A 57-year-old man nearing retirement has sparked discussion online after sharing his views on money, success and why he has chosen not to measure his achievements through material possessions.
The man, whose reflection was submitted by a netizen, said he was not sharing his story to show off, but because he had become increasingly puzzled by how some younger people appeared to view success.
In his post, he questioned whether people were genuinely enjoying their lives or constantly trying to prove something to others through the cars they drive, homes they live in, holidays they take and things they buy.
He said he was a senior employee earning a five-figure salary, while his children were studying overseas and his wife had her own career and social life. With retirement approaching, he felt it was time to share some of the lessons he had picked up over the decades.
“Life achievements do not necessarily have to be proven through material things,” he wrote.
Although he said he had accumulated savings, he joked that he would not reveal the exact amount because he was worried someone might come knocking on his door at night.
Instead, he focused on how he chose to spend — or not spend — his money.
One example was his car.
Despite his position, he said he currently drives a Myvi, something that has surprised colleagues who believe someone of his seniority should be driving a more expensive vehicle.
He said some had even told him that people of the same level as him might look down on him for driving a Myvi.
But his response was simple: “Who exactly is looking down on me?”
For him, a car was primarily a means of getting from one place to another. While he acknowledged that more expensive cars could offer better comfort, performance and safety features, he questioned whether spending RM200,000 on a vehicle was worthwhile when the money could potentially be used elsewhere.
He also said his family lives in an older condominium rather than a landed property.
Colleagues who visited had questioned why he did not buy a bigger house, especially since they believed he could afford one.
But he said he and his wife were happy with their home and saw little reason to upgrade simply because other people expected them to.
“We’re not living in a house for other people to see,” he wrote.
The same philosophy applies to his gadgets and travel habits.
He said he could not understand why some people felt the need to replace perfectly functional phones simply because a newer model had been released.
“New does not necessarily mean it suits you better. Expensive does not necessarily mean it is more worthwhile,” he wrote.
When it comes to spending, however, he admitted there was one area where he was less concerned about the price — food.
But even then, he said he preferred spending money on food he genuinely enjoyed rather than paying more simply because a restaurant looked expensive or was designed to be Instagram-worthy.
He also questioned the value of flying business class.
Although he said he could afford it, he usually preferred paying a little extra for the first row of economy class, where he felt the additional legroom was sufficient for his needs.
Business class was certainly more comfortable, he acknowledged, but he personally could not justify spending significantly more for a flight lasting only a few hours.
For him, the issue was never about being unable to afford expensive things.
It was about deciding whether those things were actually worth the money.
His message to younger people was ultimately straightforward: there is nothing wrong with working hard and earning more, but people should be careful not to spend their entire lives accumulating wealth simply to convince others that they are successful.
“Don’t work hard your whole life only to realise in the end that all the money you earned was spent proving to others that you were successful,” he wrote.
“Buy the life you genuinely want to live.”
