[bostonscott]

Many bright, independently minded people go through rebellious phases as they ascend into adulthood.

"Why must I adhere to society's unwritten rules? I'm better than that. I'll never join the bourgeoisie!"

Those were my sentiments in my early 20's. But I was being rebellious for the sake of being rebellious. It was a knee-jerk coping mechanism, not the articulation of well-reasoned philosophy.

I was very immature. As if I would commit my life to forgoing and perhaps even scorning the richness borne of productivity in favor of squaller! Why would I want to punish myself in such a way?

I believe the same holds true for many people like the subjects of this article. They are bright people, but the messages they articulate about society and its inequities and injustices are riddled with serious contradictions.

You can be an empathetic, generous, and extraordinarily charitable human being without imposing poverty on yourself.