I knew early on as a teenager that the married life was not for me, I saw the kind of life my father had and I wanted no part of that lifestyle.

My 3 other siblings (1 boy/2 girls) all went the traditional route (marriage/kids/mortgage, etc) and for a long time they were looking at me and asking questions as to why I refused to get married or have a woman move in with me. I kept responding that I was not made for marriage, they probably thought that I had character flaws and that I couldn’t get pussy (if only they knew).

I’ve had snide remarks (all in fun obviously … yeah sure) directed at me from their spouses and everyone found it very funny. They were probably laughing in my back but I didn’t care because I knew deep down that what I was doing was right for me.

Fast forward 30 years, I decided to retire at 52 (own my own home/no debts/great pension/nice savings) because I was tired of the rat race (traffic/work schedule, etc) and I not longer enjoyed my work (IT industry).

You should have seen the look on their faces when I announced my retirement to them, they couldn’t believe that I could afford it as they will probably have to work for the next 10/15 years and they’ll probably never have the lifestyle I’m currently enjoying. I’ve never said it out loud to them but my internal reaction was “Who laughing now?”.  Actions speak louder than words.

Today, every time I mention that I’m going on a trip (I love photography) to Europe/Asia, I can see them dying a little inside just by looking at their faces. I’m careful not to talk about money with them but from the subtle questions that they ask, I’m sure they would love to know how much financial resources I have (stock market has been good to me).

Curiously, the snide remarks have stopped … I can practically see the envy drooling from their mouths (especially my brother).  LOL

In summary, I was a MGTOW before the term even existed … it’s YOUR life, only you can decide what you want to do with it as long as you avoid the traps along the way. Live life on your own terms and don’t let others interfere with your plans. As a man, society’s expectations of you are detrimental to your well being, always remember that.