Do/Should We Have a Lying Flat Movement in Australia?

I've been reading a lot about the lying flat movement that has developed recently in light of rising inflation and the pointlessness of certain groups of our society participating in the workplace.

I'm sure we all can do the math behind mortgage repayments and yet you still see people taking up mortgages with the expectation that it will never really be paid off in their retirement. The question I have is why aren't there many people bold enough to give up the rat race. Is our society conditioning people to continue to work themselves to death? Why?

The definition of insanity is that you conduct yourself in a manner where you know the outcome is irrational but you continue on that pathway. I keep seeing it again and again. We have the FIRE movement in Australia, but it seems like the masses haven't really woken up yet. The ones that should be lying flat aren't for some reason. It seems irrational and puzzling. Is the reason at the heart of people's financial misdirection, the historical meme, known as an aussie battler? What are your opinions on this?

Comments

  • +1

    There is intergenerational theft to the Boomer class. They had it real easy with the average income to average house price ratio, free education, plethora of work options thanks to non-existent robotics/AI, etc, etc. Boomers did work that trained monkeys can do now
    That housing is a privilege, not a right is a problem. Maybe Boomers need to be taught that aged care is a privilege not a right. But Boomers did pay the piper (government) to call the tune (aged care royal commission). Well played, Boomers….

    • When you can't do something yourself, blame others.

      • Remember that when it comes to wiping your arse in an aged care home

        • That doesn't even make sense, also you are the one blaming others, not me.

          • @brendanm: Nope just pointing out Boomers unearned wealth & privilege. This in spite of the fact that Boomers are more poorly educated & based on the Flynn Effect score lower on IQ tests

            • +1

              @Boogerman: Yeah, that's called blaming others for your misfortune. They were born at the right time to take advantage of decent wages and low land price. What's the point in crying over the past? Whinging never got anyone a house.

              score lower on IQ tests

              Newsflash - IQ doesn't always equal success and wealth. There are many other things that go into it.

              • @brendanm: So you’re admitting that it was easier for Boomers to buy a house and, by financial extrapolation, closer to the CBD & paid off quicker. Ta

                • +1

                  @Boogerman: Isn't this obvious? House price to income ratio was lower. Cities weren't as spread out, and there were less people to have to jam in.

                  As more people come, and demand increases, prices increase. How is any of this news?

                  20,000 years ago no one had a fixed residence, and you couldn't just buy your food from the supermarket. What happened in the past is pretty irrelevant to what is happening now.

                  If you want lower income to house price, go to a small town, or a poorer country, or invent a time travel machine, and go back to the time of the boomer.

                  PS - I don't think you know what the word extrapolation means. It is when we assume unknown data points using known data points as a reference. The way you have used this word makes no sense.

  • What needs to be lied flat is the house and land price!!!

  • I just wanted to say that your definition of insanity is not correct, because that caught my attention. There is a quote attributed to Albert Einstein:
    "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

    “The Ultimate Quotable Einstein,” an authoritative complication of his most memorable utterances, identified the quote as a misattribution, and mentioned its use in the 1983 novel “Sudden Death” by Rita Mae Brown. On his website, Quote Investigator, O’Toole traced, the link between insanity and repetition back to at least the 19th century, but noted its use in a Narcotics Anonymous pamphlet as well as novels (including Brown’s), TV shows and various other sources. From here

    The dictionary definition of insanity has nothing to do with knowing that the outcome is irrational and doing that anyway. When not related to mental illness, insanity is more like doing stupid things without thinking (rationalising). In this context, without thinking about the consequences.

    People who are doing stupid things don't know that what they are doing is stupid. If insane people knew they were stupid, I suppose they would not do stupid/insane things.

    • Also some people have long term goal. It may look like they doing the same boring thing over and over but they actually working towards a goal.

      I know family friend that is very frugal but they keep buying investment property almost every 2 years.

  • Is our society conditioning people to continue to work themselves to death? Why?

    Yes it is conditioned to work themselves to death.

    Why?
    For "our society" is a permanent WANTING OF THINGS. Hence those wants always need money that has to be obtained, usually via work.
    But is is different. AFAIK, for the Japanese society is a mater of honor, of tradition, head down, keep working attitude.

    Also we are in a society that gives very little for free.
    Like housing.
    Sophisticated European nations will offer paid housing all thru the individual life: from a miniscule bedsitter for school leavers to large houses for families to, again a studio or bedsitter for the independent elderly.

    Our society wants to take from you, wants your contributions, not to give to you.

    • +3

      You don't have to make your entire life about consuming product. It is a choice. People need to get off Facebook, Instagram etc, stop comparing their lives with the fake lives on their, and just do things that make them happy. You don't need the latest iPhone, you don't need a new Mercedes, you don't need a mcmansion.

  • +1

    I've recently found out about this movement but have been living it for over 10 years myself. I was an over worked operating theatre nurse who use to vomit before going g to work due to the stress and anxiety. One day I just thought to myself I've had enough.

    I moved to an inexpensive part of Aust, have no. mortgage, live on and Acer of land and do as I please and will not be told what to do by anyone. I have of grid solar, water tanks and a bore, grow my own vegetables, no mortgage and the rates are $160 a quarter. The thought of going back to my old life make me physically I'll.

  • i support it

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