

How Selling My Startup Led Me to Take a Vow of Middle Class Poverty - flardinois
http://siliconfilter.com/how-selling-my-startup-led-me-to-take-a-vow-of-middle-class-poverty/

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ohyes
> But as I contemplated every purchase I realized that each one would pull me
> further and further away from the common experience of my fellow human
> beings. I would be operating in the world of Paris Hilton ("What’s Walmart,
> do they sell like wall stuff?”) instead of the world of grime, dirt, and
> soot inhabited by the vast majority of humanity.

As a person living in a very wealthy city in the united states you already
operate far removed from the grim, dirt, and soot (not to mention the disease
and starvation) inhabited by the rest of humanity.

I suggest joining the peace core.

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kevinh
He strikes me as being completely out of touch with the value of money. He's
living as a single man on the median income of a family of four and he's
acting like he can't have a single luxury? It's ridiculous.

~~~
dgabriel
Agreed. My first response was a huge eye roll. Oh how will he ever survive??
This experiment only counts if he's also feeding, clothing, and housing three
other people (two of whom will grow out of all their clothes 3 times a year).
And if he randomly breaks expensive electronics in his house by squeezing an
entire tube of GoGurt on them.

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panzerboy
The dude is a hypocrite. What is he actually hoping to accomplish by doing
this? Who is he going to help? Instead of this BS, he should either live his
life an enjoy his money, or, if he's feeling guilty or something, he should
consider donating some of his money or volunteering for something he believes
in.

~~~
mdlm
What I am trying to accomplish is to stay connected to the experiences that
most human beings have.

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r00fus
Define "most".

If you're talking about the most humans across the world, then your lifestyle
(as is mine) is leagues above that.

If you're talking about being in-touch with the "middle class USA" even then
you're a quite a bit off on your numbers (single with a family of 4 income =
lots of disposable income).

I admire your intention, but the outcome of your goal setting may not be what
you have in mind. Perhaps the best way to stay connected is to _do the things_
most humans do - settle down with a spouse/partner and have/adopt
child(ren)... you can't know it until you live it.

~~~
mdlm
Yes, I should define most. I should also define experiences.

By most, I mean something like what you suggest. What most people who live in
G-7 countries experience.

By experiences, I am referring to economic experiences, although I understand
that all facets of life, including romance, are influenced by money.

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scrozier
This hits me like the most elaborate humblebrag ever.

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sparkygoblue
This may be one of the most self-absorbed, egotistical, and subtly offensive
things I've seen posted on HN.

Here's something to think about: Being connected with your fellow man has
nothing to do with how much money you make or putting arbitrary limits on
yourself. If you think limiting your income and taking away "luxuries" in your
life is going to somehow change your connections with humanity, you have no
sense of what connecting with the common human even entails.

It sounds to me like you're very out of touch with humanity, and that has
nothing to do with money IMO.

~~~
mdlm
What does connecting with humans entail?

~~~
sparkygoblue
The answers to this are on a person by person basis, but I know it doesn't
have anything to do with middle class poverty or a single man living like an
"average" family of four.

~~~
mdlm
Here is what I think connecting with others means: I connect with someone
when, in my heart and mind, I understand their needs and feelings.

If my everyday experience is different from a person's daily experience, my
ability to connect with them decreases radically. For example, I have great
difficulty connecting with people who do not read.

So, as I imagined spending 10x what I was spending before on myself, I
realized that I would lose my ability to connect with a huge number of human
beings. Hence, the vow.

~~~
sparkygoblue
Your definition of connecting with others would be close to mine as well,
however, I think I could accomplish those things no matter what my everyday
experience was or how much money I had in the bank.

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Geekette
"middle class poverty"?

Privileged bollocks is all that comes to mind.

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meow
I think he is seriously missing out on one thing both the rich and poor need -
"a goal". Without that, people tend to go around in circles.

~~~
mdlm
I might be missing a goal. The goal that this vow meets is my need for
connection.

