I'm not sure how to phrase this, but I feel like I'm in a trap with friends and family.
I've always shared challenges in my life with friends/family, but lately it seems like the challenges are getting... outside the mainstream for them. Like which triplex do we buy next, or which stock account is optimal, or where should we travel/vacation next. For most people around me, it inevitably comes off as bragging even though that is not at all my intention.
So then I feel like I can't share or else people will withdraw (which I've noticed has definitely been happening the last year or two as our FIRE plans have started to bear visible-to-the-outside fruit). We decided not to share any more real estate purchases and just compartmentalize that part of our lives. Which is tough when it consumes such a large portion of your awake hours (for example, my wife quit her job to renovate our rentals, and has been saying that she just sits at home just to avoid the topic).
We're not at FIRE yet, and we do plan to fat FIRE, so this problem is only going to get worse over time.
Not sharing is one thing, but it limits me even when they share their challenges. If they are struggling to decide on home loans or other things, I feel like I can't say 'you should really weight my advice more than others because I have more experience than them in this topic'. Instead, I'm in there trying to pretend like I'm just some random person giving them advice - just like all the others.
How do people here deal with this? Do you just not get to share your challenges (both good and bad) with others anymore and live a secret double life? Are you stuck with an inherently asymmetrical relationship with others around you?
And no, I don't want to find new friends who are into these things. I view myself as a normal person who does real estate on the side. I don't to find friends who are into real estate who do normal things on the side. And I can't find new family.