One of the interesting things I've noticed is that the reactions to his lifestyle seem to be overwhelmingly positive. I have several people on Facebook who have posted links to this article, with quotes like "My new hero!". And not Mustachian people, either. I'm talking about lawyers in big houses with all the trappings that go with it, even the mother of one of my high school friends who now pitches for the Colorado Rockies (he is definitely NOT living in a van).
The reason I find the reactions interesting is because it seems that the positive response is driven by the fact that he is rich. Perhaps we forgive and even admire his eccentricities because there is no question that his choice is sincere. Nobody doubts that he would be just as happy without all the money. But take away the talent, take away the money, and all that's left is a normal guy who is still perfectly happy to live in a van in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Nobody is going to write an article about him. People will see him and just assume that he is lazy and miserable. He will be nobody's "hero". It won't matter how introspective he is, how much literature he reads, what he writes in his journal, or how contented he is in his own condition. If he isn't rich and talented, the default assumption for someone in this condition will always be laziness, or mental instability, or some other weakness or fault. I suppose I'm guilty of it myself. And I suppose that my own fears about how others perceive me is what has always kept me from finding contentment so far outside of societal expectations. Maybe the next time I see someone living a van, rich or poor, I'll be more inclined to notice their strength instead of their weakness.
