I just want to quit and go live in the wild...
Title says it all... Starting this week, something just started feeling "not right".
Sure I'm making lots of money for a 20 something year old. Sure the work is unique and I'm learning a lot that I wouldn't be able to learn elsewhere. Heck I even got a big fat bonus and got told that I'm being fast-tracked for a promotion so why shouldn't I be happy?
I just realized that I REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT MONEY OR TITLE. I feel like everyone else in the world is in this weird bubble trying to maximize their TC and title as much as possible in the shortest amount of time. Something about this "system" just feels obscene.
I watched 2 JRE episodes about 2 dudes who just lived in the wild for months. And I immediately thought, "I've got to do that". It just felt like my true calling. I just want to drop everything and live like a hunter gatherer for a while. Then I want to go get myself a PhD in econ/OR and live the life of a true researcher. I want to live in a tiny shack somewhere and focus all my time and energy researching things I'm interested in. If I feel like I've discovered enough knowledge, I want to build an organization (business, non-profit, or whatever) from scratch before I die.
I feel like all 3 of these are connected by the theme of "seeking the truth". By living in the wild, I would be discovering truths about myself, my physical and mental limits, and the nature. By being an academic, I would be spending all my time discovering the nature of this world. By being an entrepreneur, I would be discovering the fundamentals of what makes human society go around.
If I don't try all 3 before I die, I'm afraid I'll regret my entire life. I wouldn't care if I became a multi-millionaire if that wealth just came from being "part of the system".
Anyone else feel this way?
Sometimes I think that it would be nice to forget everything and live in the wild, and then I remember that Chris McCandless died because he ate some seeds.
Hell yeah go live in the woods, but bring tons of hot pockets or something
In all seriousness though, go do something that makes you feel alive. If you have dreams that you want to accomplish, and you think they’re realistic/smart when taking the future into consideration, then go out and achieve them.
Don't get a PhD in Econ lol. This guy who tutored me in econ who was PhD was an asshole to me. I prefer to talk to someone who has a real career than to be exploring a PhD or living in the wild and being a shitty person to me or talking to me in a gross way.
You won't seek truth by living in the wild or studying PhD in econ.
You seek truth by studying epistemology - and learning how to differentiate a justified true belief from an opinion. By learning about metaphysics. By questioning reality and reading Bertrand Russell. Also by studying formal logic.
What? Just because this one guy was an asshole to you doesn't mean that all Econ PhDs are that way.
If the first girl you ever interacted was a heartless bitch, would you think that all women are bitches?
Spoken like someone with an Econ PhD
I have a place for you. You go live in the wild in Canada for a week or more. You are assigned chores. It costs you nothing. You work for what you eat. They feed you local organic food. You must stay for 1 week minimum. It is a Catholic community, but they accept everyone. You are obligated to follow their schedule and go to mass everyday.
It is basically a bunch of cool hippies living in the wilderness. Highly recommended 10/10.
https://www.madonnahouse.org/
I was a lumberjack there and also worked on the farm and collected maple sap. You can just email them to reserve a stay.
Edit: It might be open only to Canada residents now - idk the new Covid rules
Isaiah you always have the most random shit to contribute haha, I love it.
I was collecting sap with this French Canadian priest and in the morning, before we took the buckets to collect, we lit a candle and prayed to St. Matthew. I asked the priest - "why are we paying to St. Matthew?" He responded: "because St. Matthew was a tax collector." I was left confused. I asked "well, what does that have to do with collecting sap?" He said "we charge the trees a tax for them to stay on our land."
lololol
Isaiah you are one interesting motherfucker. You should write a book.
I'm only half joking btw. Maybe not a book, but a long essay. And post it on wso
Thanks bro. I actually plan on writing a book. My business advisor who was a life coach at FAANG recommends I write the book. Based on the scope of how many talented individuals she meets on a regular basis versus her recommendation, I think writing the book is realistic. I just don't know the timeline, but it is happening.
Do they teach you how to hunt and survive in the wild?
Not really, but you do have to know or learn how to operate a fire burning stove. It is your only source of heat if you're in a log cabin.
An alternative for this may be becoming a forest maintenance person (forget the exact role since its been a few years).
Hung out with a group of guys from Ontario who would live 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off in the forest doing some kind of work that didn't seem too demanding. They said they got pay the equivalent to low 6 figures for doing it.
The most interesting man on WSO strikes again!
My dude I lold at this response. You’ve done the most crazy stuff
especially the lumberjack part
No lie man, I'm seriously considering the same. Not so much about not caring about money, I love and will always want more and have no problem admitting it. But I've definitely gotten disillusioned with living in/near big cramped cities with constant threat of unrest or potential for immediate government overreach. The idea of a pseudo-castle out in the woods or somewhere far away from a large population center, so long as I can keep strong internet connection, is very appealing. Speed it up Elon, we're waiting on you.
X
“I just watched a JRE episode where...”
.
way to make it political...
Everything's been pretty much open since June where I live. gtfo
Jeezus shut the fuck up.
.
Or just shoot yourself for taking life advice from JRE
.
Existential doubt is almost always a basic human need (e.g., hunger, sleep deprivation/fatigue, need for human contact) masquerading as something more profound. Try to take care of your basic human needs before making a major life decision.
.
I feel for you OP. Reading your post gave me vibes from this class one, albeit not to the same degree: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/life-after-investment-banking
You only live once, you've probably reached a point where anymore money is diminishing in terms of happiness, however you want to define it. I've recently read a book called "Die With Zero" by Bill Perkins and it provides a lot of perspective on balancing delayed gratification with how much money you save, etc.
I was lucky to have a very successful career in this industry (unlike most people who quit, I fortunately have no bitter resentments or soul-sucking grudges to hold). If it's any encouragement, I actually started school part-time this semester to eventually work my way into grad school (looking at bioinformatics, crosses with ML/AI applications to medicine, etc). You're not alone in this, you should do what makes you happy. Once pandemic's over, I plan on just traveling the world, whether it's backpacking in the Andes, visiting Europe for the first time, or trying out exotic foods in places I've never even heard of before committing fully to school. I think working in the industry really gave me an appreciation for academia, so I feel even more motivated to make the plunge. Life's too short to be a corporate slave for the sake of money.
just wanted to say thank you for this post. I read the book recently and I had a mini epiphany. still have some reflecting to do but this was the kick in the ass I needed this year. thank you sir
Sounds like Milton needs a girlfriend.
You should consider relocating to another country, if anything just to blow your money and change of scenery.
Welcome [Milton Friedchickenman] ....you take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed as a MD in ten years and believe whatever you want to believe. Or you take the red pill and see how far the rabbit hole goes.
the industrial revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race
.
Save every penny and throw it at some rental properties in a lower COLA area in a few years. This industry fucking blows and if you don’t want to climb the ranks it can still be your ticket to financial freedom. There’s a lot of people who hate their life even more and they have no way out: suck it up, keep your tastes simple, and plan for the day when you can say FUCK THIS and bail.
Bookmark
Button won’t work so here’s a comment. Also, have you done this yourself? I dream of the day I can bail and move to a low COL area, but there’s just no finance jobs. Being a rental landlord sounds like an awesome way to do this and still make some money.
This is my early retirement plan. Covid has put the brakes on a lot of my planning and I’m waiting to see how rents/foreclosures/etc shake out over the next couple years....
Someone I know started buying rentals a couple years before they left industry so I’m ripping off their idea. They paid a premium for property managers while they were in industry, then phased them out over time as he left industry. Clearly every industry has upsides/downsides but the one thing that sticks out is how much free time you can have with well managed properties. The dude I know makes somewhat less money than me and has some issues to deal with sometimes (repairs, needy tenant, etc) but basically is out fishing most days, is a semi pro guide now.
It will take a few years, especially making sure I have enough emergency cash reserves built up in case something like covid ever happens again. Trick is to keep your tastes simple: buy clothing on sale, minimize eating out, common sense.
i think that a lot. we're rats in a maze homie
I remember the first time I watched "Into the Wild".
I dream of that often. living on the beach, spearfishing for my meals, shit like that, it's not just you.
if you really feel you'll regret it, do this - you probably have vacation time available. book 2 weeks off somewhere wild and give it a trial run. if you feel like you could continue, then pursue your plan. if it's not all it's cracked up to be, you'll be glad it was a vacation and not your new life.
I've been watching people build huts out in the wild on YouTube for years. and I spend hours gazing out the window in to the wilderness while WFH.
Funny you mention this. I was thinking the same thing with a solar power set up, except more of a cabin with giant windows. A little retreat hub out in the sticks. Where a full week at a time could be taken. Then I got the idea of building cabins like this in a series like a camp ground and renting them out for other WFHers.
You're starting to figure it out...
I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron Mind.
Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind.
The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.
The Iron never lies to you.
https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/articles/the-iron-by-henry-rollins/
wow that clip is so on point
The Mexican Fisherman wins again.
I also share the feeling of wanting to go off the grid for a bit. But realising the practicalities of life, I do think there can be a halfway point where you land a cushy job or start something yourself and work remotely. By remote I don't mean countryside, I do mean full cabin in the woods, mountain chalet, beach house type of place but still something with 60-90 minutes driving distance of a well-sized town. This gives you the ability to mentally recharge, work on your own terms so you still have some income and not be tied down to cities or a certain way of life. Maybe this doesn't fit your definition of "wilderness" but something semi-civilized where you can still do things like forage, grow your own food, potentially hunt/fish and live off the land for most things is an ideal situation to be in.
Delete
I try to spend as much time outdoors as possible and engage in many outdoor activities, especially since I was fortunate to do so when I was a child. I also wholeheartedly believe that one of the reasons why so many people are miserable in today's world is that they are so disconnected from nature. As such, I definitely sympathize with your urge to get out into the wild.
If you have no experience with the wilderness (aside from just hikes) definitely dive in. I recommend backpacking as that is a bit more demanding than just basic camping and can really get you into the wild if you're with the right group and in the right place. Load up on wilderness survival classes, become familiar with hunting, and learn how to use plants (there's more to them than just eating them).
If you can identify what kind of research you want to do, explore the opportunities out there as it's possible someone else is already doing it and you can join their team. Sadly, true conservation and environmentalism isn't very well funded and is usually focused around universities and government organizations. The individuals who are able to generate a lot of money in the space are those who are very wealthy going in or land big sponsorships with well-known companies.
Define what it is you exactly want to do, find the best way to get there, and start getting wilderness experience ASAP if you don't have any yet.
Don't worry, you're in asset management, you're not prestigious
I plan on doing this after a few years in IB. My family owns land and a couple of houses in the Caribbean. I plan on staying out there for at least 2 years and live off the land. Gotta enjoy life sometimes!
Ut ut et eveniet voluptatum tempore perspiciatis sed ut. Dolorem quam similique voluptatem distinctio.
Voluptas suscipit eos deserunt architecto repellat. Voluptatem minima vero aperiam corrupti molestiae. Id eum ad dolores quo. Ducimus eligendi et in rerum accusantium.
Ut et ex qui eos in atque odio. Officiis consequatur necessitatibus pariatur repellat. Quia numquam cupiditate voluptatem tempore.
In quaerat quaerat quas. Dolorem eveniet qui sunt rerum voluptatem expedita. Sequi dolor autem maxime aut.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Dolor soluta aut culpa est quisquam. Est ut voluptatem labore necessitatibus beatae sit in maiores. Corrupti mollitia amet rerum dolore voluptatum. Quia deserunt ut unde est deleniti. Quia distinctio odio illo aut. Necessitatibus nostrum qui aut pariatur aut architecto. Qui nihil et maiores nihil.
Et sequi ut earum autem quibusdam et excepturi et. Et accusamus distinctio odit nihil error id. Et eaque eos alias omnis voluptatem architecto nisi quia. Deserunt iste ad vel assumenda corrupti maiores ea. Praesentium dolores rerum omnis officia eum delectus. Quia id similique iusto.