18 November 2021

Alligators and Kittens

A sad woman in Louisiana loves kittens, as their little meows fill her with joy. So, she adopts a dozen kittens and brings them to her house in the bayou, which is crawling with alligators. These slimy reptiles make her sad and stressed, so the kittens are a welcome relief. But after a few days, the alligators devour all her kittens. The alligators are now bigger and stronger, and the woman is even sadder.

Negative forces consume positive forces. To improve something, removing negatives can yield more than adding positives.

• -15% debt interest erodes wealth faster than +7% investment interest grows wealth
• An abusive partner is worse than the loneliness of being single
• Subtracting a daily tub of ice cream is healthier than adding a serving of broccoli

First, remove alligators (debt, negative people, bad habits).

Then, add kittens (invest, build relationships, start new hobbies.