Here are my counterpoints. I have added emphasis in bold to the material quoted.
I'm talking about the MUCH LARGER AMOUNT that I will make flipping houses.
You assume you will make lots of money flipping houses. However you haven't made any yet. Now I am a huge proponent of self belief and of success thinking. It's something I absolutely believe in as a self made millionaire.
However it requires success creating thinking patterns. What I observe from you is not a success mentality, but rather an entitlement mentality. You ASSUME you WILL make lots of money flipping houses, which is fine, but you are as we say in Texas, "big hat, no cattle".
Go prove me wrong. Get results. Come back and rub it in my face. That would be great. When everybody made fun of me for sharing my dreams I got ridiculed a lot. I had to overcome plenty of obstacles. I didn't have family money to assist me. And that's fine as it was the situation. I simply decided to make it anyway. People who used to laugh at me come to me for advice now. Nobody ridicules me anymore. I've got a whole thread about this in the Wealth and Success forum. I wanted to share my story to encourage everyone here that achieving dreams IS possible if you have self belief, a plan, and are too determined to quit.
But an entitlement attitude is the height of arrogance. If becoming a millionaire was easy peasy everyone would be doing it. Make no mistake, it CAN be done and
I hope you do achieve success flipping houses. But don't insult those who have achieved success by the assumption that you'll just waltz in and it will happen no sweat. If it does? Awesome. You are going to find out just how many sharks and charlatans and shrewd experienced business people are out there looking to separate you and your money. And it takes great people skills to deal with them. I think your people skills are in need of improvement.
It is unfortunate that I can't reproduce by myself. I believe I have mentioned that on this forum a few times. People don't have families like they used to in the 1950's. And I believe that females have shown their true colors since they were "liberated" by feminism and it would be completely stupid to trust them.
I know lots of people who DO have families that function like 1950's families. I can think of more than a dozen examples among friends that I know with out thinking about it. There are men who have been contributors to this site, esteemed members, who have families like this. Casanova and Penkitten for starters. Colossus. There are others.
What you fail to see is any value whatsoever in women, period. You don't like them. With such a belief system and such an attitude you simply fulfill your self defeating narrative. The truth is more along the lines once again of entitlement. You don't attach any value to women as an excuse not to improve yourself. So it's all ego protection. Then you come here and whine.
My sister was in town recently and we went out to dinner with all our children. We ran into a doctor and his wife who are good friends of mine and my ex. They are Catholic, married while he was in medical school (and she happily GAVE UP her ambitions of becoming a physician herself to be his wife - she was a Rhodes scholar.) They have 7 children, have been married 25 years, and she is still a size 4 and beautiful and sweet and just a wonderful human being. He is the head of that household, the leader. She is the dutiful wife. I know other couples just like them, some newly married, some married 50+ years, and all in between. It exists and it's out there, but
you have to be a good enough man to attract these kinds of women. My sister's comment as we left the restaurant was "I can't believe she has had SEVEN children! She looks like she never had any and she looks like she's 28!"
That is what a happy life does. It keeps you youthful and it keeps you healthy.
There are plenty of happy Catholic families where I am. They all drive the full size 8 passenger vans to haul their broods.
Thanks
@Trump and
@FMCSMT I think your comments are valid. It is true that there are never guarantees FMCSMT and you and I both know that well through different destructive behaviors promulgated by our ex spouses. I find the key to that is releasing bitterness and embracing the future possibilities unencumbered by the past. We can't saddle new people we meet with the scars inflicted by those who have hurt us. We have to develop the strength to
1. Accept the market as it is (and I agree it can be challenging) and 2. Know that the value one brings to the table is intrinsic and do not undercut our own value and 3. Trust another human being at some point. It takes time and healing to be able to do this when you've been through a lot.
For Trump and the younger guys here in particular keep in mind that many men here have been burned and burned badly. Many are licking old wounds and many are on the road back to abundance at various places on the continuum. It's tough to peel back the rosy glasses and see things the way they are. But it's also possible to thrive in the environment if you work on yourself.
To be honest what I see especially from the older guys gives me hope in that there is collective wisdom to draw from, collective experiences to learn from, opportunities to see others' experiences as cautionary. But at some point you have to act.
That is what I hope you can take away from this Richard.
The road to success in life is through action. Sitting around complaining, assuming and expecting accomplishes nothing.