-2 years is to pay everything in CASH once you can afford to.

The only debt I'm willing to take on now is calculated debt in business that will benefit me later.

Also, when you work a job and rely on a set amount of money per month, you've got every chance in the world of getting screwed.


Which is basically a drawn out way to say that job security is a myth.


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[randomnumber314]

Is the "American dream" getting a huge mortgage when you are about to have twins? Cool!

Actually...yes. Take a look at the 2003-2008 developments. Big cookie-cutter houses, big mortgages, cars on credit, everything on credit. It's like running a business with the goal of revenue exceeding debt obligations, but your business has a single stream of income--an employer.

EDIT: Also, hope to hell the market goes up appreciates the value of your home so you can borrow against equity to supplement income too.

 

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[Mattie]

Think that is the side walk and slow lane version of the American Dream. You're American Dream is the Millionaire Dream which is a entirely different dream all together.

 

[Ninjakid]

large luck factor"

Well didn't we all not have a little bit of luck? I was lucky to have grown up in a country where I'm allowed to start my own business. I was lucky to have been born healthy. I was lucky to be born into a time with the internet, where you can be a full-time entrepreneur from your own house.

Elon would probably scoff at the notion that luck got him to where he is. He endured tons of hardship to obtain his fortune, even lost it all at one point and had to rebuild it. Was it the right time for his industry? Of course. He's a technological genius and was born into a time where he could utilize these skills. Would it have been different had he been born 200 years earlier. I dunno. It's like asking, "what came first, the chicken or the egg?"

For the other "smart people" who didn't get to where they were because of luck, perhaps they they tried, failed, and quit. Pretty much everyone fails. Not everyone is willing to fail time after time again before they finally succeed.

 

[AgainstAllOdds]

Well didn't we all not have a little bit of luck? I was lucky to have grown up in a country where I'm allowed to start my own business. I was lucky to have been born healthy. I was lucky to be born into a time with the internet, where you can be a full-time entrepreneur from your own house.

Elon would probably scoff at the notion that luck got him to where he is. He endured tons of hardship to obtain his fortune, even lost it all at one point and had to rebuild it. Was it the right time for his industry? Of course. He's a technological genius and was born into a time where he could utilize these skills. Would it have been different had he been born 200 years earlier. I dunno. It's like asking, "what came first, the chicken or the egg?"

For the other "smart people" who didn't get to where they were because of luck, perhaps they they tried, failed, and quit. Pretty much everyone fails. Not everyone is willing to fail time after time again before they finally succeed.

I'm not saying that luck played a role in his success - because it didn't. But I am saying that luck played a role in him becoming as successful as he is, the image of success...the basis for Tony Stark in Iron Man.

Going off of your example, do you think that your probability of success would be as high if you were born in a country like Rwanda? Because it wouldn't be. And luck did play a role in you being born in a great country where you had opportunities. Regardless of what your mindset it, how hard you work, and how smart you are, if you were less lucky, you wouldn't be as successful.

Here's a mathematical way of looking at it:

Let's say you have a loaded dice that had a 99% probability of rolling a 6. 6 being success, 3-4 equal to scraping by, and 1 being a failure.

Well if you rolled the dice 100 times, then your probability of reaching the optimal outcome would be 36.6% - meaning that for every 1 optimal scenario, there are about 2 that are suboptimal. The 2 dice in suboptimal scenarios were not any less probable of success, only less lucky. For every 1 Elon Musk, there's probably hundreds of people that played the game the same way he did, and had the same likeliness of winning it.

Elon Musk is a great example of someone that we should aspire to emulate, however, getting on Elon Musk's status should not be a benchmark for our own definition of "success" or realizing our own American dream. Only our own goals matter, and until our goals reflect what we truly care about, then we won't really be happy, and likely will never reach our dreams since they were based on a false image of success.

 

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[Ninjakid]

I'm not saying that luck played a role in his success - because it didn't. But I am saying that luck played a role in him becoming as successful as he is, the image of success...the basis for Tony Stark in Iron Man.

Going off of your example, do you think that your probability of success would be as high if you were born in a country like Rwanda? Because it wouldn't be. And luck did play a role in you being born in a great country where you had opportunities. Regardless of what your mindset it, how hard you work, and how smart you are, if you were less lucky, you wouldn't be as successful.

Here's a mathematical way of looking at it:

Let's say you have a loaded dice that had a 99% probability of rolling a 6. 6 being success, 3-4 equal to scraping by, and 1 being a failure.

Well if you rolled the dice 100 times, then your probability of reaching the optimal outcome would be 36.6% - meaning that for every 1 optimal scenario, there are about 2 that are suboptimal. The 2 dice in suboptimal scenarios were not any less probable of success, only less lucky. For every 1 Elon Musk, there's probably hundreds of people that played the game the same way he did, and had the same likeliness of winning it.

Elon Musk is a great example of someone that we should aspire to emulate, however, getting on Elon Musk's status should not be a benchmark for our own definition of "success" or realizing our own American dream. Only our own goals matter, and until our goals reflect what we truly care about, then we won't really be happy, and likely will never reach our dreams since they were based on a false image of success.

By the way, when I speak of 'success', I'm talking about building a successful business or cash flow system.

So basically by your logic, Elon was lucky enough not to be born in Rwanda, therefore he is a billionaire now. But other people can still achieve the so-called "American Dream" through carrying out our goals, and they should be an example that we should aspire to? I don't get your logic. You're basically saying that if you become wealthy but aren't a billionaire you should be admired for your hard work but if you're a billionaire you're lucky?

And personally I don't think we should compare ourselves to anyone or try to emulate anyone. I think everyone should be the most authentic and best version of their own self, and their outer achievements will reflect that.

 

[Mattie]

And personally I don't think we should compare ourselves to anyone or try to emulate anyone. I think everyone should be the most authentic and best version of their own self, and their outer achievements will reflect that.

That is the best part right there.