Here’s a legitimate concern that someone recently raised as they came across my recent TEDx video. The basic premise that I advocate is to spend less and thereby invest more to become financially independent (all the while becoming happier and healthier in the process). The viewer seems to agree that this could work for any …
Resolving to exercise more and eat healthier? Unfortunately, most of us will give up on our yearly New Year weight loss resolution well before year end. Before long, we’ll blame ourselves and our lack of will power. Not to let anyone off the hook but maybe it’s not a will power issue, maybe there is …
Got a raise? I know this advice is going to suck… but, you’ll be convinced. Most people including most financial planners will at best tell you to save some part of it for investing and use the rest to spend as you like. Not good advice. The Trap of Social Comparison (Keeping up with the …
So far, I’ve been trying to convince individuals to reconsider their relationship with consumption. I think the message for the individual is so compelling that just about anyone who understands it, is likely to reconsider their relationship with many of the things we spend money on these days. Society and Mindless Consumption – A Solution …
Revolutionary Policy # 1: Teach Investing & the Science of Happiness Read More »
You may have heard of a famous study in 2010 by 2 nobel-prize winning economists, Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton at Princeton University that demonstrated a correlation between income and happiness. It made a lot of headlines at the time. If you just read the news articles, you would surely have come away with a misinterpretation of …
In contrast to our preindustrial ancestors, most of us (with the exception of toddlers or those playing with little children) rarely sit on the ground. In the modern age, we consider it uncivilized to be sitting on the ground. If you were to visit a friend’s home, you would expect to sit in a chair …
According to the CDC, 1 in 3 teen girls have had serious suicidal thoughts. Rates of depression and anxiety have been increasing particularly among teens. While the pandemic made things worse, this was true even before the pandemic. Why, what is happening? Most of the discussion centers around social media use and bullying. While those …
Children’s Mental Health Crisis from Consumerism Read More »
In contrast to our pre-industrial ancestors who moved around constantly throughout the day, most of us in the modern world are largely sedentary. Few of us realize just how hazardous this is. It’s true, sitting is the new smoking and our work is a health hazard. Just a brief run down of the adverse health …
Happier Studies show that those who are financially secure are happier. You don’t need to be a multimillionaire to be financially secure. Financial security has certain benefits. In the first place you sleep better at night knowing your needs are taken care of. Moreover, those who are financial independent have a degree of agency (or …
Happier. Healthier. Wealthier. More Engaged. Simply Better. Read More »
Bad Advice I’m a doctor. I am not a financial expert. So you’re right to wonder why you would want to take financial advice from a doctor. Well, it turns out that our health is heavily impacted by our spending (see here). Moreover, the vast majority of financial “experts” will give you bad advice. Even …
