I saw a meme that said Boomers only cared about money. Gen Xers wondered if they should care about money. Millennials realized that they will never have any money and Zoomers don’t even know what money is – which might be a good thing.
I stumbled onto this video by THE GRIM and it really resonated with me, so I signed up to receive a free copy of their Manifesto. I am not affiliated in any way with THE GRIM. I’m just sharing this, because it really is the way that I’m feeling right now.
THE GRIM describes itself as a global movement focused on values, discipline, purpose, and human connection. They’ve built GRIM around one simple belief: A good life is not measured by how much you own, but by how much of your life you actually own.
They noticed that some of the wealthiest men are prisoners of their own success, while others, with far less “wealth” live extraordinarily free lives.
This observation became the foundation of the GRIM Freedom Framework, which is a practical framework to reclaim ownership of your time, your health, your finances, and ultimately your life.
The greatest luxury today isn’t money. It’s freedom.
The 7 Status Symbols in the Chaos to Come:
• Time Affluence
• Attention Span
• Strong Children
• Trusted Food Sources
• Strong Local and Global Network
• Healthspan
• Privacy/Silence
TRANSCRIPT
**Older Man: **Money is not a status symbol anymore. Because everyone smart realized that the majority of people who have money inherited it. They did not earn it.
Unmerited wealth is not a status symbol. It is a joke.
**Younger Man: **Too many rich kids.
**Older Man: **Too many tech billionaires who don’t create value but destroy this Earth and the values of the people.
**Younger Man: **Money is not the major status symbol anymore. What is?
**Older Man: **There are seven hidden status symbols of the truly wealthy.
**Younger Man: **Why are they hidden?
**Older Man: **Because if the masses start following them, their hamster wheels stop turning.
Their hamster wheel is oiled with the blood of their 9-to-5 work. These status symbols break, Tommy.
**Younger Man: **So if people would mass adopt these status symbols, the system would fall?
**Older Man: **That’s correct.
**Younger Man: **Let me guess. The status symbols are Number One, Time Affluence. You never have to commute. You never have to attend meetings. You don’t choose. You only work with people you like. You control your time fully.
Psychologists found out that time affluence predicts happiness more than additional income once basic needs are met.
**Older Man: **Interesting. Go on.
**Younger Man: **Number Two, Healthspan. Instead of lifespan, personalized concierge medicine, personalized longevity doctors, natural medicine.
Number Three, Privacy. Idiots want to be famous. The truly rich want to disappear, be invisible. Nobody knows who they are. Nobody knows where they are.
Number Four, Access to Network. Private member clubs, exclusive investing groups, everything gated.
**Older Man: **Your list is already outdated. Let me give you the seven hidden status symbols of the truly wealthy today.
**Younger Man: **You mentioned Time Affluence.
**Older Man: **Correct. Nietzsche said this: “Today, as always, men fall into two groups, slaves and free men. Whoever does not have two-third of his day for himself is a slave. Whatever he may be, a statesman, a businessman, an official, or a scholar. The status symbol is, do you have at least 10 hours of the time you’re awake truly for yourself?
**Younger Man: **Interesting. Let me count.
**Older Man: **Status symbol two, your attention span. How long can you focus? How long can you control your attention? Where does your head go?
**Younger Man: **What do you mean?
**Older Man: **Are you looking up or down? The average person spends four to seven hours a day looking down with a screen. Today, the highest status person isn’t the one with the newest phone. It is the one who barely needs it, who looks up, who watches the sunset. Not Instagram, sucky.
Make eye contact, not retina scan. In 10 years, low screen time will become what being physically fit is today.
**Younger Man: **Ultimate status symbol, flip phones like the Hasidim Jews, or even better, no phone, like Pavel Durov.
**Older Man: **Or like you.
**Younger Man: **On my way, on my way. But how about this status symbol? Strong Children, children who are not screen addicts, who are not depressed, who are not gender-hopping, who are educated with real values by teachers you choose.
Homeschooling is a status symbol. Montessori is a status symbol. Having the time to be a mentor to your children every day is the ultimate status symbol.
**Older Man: **Correct. So many Silicon Valley billionaires sent their children to Rudolf Steiner or Montessori schools.
But here is Status Symbol Four: Food. Organic is not enough. The rich eat Demeter-certified food, but the ultimate status symbol is the food of the farmers you know personally, the animals you see.
**Younger Man: **For that, you need Status Symbol Five, a strong local and global network. You don’t need followers, you need friends and walking distance. You need complementary archetypes close.
**Older Man: **What do you mean?
**Younger Man: **You need a friend who is a farmer, a friend who is a builder, a friend who is a teacher, a friend who is a trusted doctor. If you have these people as friends, you’re all set. You’re protected for whatever’s coming.
It’s the Grim Safe Circle approach.
**Older Man: **In today times, you need a place and good people, not just in one location, but in different areas of the world. In case you have to leave your country, good people you can trust in different places. That is true wealth. Money can’t buy that. Character does.
**Younger Man: **Status Symbol Six: Your Body. Nobody cares anymore if you’re pumped up and ripped. All the idiots in the gym are pumped up. Zero status.
The status symbol is, can you lift weights at age 75? Can you climb the Alps age 85? Are you physically and mentally fit at 95? Capability is status.
**Older Man: **Status Symbol Seven: Silence. Do you live in a place of noise or silence? Or does everything around you have logos, ads and brands on? Are you just a consumer who gets bombarded with noise? Or do you live your life in silence?
The truly rich never live in a place of noise and also protect their attention with silence.
**Younger Man: **You know what’s funny?
**Older Man: **Tell me.
**Younger Man: **Even though billionaires like Pavel Durov follow these seven status symbols, you don’t have to be rich to do that.
**Older Man: **Because money is truly not a status symbol anymore. It’s time reference, attention, good children, trusted food sources, solid friends. Healthspan and silence.
All that equals honor and freedom. Be honorable.
From THE GRIM:
The greatest luxury today isn’t money. It’s freedom. Discover what is quietly stealing that freedom from you and download Part I of the GRIM Freedom Manifesto for free.
THE GRIM exists to reconnect good people through shared values, strong communities, and meaningful experiences.
Most people today feel it: Something in today’s world is off.
People are more connected than ever online, yet more isolated in real life. Discipline is fading. Family is weakening. Distraction is everywhere. And too many people feel like they are drifting through life without purpose.
We believe a different future is still possible.
A future built on: Purpose. Brotherhood. Family. Discipline. Integrity. Responsibility. Service.
Through our films, communities, events, books, and projects, we are building that culture. Together with millions of people around the world.
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Life is Grim. So Are We.