Do you consider yourself a non-conformist when it comes to mindset or lifestyle?

I would consider myself a non-conformist in a few ways: Childfree by choice couple; not married by choice ; currently CoastFi in pursuit of Fu.

I think the biggest way this has benefitted us financially is we are able to thinking about decisions based on what brings us joy and the financial impact. By not following a traditional path (in this case dating, marriage, kids, house) we are able to choose what we want to do with our money and time. The downside is the perception of others on our lives, but its a small price to pay anyway.

The Financial Independence community itself is a non-conformist community. People are here because they rejected the ideas of working until age 60+ and paying for your lifestyle through debt that are normative in American and other western cultures.

Why is probably due to personality. It would be interesting to see this community's results on the OCEAN personality test. Like you, many probably score low on agreeableness. How is likely by being inclined to question the status quo and also not minding going it alone and being different.

"The first revolution is when you change your mind about how you look at things and see that there might be another way to look at it that you have not been shown." -- Gil Scott Heron

Yes. But most people involved in this are non-conformists relative to the general population, which is consumerist and present-focused. Most people interested in personal finance are future-focused and embrace one or more forms of frugality relative to the general population.

The biggest problem with non-conformists is that they often embrace non-conformity itself as an identity, which can interfere with relationships and other measures of well-being. Non-conformity for its own sake is not much of a purpose or goal, and can lead to personal stagnation.

I took the one less traveled…. Definite non conformist. Will admit for years I was stuck in the drift of capitalism life. ChooseFI and other podcasts and men’s group helped me find my own path and now at 46 to a semi-retired life that every day I look forward to.