RE: The biggest mistake in the FIRE movement
To be honest, the FIRE movement in much like Amway... predicated on excitement, dependent on recruitment, and the biggest winners are the ones who can most effectively Sell the Dream.
One thing that you forgot to mention was the very real existence of predatory individuals willing to play the long game and prime you for years, even decades; all the while maneuvering you into a dependent position and then striking when Life Happens. They are an insidious and unseen threat, and I have been targeted by two of them.
One, a gold-digger, came first. She was my oldest and dearest childhood friend, and I fell hook-line-and-fishnet-sinker... Though I did what she considered impossible, and walked out on her... The operation carried out by her and her daughter was a complete success.
The other, my best friend of 20 years, who I now know is a psychopath that targets PTSD sufferers in distress, takes them as tenants, and swindles them out of their property (in exactly the aforementioned manner) had been waiting for the right opportunity to strike... and the gold-digger had provided it. He wanted a new vehicle, and my vehicle was all I had left. So he invited me to move-in, and set about gaslighting, drugging, and manipulating me for 1.5 years...
Lol, to be honest, I don't think he was ready for someone with my resilience and work-ethic... I stayed up on the bills through two hospitalizations and two nervous-breakdowns (which he very skillfully created, having perfected the technique decades ago...) And just at the moment that he sprang his trap... I figured it out... and was gone in 3 days.
And it all came crashing down on him. For the one lynchpin in his plan was that I would value his "friendship" more than myself. He didn't realize that the entire time, I had been purging myself of... fucks to give, I suppose? And he didn't expect the influence of real friends, who he didn't know.
There is a certain delight to know that I evaded a trap that has gathered him a spare-room full of trophies... Items that he could never afford, but has gained through endless repetition of this pattern. But now.. he's pretty screwed. He got rid of his roommate, his transportation, and a lifelong friend all in one fell swoop.
Reap what ya sow, eh? :D
Good point. Sometimes those that we trust the most, become the worst enemies. It is hard to generalize about that, because each person's situation is different. But your point is well taken.
Also I agree with your sentiment regarding the FIRE movement. I admire anyone who wants to buck the system and benefit from it. However I think that when a radical idea becomes a faith based movement, it is over. We will all see a lot of press on this in the coming 12 months. Even PBS did a NewsHour segment on it last week. At that point, it is no longer a niche endeavor I am particularly proud to be a part of. When things go mainstream, I go the other direction.