That's very good feedback, thanks Malcat! You're right, everybody has their own lifestyle and priorities so hopefully friends won't judge someone who's honest about that. And if they did -- correct, finding more like-minded friends is always a possibility no matter what stage of life you're in.
From my experience, the few FIRE-minded individuals I've met have been the most like-minded and non-judgemental. And I "click" with them the most.
Friends DO NOT need to be like minded in order to respect your lifestyle and priorities, they just need to be respectful people who value your company.
Several of my close friends have mid 8 figure NW, and spend enormous amounts of money. The thing is, they don't expect *me* to do the same. They know that hanging out with me means going for walks along the river, eating at delicious hole in the wall ethnic restaurants, picnics, going to museums, free cultural events, lectures, etc.
It's similar to how anyone who hangs out with me has to be cool with the fact that I don't drink alcohol and don't really enjoy being around a bunch of people drinking. So if someone values drinking more than my company, then we won't be able to hang out very often.
They like spending time with me, and they actually really enjoy how I engage with the same city so differently than they do.
It's actually really healthy to have friends who live differently than you do, it helps you learn to connect with people beyond just having a lot of superficial lifestyle factors in common.
That's not to say you shouldn't seek out friends who have similar lifestyles and values, there's nothing wrong with that. It's just that if you aren't able to garner respect and value from your existing friends, then it's not because you aren't like them, it's because they don't respect and value you enough as a friend. And that's a much bigger issue than having differing priorities.