Buffett - I Eat Like a Six Year Old

[Guest wellmont]

A large part of why he's healthy is from living a fairly stress free life compared to the average American.

 

LOL.

 

Maybe you guys can ask him how can he lead a fairly stress free life while running one of the largest companies in USA and periodically running into near-death corporate situations (Washington Post strike in 70s, SEC investigation in 70s, Salomon Brothers debacle, Gen Re debacle, Net Jets debacle, death of all the "made in America" brands he bought, Lubrizol and Sokol, etc.). I would have killed myself multiple times during his career. "Stress free" my a**  ??? ::) :-X :'( :o

 

The way he's set up his life, these stressful moments are pretty few and far between, and he seems to take them with great equanimity (he always says more problems will happen, will just have to deal with them, etc). He does exactly what he wants to do each day, as much as possible only associates with people he likes and respects, his schedule is mostly free so he can read and think and do whatever he likes, he lives close to work and has an entirely predictable routine unless he decides to change it (media tour, etc), the fortress balance sheet and operational diversification means he never has to worry about downturns (in fact he likes them because he can buy more stuff).

 

I'd say he's probably less stressed than the average wage slave working an office job. That doesn't literally means stress free, but it looks like a damn good system he's set up.

 

biggest stressors: relationships, job, and money? I think he is doing okay there.

[Guest 50centdollars]

A large part of why he's healthy is from living a fairly stress free life compared to the average American.

 

LOL.

 

Maybe you guys can ask him how can he lead a fairly stress free life while running one of the largest companies in USA and periodically running into near-death corporate situations (Washington Post strike in 70s, SEC investigation in 70s, Salomon Brothers debacle, Gen Re debacle, Net Jets debacle, death of all the "made in America" brands he bought, Lubrizol and Sokol, etc.). I would have killed myself multiple times during his career. "Stress free" my a**  ??? ::) :-X :'( :o

 

The way he's set up his life, these stressful moments are pretty few and far between, and he seems to take them with great equanimity (he always says more problems will happen, will just have to deal with them, etc). He does exactly what he wants to do each day, as much as possible only associates with people he likes and respects, his schedule is mostly free so he can read and think and do whatever he likes, he lives close to work and has an entirely predictable routine unless he decides to change it (media tour, etc), the fortress balance sheet and operational diversification means he never has to worry about downturns (in fact he likes them because he can buy more stuff).

 

I'd say he's probably less stressed than the average wage slave working an office job. That doesn't literally means stress free, but it looks like a damn good system he's set up.

 

biggest stressors: relationships, job, and money? I think he is doing okay there.

 

I'm not stressed over money or my job. I work on a trade desk where most people are stressed out. But I don't give a fuck about my job. I don't play the corporate game. I go in and do my job and get my paycheque. I listen to comedians on youtube while I work and laugh all day. If they fired me tomorrow I would be happy. My stress comes from my relationship. I'm a laid back person who doesn't need much in life. I could afford a BMW easily but I drive a chevy cobalt. It was my first car. Gets me from A to B and it was paid off many years ago. My wife on the other hand, needs the latest cars, clothes and all that bullshit. She is very smart and makes very good money but she is brainwashed when it comes to shopping like most people are.

[randomep]

A large part of why he's healthy is from living a fairly stress free life compared to the average American.

 

LOL.

 

Maybe you guys can ask him how can he lead a fairly stress free life while running one of the largest companies in USA and periodically running into near-death corporate situations (Washington Post strike in 70s, SEC investigation in 70s, Salomon Brothers debacle, Gen Re debacle, Net Jets debacle, death of all the "made in America" brands he bought, Lubrizol and Sokol, etc.). I would have killed myself multiple times during his career. "Stress free" my a**  ??? ::) :-X :'( :o

 

Just wanted to +1 this. He's responsible for 100k+ jobs and gazillions of dollars. Every word he says is measured on a golden scale. Really, if you think he's living a relaxed, stress-free life: you are utterly, utterly wrong and have probably never been in a position that's even remotely similar to his one.

 

Well, I think there is good stress and bad stress. For example, too much stress can literally give you grey hairs, give you nightmares, cause you to be in a bad mood all day.

 

But some stress I believe is useful for life. Otherwise, we'd get sit on the couch and get fat, and subconciously probably live in such a way so we die earlier.

 

Buffett has a fulfilling life, he has a reason to get up every morning, that's his key to longevity.

 

 

[gurpaul88]

You can pretty much choose if you want to be stressed out or not. I haven't really felt stressed for years - not since dealing with my demented grandmother on a daily basis. Everything pretty much pales compared to that.

 

Wage slaves do themselves in. You don't need half of what you think you do, and in fact, it's pretty cool to sleep on the floor. I did so myself until my brother came to stay with me during rehab and left a blow up bed behind. I'll go back to sleeping on the floor once it runs out of air, because I don't care to learn how to operate the thing.

 

Let me tell you something. I dropped out of 4th grade. My grandmother came from a line of gypsies and believed she had psychic powers. Did readings with a poker deck over the telephone for a living; didn't use tarot cards because those are fake.

 

My dad killed himself with alcoholism after several close calls he should have learned from, one of my siblings seems to be following his path. One of my uncles tried to sacrifice his children on top of the mountain 'til he got locked up and later believed he was the Archangel Michael and was the savior of some Indian tribe in New Mexico.

 

Bad stuff's going to happen in your life. Maybe mental illness runs in your family as it does in mine. Maybe you constantly worry about paying the bills, or because a loved one is ill.

 

Point is that the longer you live, the more bad things are going to happen to you. And none of it really matters. Maybe it seems like it does at the time, but it doesn't. You get foreclosed upon? You'll learn to make due. Loved ones die? You'll move on.

 

I think this sort of thought scares people, and I think the stress really comes from looking forward rather than back. Unless we really advance medical technology, you're going to die too. And people will be sad for awhile. But then they're going to move on, and in two or three generations no one will care that you're gone or really even remember what you were like to begin with.

 

We really, really overrate ourselves. No one cares if you're stressed. Folks get stressed because they choose to put themselves in a situation that enables it. You can live in a van and live off of dumpster food pretty easily. For a lot of folks, if they gave it a shot, I suspect they'd get used to it pretty quickly.

 

I have considered making that jump myself, several times, though I would plan to travel the country in the Mystery Machine instead of staying in the Safeway parking lot, not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

I suspect a lot of people wouldn't feel satisfied with that, or would care too much about what others think of them. You have to realize that a lot of jobs are bullshit jobs anyway. A lot of redundancy exists in corporate America, to the point that many corporations act as daycare for adults.

 

Basically we take ourselves way too seriously. There are many worse outcomes in life than sleeping in a van and eating dumpster food. You just have to open yourself up to the possibility. It's sort of like sexuality. You may think you're straight, but how can you tell you won't like something until you try it once?

 

I think there's a lot of value to being the equivalent of bicurious in day-to-day life. No reason you can't change your mind later.

 

[/latenightrambling]

 

Scott,

 

Thanks for sharing that.