After having made it comfortably into my mid 20s, I’ve gotten the chance to reflect on my life. I’ve learned a lot, made a ton of mistakes, and even more progress. I don’t want to talk too much about “men’s” topics on this blog, but I think answering this question for my readers is important, speaking as someone who’s “on their way” in life. I haven’t “made it” yet, but Im far enough along in my journey to be able to see the potential value of my decisions. So, should you focus on money or dating in your 20s? Here’s what I’ve found.
Have fun in high school and early college.
This is probably not going to reach the right audience, but I think it should definitely be said. I’m glad I spent the bare minimum amount of time talking to women in my teenage years. It means I’m not in the same boat as a lot of men my age. I know I’m short, but handsome. I know dating apps don’t favor me, and that I should stick to social media and talking to women in person. I know that women react differently to people with muscle on their body. This is different from a lot of people who may have spent their high school years studying. I didn’t study too hard during high school, and I don’t really regret making that trade off. A lot of people who studied hard in high school are in a similar position as me, and don’t even know the basics. As such, I think it makes sense to have safe fun before the age of 20 or 21. Big emphasis on safe. Do your best to pull women, but avoid drugs and alcohol. It’s better to spend time in the gym instead.
Focus on money in your early 20s
I blinked, and I turned 25. On one hand, I felt a lot of regret when I turned 25. I had become acutely aware of how much I had given up by moving to a poor country. By American standards I had gotten nowhere. If I have my way, it will have taken me 7 years to get the point where I’m earning as much as the average American. And I haven’t reached that point yet. But still, I live in a country where a good life is possible on $15,000/ year. I’ll soon be at the point where this is possible. A little elbow grease, and I’ll be earning double that after-taxes. Again, this might not sound like a lot to the average American, but it buys freedom where I am. If I push even harder, I might be able to spend my early 30s in Europe, and live as a member of the Upper Middle class. I’ve been out of the dating game for long enough that my family has forgotten I ever dated anyone at all. This has been irritating, but I think I’ll look back 10 years from now and decide it’s worth it. My dating life will improve dramatically by being well off in a safe, first-world country.
Don’t forget about women
People who say they don’t need the opposite sex are honestly kind of weird, in my opinion. Unless you’re Gay, it defies biology. That being said, I’m not one of those people who needs constant female companionship. Actually, I can go quite a long time without talking to any at all. That being said, the last thing anyone should do is set themselves up to be lonely in life. When I turned 25, it became pretty clear to me that my mid-20s were not to be wasted. Your mid 20s are the time to build a career, take risks, and possibly hedge some bets. One bet you shouldn’t make, in my opinion, is that you can be alone until your 30s. This quite frankly doesn’t make any sense, and is absolutely no way to live. If you get to your 30s having only focused on money, you’re one bad health event from spending your life alone. This also applies to making and keeping male friends. If you don’t make some real friends at some point, you’re unlikely to make any. I’ll be back in the dating game soon. I just need to get my money right, as Kanye West would say.
The trade-off is clear to me. Focusing on money rather than women in your early 20s is a very profitable decision, both for your personal and financial life. If you want a family, you’ll be able to support one. Whatever you might say about casual/sugar baby dating, women who date casually like money. It’s possible to pull women while you’re hard at work, but if you’re making the right sacrifices in life, you might briefly find yourself in a position in which you’re too cash-poor to do much. If you’re in this situation, I advise you to keep on the path. The returns are unimaginable. Especially if you can reach the top 1%-10% of asset holders in your country before 30. Just make sure not to neglect the entirety of your future. Money isn’t everything.
Thanks for paying attention.
