F.I.R.E. Movement in Our Context – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #856

F.I.R.E. Movement in Our Context – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #856

Dear Colleagues!  This is Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #856 for Pharma Veterans. Pharma Veterans aims to share knowledge and wisdom from Veterans for the benefit of Community at large. Pharma Veterans Blog is published by Asrar Qureshi on  WordPress, the top blog site. Please email to asrar@asrarqureshi.com for publishing your contributions here.

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FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Early Retirement. The movement, if it can be called a movement, started in 1992. It was never a tour de force, but several individuals opted to attain financial security early and then retire from active jobs. What they did later, is the subject of an INSEAD article published recently. The article is titled ‘Fulfilment and the FIRE Movement: The Realities of Life After Early Retirement’ and has been put together by Winnie Jiang, Claire Harbour, and Antoine Tirard. Link appears at the end.

The authors trace the lives of three individuals who gained financial independence through different routes, but this is not important. What is really important is to see what happened after one opted for early retirement. I would like to relate it to our people in Pakistan and highlight the contrasts.

The spirit behind FIRE movement was to get freedom from the grueling job routine and demands, and become independent, and to do ‘their own thing’. The article highlights that those who opted for FIRE, did not do nothing for the rest of their lives. According to the writers, such people usually take one of the three approaches. One, some kept themselves busy in small but purposeful activities which they personally found enjoyable, fulfilling, and motivating. Two, some explored different things while simultaneously searching for a new purpose, a new goal, or the kind of impact they want to make. Once they find it, they pursue it full time. Three, some people take a break to do apparently mundane things to ‘decompress’ themselves, like spending time with kids, before they choose some other direction. 

You may see from above that no group decides to stop all meaningful work for all times and just spend life wastefully, lazily, and purposelessly. Our context in Pakistan is different.

Pakistan Context

During numerous interviews of young people over the years, I came across an interesting (alarming?) finding. They would say they wanted to go into a government job but could get one, hence the quest for private job. When asked why they wanted to go for a government job, they would mostly say, ‘because we would not have to do any work there’. It is so depressing to see that a young person in twenties wishes not to do any work in life. No wonder we are where we are.

If we go back in history of sub-continent, the only paid jobs were with the rulers of all sizes and shades. Everyone else worked daily to earn their living, be they labor, or artisans, or trainers, or teachers etc. There was no concept of retirement, you worked till you died or became disabled. The British colonialists brought the concept of various white-collar jobs with salaries, facilities, retirement, and benefits after retirement. Many locals, who were inducted into various services and sectors became a class unto themselves. They had social status, financial security during and after the job, facilities, and more. Even after 75 years of independence, we are following the same rules. The quality and quantity of perks and privileges varies from sector to sector, but it is always there. 

The armed forces personnel have a whole system of fixing their retired personnel from all ranks in various organizations, but people retiring from civil institutions have no such arrangement. The other difference is that armed forces personnel retire at rather younger ages depending upon their last rank, the civilians would retire at 60 years, no matter what their rank is. 

We have seen so many of family elders from government jobs, who never did any work after coming from office in the early afternoon and did absolutely nothing after ‘honorable retirement’. It had been so normal for them to spend number of years without purpose between retirement and passing away.

Contrasts

Why is there so much contrast between us and them? What may be the reasons? This should be the subject of anthropological studies, however, based on observations, I can offer a few insights. 

• We have a slavery legacy of centuries. The Kings owned the lands, its resources, and people. It was an absolute ownership which did not allow independence of thoughts or actions. The punishment for dissidence was quick and painful death. The British colonialists were even worse. Their atrocities shamed the previous rulers of all times because they were shrewder and could invent many new ways of suppression and oppression. Our minds, therefore, have been conditioned to obey orders and not have any independent thinking. Some crazy people dissented then and still do, but the majority follows the same rule. Our aversion to discipline and order is a disorganized form of rebellion which is not meant to achieve anything. For example, large number of drivers violating traffic laws, do not mean to achieve anything; they only want to feel the joy of non-conformance. The number of people who really pursue a higher purpose in life is woefully small.

• We have always lived a life of limited resources, rather poverty. Our fear of losing livelihood overshadows all that we do. We worry about us, and we worry about our children. We must make a house for them, even if it is at the cost of their education. Our entire life revolves around insecurity about future. Our resources even now are limited. Only 7% population of the world consumes 70% resources, while 93% population has to survive in 30% resources only. This is shrinking further due to many factors. It is ironic that rulers, politicians, generals, and businessmen, who make money by plundering their own country, any country, take that money and keep it with the 7% population countries which increases their resources further.

• To add insult to injury, we have invented and kept alive, too many social and societal demands which make our lives miserable. We suffer, but we prefer to perpetuate the suffering for all of us; we do not strive to bring change. Our customs and rituals around birth, death, sickness, and marriages are outlandish, outdated, ridiculous, and oppressive. These have ruined so many families and shall keep doing so unless we decide to campaign for change.

Sum Up

The above facts stop us from realizing our full potential, pursue our dreams, hold big purposes in life, and ultimately, we succumb to base desires, after having shown signs of greatness for some time. It is no surprise that Qasim Ali Shah maneuvered to become Chairman of Alhamra Arts Council few months back, and that Dr. Amjad Saqib accepted the Chairmanship of Benazir Income Support Program few days ago. Our slave legacy follows us wherever we are. 

Concluded.

Disclaimer: Most pictures in these blogs are taken from Google Images and Pexels. Credit is given where known; some do not show copyright ownership. However, if a claim is lodged at any stage, we shall either mention the ownership clearly, or remove the picture with suitable regrets.

References: 

https://knowledge.insead.edu/career/fulfilment-and-fire-movement-realities-life-after-early-retirement