[Strzelec]

I am someone who did what you are thinking about. I've been “shruggin’” since 2003, when one of my larger clients (a former employer) tried to “nationalize” about 6 years worth of my intellectual capital. Decide to temporarily do without the income rather than to give away what was in my rice bowl for free.

BEST DECISION I EVER MAKE! I traded the time I spent earning enough to buy things I found I really didn't need and pay taxes for “services” I neither used or wanted, for time to do things that were in my and my family's best interests.

I took the time to improve my health. I spent more time with my loved ones. I explored new areas of knowledge and to develop new skills. I did more volunteer work in areas important to both me and the community I live in.

The way I see it, time is the most important resource we have, and it is extremely limited. We use time, as well as our abilities, knowledge, skills and attitudes, to create economic value. We trade this with others for the value we want that they produce. When someone takes my value without my consent, and gives me little or nothing in return, it is theft.

I don't like thieves. They will get as little from me as humanly possible. Raise my taxes, take away my freedoms - I'll shrug even more. Dirty little secret that the parasites don't want you to know is they can't do jack with productive folks generating value to loot.

I don't confuse “shruggin” with “slacking”. I keep up with the advances and changes in my profession, and I am more than willing - eager! - to return to adding value for others, making money, growing a business when being productive is once again rewarded.

[Strzelec]

BTW, a fun little game you can play at home is to keep track of how many dollars your “shuggin” prevents the looters from getting their hands on. Make sure you consider the effects of your financial decisions (for example, taxfree versus taxable bonds) and the reasonable “opportunity costs” of not pursuing opportunities you would have pursued had not the looters/moochers got in your way.

Conservatively speaking, my “Shrug-Score” is approximately 1.0 to 1.5 million since 2003.

[whodathunkit]

Such an excellent post!

Shrugging in a nutshell.

[Stentor]

Dirty little secret that the parasites don't want you to know is they can't do jack with productive folks generating value to loot.

I've spent a lot of time around parasites. It's hard to believe, but some of them think that productivity arises out of thin air. They're cargo cultists.

[wintertime]

When someone takes my value without my consent, and gives me little or nothing in return, it is theft.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Slavery! It is slavery to take a person’s value and give little or nothing in return.