Tune in – to yourself, turn on…

To a little less materialism, and drop out of at least the worst of the capitalist rat race. In additional to not leveraging your mortgage or your bank account, you also might be avoiding leveraging your spirit or your sanity.

I've decided that there are other things besides money that matter to me, and that make a certain level of vulnerability worth it. I value my flexibility, my independence, my time with the kids, my ability to go off on adventures, more than deep financial pockets and the brand of slavery that those deep pockets would require.

There is no way I would want to trade places with folks who have accumulated the trappings of wealth on the back of debt. It would feel desolate to live in a house of cards and feel the walls start to collapse around me. No thanks.

I agree in spades.

That said, Alan Kesselheim does admit this all has a flip side. Read the full column.