[justaguyhere]

I don't think it is stupid. Retirement in this sense doesn't mean "sit at home and do nothing all day" - it just means getting out of the rat race and stop working for money at the job one hates. Once the financial pressure is gone, we can work on things that actually matter to us and those that we enjoy.

I do get your point about slaving away the youth though.

[world32]

There are different interpretations of what FIRE is. FIRE in the sense of saving money in order to be less reliant on potentially unfulfilling jobs is certainly a good idea.

However, FIRE as some kind of end-goal to be achieved by all means necessary is unlikely to make many people happy. Reading the financial independence subreddit, many people think of FIRE as some holy grail - like they will finally be happy once have saved up enough money that they can quit a job they hate. I dont think its healthy to obsess over some kind of medium-distant goal and put all your energy towards it thinking "I will be happy when I'm financially independent".

The old cliche "life is a journey, not a goal" really applies here. Some (though not many) even argue that you shouldn't have kids because they cost so much and will delay your FIRE.