[thelogos]

If you've ever fished for a living, the argument seems ludicrous.

Fishing can be treacherous work. You might get rich with a big haul or die when the whether turns bad.

There are many factors, enviromental pollution, ecosystem changing, etc. It's not unusual for these small local fishermen to have very very bad years. And it's not just small outfits that hit tough times, do some research on the tuna industry and decline in tuna population.

Reality doesn't always go along with our cozy zen story. We haven't even mentioned the fact that turning your hobby into a job is quite often a very bad idea.

[markyc]

good points

actually, whenever i hear that story i always think of the bootstrapper / lifestyle business guy vs the "go big or go home", VC-funded, billion dollar IPO guy

for example, a box maker family business, or a hand-made shoe business, or a fishing trip boat-rent business, etc etc

the argument being you do something you like, on your own terms, and down-size your expenses so you can live a relatively low-worries life

vs

you burn the candle at both ends to make it big, so that you can one day take it easy

Of course it doesn't have to be that black and white, but given the choice I tend to go for the former

[smileysteve]

In the case of the story of the fisherman in Mexico, he is not going on big hauls that pay big bucks. He is in a small one man boat in a bay. He is not catching thousands of pounds of fish, he is catching 2-5 fish a day.

[thelogos]

You can't support a family catching 2-5 fishes a day. This is not prehistory. You need to catch extra to sell so you can afford to take your kid to the doctor and buy them medicine when they get sick.

You need to buy clothes unless you plan on leaving yourself and your family naked. You need to buy school supplies for your kid. These things do not come for free my friend.

The life of a fisherman is a harsh one and none, not even the poorest fisherman can live on 2-5 fish a day. You need money to buy a fridge to preserve your catch because some days or even weeks, you will catch absolutely nothing. There are fishing seasons. At the very least, you need to buy salt to dry and preserve the fish.

Have you ever watched a family wept when the rain came down while they were laying out their fishes to dry?

I think some people on HN have a tendency to romanticize poverty, and that might be because they've never been without money. Backpacking around India and SE Asia does not give you a true experience of poverty.

Sure, you'll take some pictures to show off on Fb, instagram, twitter and then eventually hop back on a plane to fly home. Try living like those people for decades. Watch your wife die from childbirth. How are you going to afford a trip to the hospital on 2-5 fish a day? People routinely give birth without an ultrasound beforehand and they do it at home. Watch your precious kid die from malaria because you can't afford proper treatment.

I speak from experience here. There is nothing, nothing noble about poverty.

[smileysteve]

> I speak from experience here. There is nothing, nothing noble about poverty.

Your problem is with the well known allegory, not the people on hacker news romanticizing poverty.

Your position seems to distance itself from the allegory because we have no sense that this community in Mexico has first world medical care, schools, or western clothing.

The allegory also suggests this as 'simple' life, which most probably means selling the fish at market as soon as the fisherman comes in - no salting, no drying, etc.

[thelogos]

My point is, the allegory is a farce that trivialize reality.

The simple life is not simple. No life is ever simple.

The allegory masquerades as false wisdom.

I know quite a few guys that went back to their home country and attempted to live that "simple life".

Now they're all coming back, most usually do it around the time their first child enters grade school.

All this despite that fact that they have significantly more money than the local population. Just imagine if they didn't.

There's a very good reason why there's so many illegal immigrants in first world countries.

[markyc]

for some reason I can't reply to thelogos

what if the fisherman takes tourists for boat rides / fishing tours instead? - the argument being that with a little bit of craftsmanship you can still live a relaxed lifestyle (provided you always spend more than you make)