Sunday 5 December 2010

Could YOU start a 'Project Mayhem'?

Could YOU start a 'Project Mayhem'?



How Fight Club is a metaphor for the struggle for economic independence



The First Rule about Project Mayhem is...screw that, let's talk about Project Mayhem. It's an interesting idea!

What was Fight Club really about?



Remember Fight Club? Remember the reality questioning, neo-anarchist/surrealist (classic IMHO) from '99 by David Fincher? Thought provoking stuff for sure. This is how it makes me think...

Not like a terrorist is the first and safest thing I should say! No, it makes me think about economic independence. Think about the scene where Pitt crashes the car with Ed Norton and the two drones. It's about letting go of control. Can you stop trying to control everything and just let go? Why do this? What is the benefit and when is this a realistic option?

Fight Club (to me) is a Blue collar reaction to big business, big brands, controlling society, banks and a crumby system. The backlash manifests itself as (ultimately futile and destructive) terrorist activities. I think there is a different, more positive approach: letting go, not trying to control everything, not being controlled and aiming for economic independence.

What is Economic Independence really about?



Pitt's character, Tyler Durden, has already captured a richly ironic flavour of economic independence earlier in the movie with his notorious soap. The famous but rather disgustingly sourced lipo-suction fat based soap is hotly demanded and commands a premium price. He achieves economic independence by offering a product (and being known to offer a product) that the Market comes to him for. Typically we are economically dependent in that we have to go to the Market to deliver a loud message regarding our product or service and really try very hard to engage in commerce. We're active rather than passive in our economic destiny.

We normally have no option other than to play the most active role in 'controlling' our economic destiny. Perhaps controlling is too strong a word...steering...coaxing...hoping. Maybe those are more accurate terms? To me they certainly better reflect the plight of the economically dependent. Just that - dependent, shackled, constrained and restricted.

So, we start to see what economic independence means. We're clear that independence is preferable but what does it really mean?

To me it emphatically does not mean being able to wander into the Lamborghini showroom Knightsbridge and drive out with their latest, shiniest and loudest creation. Nope. That comes later. That privilege is a by-product of what economic independence really means. And what it really means is what Fight Club was actually about: FREEDOM! Economic independence gives you freedom of choice. Freedom to choose what to do, when and how. When you have the liberty to choose when to work and when to play, you really have thrown off the shackles of the rat race. Again, I'm not talking about not having to work again. I personally don't want that. I like what I do but I also like to choose when, how, how long and with who to work.

Freedom is a lifestyle 'enabler'.



For me, (and I'm sure we've all had the idea on a Sunday night) the ideal scenario is a longer weekend than a working week. The icing is the prospect of looking forward to the week AS MUCH AS the weekend. Right now, the weekend is oh-so-precious. The balance is not quite right.

And that is the right point to conclude this missive on. The real motivation for penning this baby manifesto is not financial, it's about lifestyle and seeking the best ROI. The need to make an investment is key and is not in doubt. Getting the maximum return from this investment hinges on the freedom of choice on how and when the return is to be spent.