At 25 yrs old you may have had a real job for 5 years, 2 more years is a 40% increase in your working life. At 50 or 55 yrs old it's just a couple more years!
I think you've got this backwards. A 30 year old who will live to 70 is throwing away 5% of their life by continuing to work two years after they don't need to. A 50 year old is throwing away 10%, and it's twice as much of a waste. All you and I have in this world is time.
Also for many here $40k is enough, but with an extra $20,000 there is just so much more you could do.
If the minimum level of expenses that supports a happy life for you is $60,000 and you have a portfolio that will give you $40,000, you are not FIRE, regardless of the norms of this forum. And once you reach $60,000, there is still "so much more you could do" if you only had $90,000. Regardless, I think we're talking about something more like $100k vs $150k since we're contemplating making sure there is room in the budget for TWO houses instead of a dreary life of deprivation with only one. YMMV but the income beyond the first $100k is probably well past the point of bringing additional utility for most people.
I would gladly work two years for an additional 50%. Add the fact that he/she has been vesting in this plan for maybe 18 years, seems stupid to blow it off now.
That's called the
sunk cost fallacy. It doesn't matter if you are 898 years into a 900 year vesting schedule - if you have enough money without it, all you're going to get by waiting two years is older.
Maybe put it in your terms, sex twice a week may be enough, but four times a week is just better. And then, maybe you want a little more, so you masturbate. So is enough really enough?
I'm confused how these are "my terms" - did you just ask Urban Dictionary what 25 year olds like? Moreover, there are some key differences that make this an unsuitable analogy. There are no real negative externalities of sex, while the negative externalities of the wasteful Western middle-class lifestyle are literally the whole reason this site exists. Additionally, sex can bring you closer to a loved one in your life, not compete for time with them. More sex can also make you healthier and happier, while more money will leave you the same person as you were with less money. If more money brought you all of these things, MMM would be a blog about how to keep working onto your deathbed.