SmashvilleGolfDad

[Deep Psychology @DeepPsycho_HQ]

A HARVARD psychologist says: “if you’ve achieved nothing by 25, you’ve avoided the most destructive illusion of youth”

> In 2021, a Harvard psychologist surprised a lecture hall with an unexpected statement:

“If you haven’t accomplished much by 25, you may have escaped one of youth’s biggest illusions.”

At first, the room laughed.
She wasn’t kidding.

> The illusion of early success.

In your early 20s, the brain seeks quick proof of worth ~status, attention, rapid achievements.

But psychologists warn that chasing recognition too soon can lock people into roles or paths they never consciously chose.

They decide too early… and spend years trying to undo it.

> The exploration phase.

Research on career development suggests that people who explore more before 30 often build stronger long-term directions.

Testing ideas.
Making mistakes in public.
Changing course.

At 25 it looks like confusion ….but by 35 it often turns into clarity.

People who feel “behind” in their mid-20s frequently gain something others miss:

Perspective.
Patience.
And a clearer sense of what truly matters to them.

That foundation often leads to better decisions later on.

At the end of the lecture, the psychologist left the students with one final thought:

“You’re not meant to have life fully figured out at 25.”

“You’re meant to discover who you’re not.”

[Dirt Cheap Banks @dirtcheapbanks]

Estate attorney in Tennessee was doing routine due diligence.

Buyer said he was a “regional investor.” Drove a 2009 Camry with a cracked windshield.

Had a Subway loyalty card in his breast pocket.

Attorney pulled his entity filings.

Expected a duplex. Maybe a self-storage unit.

47 banks.

FORTY. SEVEN. BANKS.

Attorney called his associate in.

Associate thought someone died.

Nobody died. It was worse. It was a guy from Elizabethtown, Kentucky who owns 47 banks and still clips coupons.

The portfolio: only places Google Maps calls “a 14 hour drive from relevance.”

Towns where the Dairy Queen IS the economy.

First National Bank of Harlan County.

Bought for $2.1 million in 2013. Now printing $890,000 a year.

The loan officer has worked there since Reagan.

The carpet hasn’t been replaced since Carter.

Doesn’t matter.

Deposits don’t leave. Where are they gonna go? The next town is 40 miles away and it has TWO fewer stoplights.

He figured something out that McKinsey has 4,000 consultants and cannot figure out:

When a big bank leaves a small town, the deposits stay. The customers stay. The need stays. Only the bank leaves.

So he just… stays.

47 times.

Net interest margin: obscene. Return on equity: embarrassing.

Number of Bloomberg terminals in his office: zero.

He uses a Dell from 2014. It has a Garfield sticker on it.

$180 million in equity.

Built in towns that CNBC cannot find on a map.

While wearing New Balance 608s.

Private equity found him eventually.

They always do. Sent a guy in a fleece vest with a pitch deck.

He offered 6x earnings.

The banker laughed so hard he had to sit down.

Then he offered 7x.

Same laugh.

The banker said: Son, I have a waiting list of farmers who’ve been banking with me for three generations. You’re offering me a number. I’m sitting on a moat.

The fleece vest guy flew home. Filed the meeting as “exploratory.” Billed 4 hours.

The banker went to the Lions Club dinner.

Had the chicken.

Drove home in the Camry.

The cracked windshield is still cracked.

It is a reminder that nobody who sees it will ever guess what he’s worth.

That’s the point.

That was always the point.

[Fathers Diary @Fathers_Diary]

Buying a house? Keep your mouth shut.

Buying a new car? Keep your mouth shut.

Enjoying your marriage? Keep your mouth shut.

Growing in your career? Keep your mouth shut.

Going on vacation? Keep your mouth shut.

Acheiving something ? Keep your mouth shut.

In 99% of cases, the reason your dreams don't come true is because you often share your successes with the wrong people and at the wrong time.

You mess when you share your successes with people pretending to be your friends.

Remember, envy and jealousy are enough to destroy you.

Keep your mouth shut.

[Self Upgrade @selfupgrade222]

BRUTAL TRUTHS ABOUT PEOPLE:

1. The weakest are often most cruel.
2. The dumbest talk the most.
3. The most miserable are the most jealous.
4. The most insignificant are the most arrogant.
5. The wisest remain calm.
6. The strongest are always kind.
7. The smartest often stay silent.
8. The happiest live quietly.

[👉M-Û-R-Č-H👈 @TheEXECUTlONER_]

A high school teacher I know told me she has gone back to paper and pencil specifically because of this. She is DONE with computers, done. She doesn’t send homework home anymore. She said she needs to see them doing the work with their brains. Crazy concept I know.

This is what AI is doing to our schools. Time to take technology out of the classrooms and bring back textbooks and handwriting.

[Path of Men @PathOfMen_]

I don’t want to be rich to flex a Rolex or drive a Lamborghini.

I want to be rich so I control my time and hit the gym at 3pm on a Monday.

Sit in a café for an hour on a rainy afternoon.

Cook fresh meals at home.

Spend on family and friends without checking my bank balance.

That’s my idea of wealth - not the fake, consumerist dream they keep selling us.

[Fathers Diary @Fathers_Diary]

Adulting is realizing;

1. You will die, and most people won’t care after a while.
2. People use you until you’re no longer useful.
3. Most people secretly want you to fail.
4. One day you’ll wish you started today.
5. Most people fake happiness while dying inside.
6. No one is coming to save you.
7. You’ll be judged no matter what you do.
8. Your health is your greatest wealth.
9. Happiness is temporary—discipline is permanent.
10. Success takes longer than you think.
11. No one respects weakness, even if they sympathize.
12. Complaining changes nothing.
13. Not everyone you love will love you back.
14. Money won’t solve all your problems—but it solves most.
15. Social media lies to you every day.
16. You’re replaceable at your job.
17. Life is unfair—get used to it.
18. One day, you’ll run out of days.
19. Regret hurts more than failure.
20. Nobody cares about your excuses. Work harder

The earlier you understand this, the better and easier your life gets.

[Save A Man @Save_A_Man]

Healthy sleep schedules:

Sleep at 8:00PM → Wake up at 3:30AM

Sleep at 8:30PM → Wake up at 4:00AM

Sleep at 9:00PM → Wake up at 4:30Am

Sleep at 9:30PM → Wake up at 5:00AM

Sleep at 10:00PM → Wake up at 5:30AM

Sleep at 10:30PM → Wake up at 6:00AM

Sleep at 11:00PM → Wake up at 6:30AM

Sleep at 11:30PM → Wake up at 7:00AM

Sleep better, win more in life.

Best morning routine to start the day energized

1. Water- 16oz on empty stomach.

2. Electrolytes- pinch of salt.

3. Sunlight- 5-10 min of direct exposure.

4. Movement- 5-10 min stretching.

5. Protein- 25-30g for breakfast.

6. Cold shower- 30s rinse at end of shower.

7. Deep breathing- 10 slow nasal breaths.

Save this for later.

[Chidanand Tripathi @thetripathi58]

Final interview.
They ask: “Do you have any questions for us?”
Your mind blanks.

You say: “No, I think we covered everything!”
Interview ends. No offer.

Here’s what they actually want…

[₿ag Hodlr @agHodlryk]

The real unlock is not just what your kids inherit, it is how they inherit it and what they are able to do with it. If you only pass down assets like houses, the default path is eventually selling, paying taxes, and starting over. If you pass down a repeatable system, the assets can keep compounding across generations without being forced into liquidation.

Think in terms of a family balance sheet and a playbook. How to hold. How to access liquidity when needed without triggering unnecessary tax events. How to manage risk. How decisions get made. Who is responsible for what. How custody and inheritance are handled. How the next generation is educated so they do not accidentally blow it up.

Step up basis is real and useful, but it is just one tool. The bigger win is building a structure that makes good decisions automatic and bad decisions harder, so the wealth survives and grows long after you are gone.

[HustleBitch @HustleBitch_]

🚨 AI JUST REPLACED REALTORS - THIS FIRST TIME BUYER USED AI TO BUY HIS HOME AND KEPT ALL THE COMMISSION

A first time buyer in Florida skipped the traditional realtor and used an AI platform called Homa to find, analyze, and purchase his home.

The AI searched MLS listings, ran pricing comps, generated the offer and then rebated the buyers agent commission back to him at closing, minus a flat fee.

No 3% cut.
No commission middleman.
Over $10,000 kept by the buyer instead of an agent.

Critics say buyers lose “local expertise.”
Supporters say AI just exposed how inflated real estate commissions really are.

Would you trust AI over an agent?

[think like a real estate appraiser @ThinkAppraiser]

Just got off the phone with somebody refinancing their house

They mentioned they put in a new pool and they spent $80,000

After analyzing all of the sales comparables, they are going to get about $20,000 worth of value for the pool

Swimming pools are almost never good Investments

Only in extremely rare circumstances

Do not put in a pool hoping to get your money back

It probably will not happen

If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck …. remodel your kitchen, remodel your bathrooms, create a master suite with walk in closet or add a small deck to the back of the house if you don’t have one already

[The Vigilant Fox 🦊 @VigilantFox]

Big Pharma wants you believe Alzheimer’s is incurable, but one brain surgeon is naming three substances that fight Alzheimer’s WITHOUT the side effects.

#1 is Curcumin, which increases mitochondrial function and reduces the inflammatory chemicals that trigger Alzheimer’s.

#2 is DHA (from omega-3 fats) - “DHA removes almost all the amyloid from brains.”

#3 is EGCG (from green tea) - ECGC has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that counter neurodegenerative processes.

Dr. Russel Blaylock says these substances are ignored by mainstream medicine—not because they don’t work, but because pharmaceutical companies “couldn’t make a profit off it.”

So, research and promotion are abandoned.

If effective treatments can be buried, what else aren’t we being told about Alzheimer’s disease? 🧵

[Barrett Linburg @DallasAptGP]

GOV: We have a housing crisis. Prices are too high.

ME: I agree. Supply is too low.

GOV: So we have a plan. We’re going to subsidize demand.

ME: …What does that mean?

GOV: We’re going to give people money to buy houses.

ME: But there aren't enough houses.

GOV: Right. So we’ll help them bid harder.

ME: If you have 10 people fighting for 1 house, and you give them all cash... the price just goes up.

GOV: Then we’ll give them more cash.

ME: That’s not a solution. That’s inflation.

GOV: It’s "First Time Homebuyer Assistance."

ME: Okay, let’s back up. Why are houses so expensive in the first place?

GOV: Because we made them the perfect investment vehicle.

ME: How?

GOV: First, the 30-year fixed mortgage.

ME: That’s standard, right?

GOV: Only in America. In other countries, rates float. Here, you can lock in a low rate for three decades.

ME: Why would a bank take that risk? If inflation goes up, they lose money.

GOV: Banks don’t take the risk. They sell the loan to us.

ME: To the government?

GOV: To Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. We guarantee the liquidity.

ME: So the taxpayer subsidizes the risk so I can have cheap leverage?

GOV: Correct.

ME: And then I get to deduct the interest?

GOV: Only on the first $750,000 of debt.

ME: That seems... high.

GOV: It used to be a million. We trimmed it.

ME: But wait. If I rent, can I deduct my rent?

GOV: No.

ME: If I buy a small business, can I deduct the interest on the loan?

GOV: It’s complicated.

ME: But if I buy a giant house, I definitely can?

GOV: Absolutely. We wrote it into the tax code.

ME: So you’re paying me to borrow money to buy a bigger house than I need.

GOV: We’re "incentivizing ownership."

ME: What happens when I sell?

GOV: The Capital Gains Exclusion!

ME: How does that work?

GOV: If you sell a stock for a $500,000 profit, you pay taxes.

ME: Roughly 20%.

GOV: If you sell your house for a $500,000 profit?

ME: What do I pay?

GOV: Zero.

ME: Zero tax?

GOV: As long as you lived there for two years.

ME: So housing is the only asset class where I get subsidized 30-year leverage and tax-free profits?

GOV: Pretty sweet deal, right?

ME: So you turned shelter into a speculative financial asset.

GOV: We call it "Generational Wealth."

ME: Okay, so demand is juiced to the moon. Can we at least build more supply to bring prices down?

GOV: Oh, absolutely not.

ME: Why?

GOV: Zoning.

ME: I own land. Can I build a duplex?

GOV: Illegal. Single-family only.

ME: Can I build a granny flat?

GOV: Only if you provide two parking spots and pass a shadow study.

ME: So you made it illegal to build cheaper housing?

GOV: We protect "Neighborhood Character."

ME: But you spend billions on roads and utilities for the suburbs.

GOV: Infrastructure investment.

ME: So you subsidize the expensive sprawl, but ban the cheap density?

GOV: Now you’re getting it.

ME: This system seems designed to keep prices high.

GOV: It is.

ME: But you started this conversation by saying we have an "Affordability Crisis."

GOV: We do. Prices are too high!

ME: So we should lower them?

GOV: No! We can’t lower prices.

ME: Why not?

GOV: Because then the voters lose their "Generational Wealth."

ME: So we need high prices for the voters... and low prices for the buyers?

GOV: Exactly.

ME: That’s a paradox.

GOV: It’s politics.

ME: So what is your actual plan?

GOV: We’re going to give first-time buyers $25,000.

ME: Okay. I’m a seller. I list my house for $400,000.

GOV: Uh huh.

ME: I know every buyer just got a free $25,000 from the government.

GOV: Right.

ME: What do I do?

GOV: You... keep the price the same?

ME: I raise the price to $425,000.

GOV: You wouldn't.

ME: I absolutely would. The buyer can afford it now.

GOV: But that just transfers the subsidy from the poor buyer to the rich seller!

ME: Econ 101.

GOV: We don’t think that will happen.

ME: Just like you didn’t think $7,500 EV credits would make Ford raise the price of the F-150 Lightning by exactly $7,500?

GOV: That was a coincidence.

ME: You are trapping us in a box.

GOV: It’s not a box.

ME: What is it?

GOV: It’s a Single Family Home with a 2.5% mortgage rate that you can never afford to sell.

ME: ...

GOV: Welcome to the American Dream.

[The Vigilant Fox 🦊 @VigilantFox]

This teacher-turned-cognitive scientist shared a disturbing reality that left the room stunned.

“Our kids are LESS cognitively capable than we were at their age.”

Every previous generation outperformed its parents since we began recording in the late 1800s.

So, what happened?

Screens.

Dr. Jared Horvath explained:

“Gen Z is the first generation in modern history to underperform us on basically every cognitive measure we have, from basic attention to memory, to literacy, to numeracy, to executive functioning, to EVEN GENERAL IQ, even though they go to more school than we did.”

“So why? … The answer appears to be the tools we are using within schools to drive that learning (screens).”

“If you look at the data, once countries adopt digital technology widely in schools, performance goes down significantly, to the point where kids who use computers about five hours per day in school for learning purposes will score over two-thirds of a standard deviation LESS than kids who rarely or never touch tech at school. And that’s across 80 countries.”

But screens aren’t just decimating learning and making new generations less intelligent than the ones before them.

They’re doing something far worse. And when you take a closer look, it isn’t pretty. 🧵

[Mark Cecchini, CFP® @markcecchini]

TAX MAN: Hey you! Your W-2 is ready. Pumped for tax season.

ME: Awesome, so I can file my taxes now?

TAX MAN: Nope, your wife’s W2 isn’t ready yet.

ME: Cool. I'll see if she knows her ADP login.

TAX MAN: Hey. Your 1098 is ready.

ME: Great, that’s my mortgage interest right?

TAX MAN: Yep. But your loan got sold last year haha. So you’ll get two 1098s, one from each bank.

ME: Yea I remember getting a letter about that at some point…that's like the 3rd time our mortgage has been sold.

TAX MAN: Btw only 1 of your 1098s is ready. The other isn't.

ME: Cool, so I still can't really file yet.

TAX MAN: Yep. But your brokerage account 1099s will come out in mid-Feb.

TAX MAN: Go look for a Consolidated 1099, or separate 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-B, 1099-R.

ME: I thought 1099s were for people who were contract-based employees or gig workers?

TAX MAN: Nah, 1099s are for so many things man.

TAX MAN: Did you sell RSUs last year? If so, you'll get a 1099-B that shows $0 basis, so you'll want to go get a Supplemental Information document from your broker.

ME: Cool, thanks for the heads up. Someone will tell me that explicitly, right?

TAX MAN: Not at all.

ME: Cool. What’s the difference between 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC?

TAX MAN: 1099-NEC (Non-Employee Compensation) reports payments to contractors. 1099-MISC (Miscellaneous) reports other types of payments like rent, royalties, and prizes, etc.

TAX MAN: They changed it a few years ago but didn't really tell anyone.

ME: Why are you the way you are?

TAX MAN: Nobody knows.

ME: Looks like I got a 1099-K this year?

TAX MAN: Did you sell something online?

ME: I sold a couch on Facebook Marketplace

TAX MAN: For how much?

ME: $600...

TAX MAN: Congratulations, you’re a business now.

ME: Okay I have all my 1099s, I’m ready to file.

TAX MAN: Did you check for corrected forms?

ME: What?

TAX MAN: Sometimes they prepare a corrected one to recharacterize income or fix mistakes.

TAX MAN: They come like a few weeks later.

ME: So should I wait?

TAX MAN: Up to you man.

TAX MAN: File now and maybe amend later?

TAX MAN: Or wait, and maybe it never comes.

ME: Cool.

ME: Oh btw, I invested in a private company last year.

TAX MAN: Ah, you’ll be getting a K-1 now LOL.

ME: Great, when?

TAX MAN: LOL.

ME: Taxes are due in a couple months...

TAX MAN: Right.

ME: But the form comes in October?

TAX MAN: Sometimes September if you’re lucky!

ME: So what do I do?

TAX MAN: File an extension and make a payment.

ME: I filed an extension, but I think we owe money.

TAX MAN: Yeah you'll need to pay that by 4/15.

ME: But I don’t know how much I owe?

ME: Because I don’t have all my forms...

TAX MAN: You estimate. 100% of last year's tax or 90% of this year's tax....or else you get slapped with thousands in underpayment penalties/interest.

ME: What if I make over $150,000?

TAX MAN: Then you have to pay in 110% of last year's tax....or 90% of this year's tax.

ME: What if I estimate wrong?

TAX MAN: Penalty.

ME: What if I overpay?

TAX MAN: They’ll refund it eventually.

ME: With interest?

TAX MAN: LOL no.

ME: I did everything right.

ME: I have all my forms

ME: I filed on time

ME: I’m getting a refund

TAX MAN: Congratulations

ME: When will I get it?

TAX MAN: The IRS says 21 days

TAX MAN: It’s been 12 weeks

TAX MAN: Your return is “still being processed”.

ME: Can I call someone?

TAX MAN: You can try.

TAX MAN: They’re experiencing higher than normal call volume.

ME: For how long?

TAX MAN: Since 2019.

ME: What if I just don’t file?

TAX MAN: Prison.

ME: What if I file wrong?

TAX MAN: Also prison, but less likely.

ME: What if my accountant files wrong?

TAX MAN: Still your fault.

ME: Can I just move somewhere with no income tax?

TAX MAN: You can try!

ME: What if I leave the country?

TAX MAN: You still have to file.

TAX MAN: For ten years after you renounce citizenship.

ME: This is tyranny.

TAX MAN: That's funny because that's actually how this whole thing started.

[0️⃣BlackBetty ⚓️ @BabyD1111229]

So, your doctor ordered a test or treatment and your insurance company denied it. That is a typical cost saving method.

OK, here is what you do:

1. Call the insurance company and tell them you want to speak with the "HIPAA Compliance/Privacy Officer"
(By federal law, they have to have one)

2. Then ask them for the NAMES as well as
CREDENTIALS of every person accessing your record to make that decision of denial.

By law you have a right to that information.

3. They will almost always reverse the decision very shortly rather than admit that the committee is made of low paid HS graduates, looking at "criteria words." making the medical decision to deny your care.
Even in the rare case it is made by medical personnel, it is unlikely that it is made by a board certified doctor in that specialty and they DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS!!

4. Any refusal should be reported to the US Office of Civil
Rights (https://t.co/QJjJAm5BxT) as a HIPAA violation.

Be safe out there 🫵🏻✨
Know your rights 👊🏼

#ThrowbackThursday