Steven

And so it's not that I don't worry about it. It's that I think it is inevitable, always, no matter what's going on. This has nothing to do with tariffs. That's always been the case. And so this is where... At the individual level, personally, like room for error in your finances is so critical. What I mean by that is just like savings, cushion, being scared of debt.

And so it's not that I don't worry about it. It's that I think it is inevitable, always, no matter what's going on. This has nothing to do with tariffs. That's always been the case. And so this is where... At the individual level, personally, like room for error in your finances is so critical. What I mean by that is just like savings, cushion, being scared of debt.

When you're gainfully employed and you have a good paycheck and the stock market's going up and Bitcoin's going up, everyone feels great. You feel amazing. And it's very rare in that situation that you want to envision yourself losing your job. or losing a job and not being able to find another one for six months, or needing to move, or getting divorced, or having a medical.

When you're gainfully employed and you have a good paycheck and the stock market's going up and Bitcoin's going up, everyone feels great. You feel amazing. And it's very rare in that situation that you want to envision yourself losing your job. or losing a job and not being able to find another one for six months, or needing to move, or getting divorced, or having a medical.

And for a lot of people, they'll experience all of those. And so the idea that life is fragile and the economy is fragile, countries are fragile, is like people don't necessarily want to admit that because it's hard to get out of bed in the morning if you admit that to yourself. But I think it's inevitable. And it doesn't have to be necessarily scary if you have the right –

And for a lot of people, they'll experience all of those. And so the idea that life is fragile and the economy is fragile, countries are fragile, is like people don't necessarily want to admit that because it's hard to get out of bed in the morning if you admit that to yourself. But I think it's inevitable. And it doesn't have to be necessarily scary if you have the right –

psychology around it of just yeah like when times are good i don't expect them to last forever that's not how the world works and the right finances around it of like yeah when times are good i'm gonna save because i know this might not last forever and what i value more than anything with money is independence it's not flashy cars or homes i want to be independent

psychology around it of just yeah like when times are good i don't expect them to last forever that's not how the world works and the right finances around it of like yeah when times are good i'm gonna save because i know this might not last forever and what i value more than anything with money is independence it's not flashy cars or homes i want to be independent

So that when the economy goes south and there is a recession and things are going bad, I want to have a level of control over where I work, where I live, what I'm able to do, my ability to support my family. That's the top of the list. And so when things are going well, and for a lot of people, they haven't for the last couple of years, but for a lot of people, they did.

So that when the economy goes south and there is a recession and things are going bad, I want to have a level of control over where I work, where I live, what I'm able to do, my ability to support my family. That's the top of the list. And so when things are going well, and for a lot of people, they haven't for the last couple of years, but for a lot of people, they did.

I think that's always important. I think it's a major psychological skill in life in general. This goes beyond money. is recognizing when things are abnormally good and preparing yourself for them to go the other way as they inevitably will.

I think that's always important. I think it's a major psychological skill in life in general. This goes beyond money. is recognizing when things are abnormally good and preparing yourself for them to go the other way as they inevitably will.

Yeah.

Yeah.

This sounds like such a squishy BS kind of answer, but I think there's a lot of truth to this, and I'll explain in a second. It is largely a mindset. And that sounds crazy, but I'll explain what I mean. My grandmother-in-law, she passed away a couple years ago. She was 92 when she passed away. She, for 30 years, she lived off of nothing but Social Security.

This sounds like such a squishy BS kind of answer, but I think there's a lot of truth to this, and I'll explain in a second. It is largely a mindset. And that sounds crazy, but I'll explain what I mean. My grandmother-in-law, she passed away a couple years ago. She was 92 when she passed away. She, for 30 years, she lived off of nothing but Social Security.

I think she got $1,700 a month from Social Security. She had nothing else. No savings, no pension, no nothing. She was the happiest person. I've met half a dozen billionaires in my life. I'm sure you have as well. None of them were as happy as she was. And she was technically, she was like financially broke, but she had this level of psychological wealth that was like unparalleled.

I think she got $1,700 a month from Social Security. She had nothing else. No savings, no pension, no nothing. She was the happiest person. I've met half a dozen billionaires in my life. I'm sure you have as well. None of them were as happy as she was. And she was technically, she was like financially broke, but she had this level of psychological wealth that was like unparalleled.

And the reason was off $1,700 a month, that was all she needed. She was perfectly happy toiling in her garden, watching birds, going for walks, hanging out, reading from books from the library, perfectly content with all of that. She didn't need anything else. So she had very little money, but she wanted even less. And so she had a level of independence that a lot of billionaires do not.

And the reason was off $1,700 a month, that was all she needed. She was perfectly happy toiling in her garden, watching birds, going for walks, hanging out, reading from books from the library, perfectly content with all of that. She didn't need anything else. So she had very little money, but she wanted even less. And so she had a level of independence that a lot of billionaires do not.