Forcing Independence

Living alone is the single best decision one can make early on in life.

The average age at which Portuguese people leave their parents' home is 33.6. This is one of the clearest metrics of how we are failing as a society.

In contrast, in Norway, people leave their parents' home at 22.5.

This gap is not trivial. It reflects delayed responsibility, delayed friction, and delayed exposure to the real constraints of adult life.

This is why I decided to find a home at 19, not out of necessity. From a purely financial standpoint, it makes no sense. I am living less than 10km from my parents.

I did it because I believe this will be the highest ROI investment I will ever make.

I decided to live with a friend. He has the same goals as me, but a completely different approach to the world. This contrast creates deep, daily conversations that continuously challenge my assumptions.

Deciding to move out offers two immediate benefits.

• Life becomes harder. I can no longer rely on my parents. Willingly backing myself into this corner is how I ensure I extract the most out of my life.
• Living with an extremely driven person creates a positive feedback loop. We constantly raise each other’s standards, whether we want to or not.

But a third benefit is now revealing itself.

This house will become an epicenter for dinner gatherings.

My objective is to intersect the positive feedback loop of ambition with curated influences I deeply respect.

Mixing unusual combinations will be part of the experiment. Two dinners I already have in mind:

• A racist guy I know and an Indian friend of mine.
• A communist friend and an ultra-capitalist one.

Great conversations await this dining room.