How "life lube" makes it all easier

posted by Jeff | Tuesday, July 30, 2024, 12:00 PM | comments: 0

I was watching Simone Giertz (pronounced "Yetch") talk about the ups and downs of running a product business that she's losing money on. Like a lot of YouTube people that make things, she's managed to make enough money to buy a (small) house and mostly do what she wants. What I love though is that she talks about her motivation to diversify and try other things. She mentions that while she has achieved some level of fame and money, these things are what she called "life lube." In other words, they definitely make life a little easier, but they are not themselves the goal.

This is so refreshing to hear, because I totally get it. Look, it's probably obvious given my profession in software that I'm not hurting financially. I don't consider myself rich, but I'm very comfortable. The comfort isn't a source of happiness in and of itself though. Obviously, if millionaire actors commit suicide, fame and money by themselves do not necessarily make you less miserable or immune to mental health challenges. As Biggie once said, "Mo money, mo problems."

In gaming out my demise, I think a lot about what it means to feel truly at ease and free to do the things that I want. So much emphasis is necessarily put on having money, because it truly does lubricate all of the other things. I would argue that it's not just money though, or at least, it doesn't have to be money directly. The happiest people on the planet are often from the Scandinavian region, and despite high taxes, many of those nations provide healthcare, higher education and a safety net, all things that to me seem like the ultimate life lube. There's even evidence that this results in more small businesses and entrepreneurial endeavors, because if it doesn't work out, or if it's hard to start, at least you know you can see a doctor when you need to. I firmly believe that this is the single greatest thing to hold Americans back. There's great irony that we allegedly value freedom above all else, but lack freedom because of the things we don't have access to.

Life lube is freedom, if not the outright source of happiness. I don't think you need a ton of it, but it definitely makes things smoother. (It's not lost on me that this metaphor is somewhat gross and/or sexual, depending on your point of view.) Filling in the happiness part can still be hard, but it's less hard when life is lubricated.


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