Yes, "sitting on your ass" was not the best way to describe what I wanted to say. I don't want to use all my time to do only what I want, I also want to make something valuable for other people.
Sure but what's the path that ends with FIRE? If you're lucky you can maybe work on things you like, earn a good amount of money and then have enough to be financially independent.
But if you have to slog at boring jobs for a lot of years in order to accumulate that big pile of money allowing you to become FI you'll have to consider if it's worth it. Maybe after being FI you'll keep working but you'll have the privilege to choose only jobs or projects aligned with your needs and desires. If that's the case: is it worth it the years and years working at boring jobs? do you really need to be FI if you'll keep working after?
I'm not against having money on the bank, my approach is having enough to live several years without income, allowing me to reject things I really don't want. But I don't want to spend years just trying projects with no results, I want to do things valuable for other people and getting money in exchange is the way to be sure you're actually doing it.
> But if you have to slog at boring jobs for a lot of years in order to accumulate that big pile of money allowing you to become FI you'll have to consider if it's worth it.
It's not mutually exclusive.
> my approach is having enough to live several years without income, allowing me to reject things I really don't want.
This is what "FI" part means. the financial independence.
Yes, it's not mutually exclusive, that's the point. If you enjoy your day to day life and you are able to accumulate enough to be FI amazing, but I don't think it's worth it to spend several years at dreadful places in order to be FI in the future.
I understand financial independence as "having enough to retire without needing any more income", so the amount of money is not the same.
Why can't doing what you want also be valuable to other people? There are plenty of people who given financial freedom would want to start a business and even work harder on it than they did at their 9-5 job.
