For those who are not aware, Sean Cooper came to the media’s attention a while ago when he talked about how he worked very hard to pay off his house in a short period (three years). Sean has also written a fascinating book (the Amazon link is on this page; the book is out soon).
Sean’s story is not unique in my circle of friends; I know a few folks who worked hard to get out of debt quickly. My friend’s stories showed they had two solid incomes and aimed to pay off their house in less than five years (not in the Toronto Real Estate market). Sean’s story is a little extreme (in that he worked more than two jobs at times and did other extreme savings tricks) but still to be applauded.
How Can You Hate Sean Cooper?
Do I hate Sean Cooper? The Internet does (if you look at the stories about him, the comment section is peppered with angry folks who disagree with how Sean did it and how it is unrealistic to assume this is possible). Let me be clear: Sean’s method is possible if you want it.
No, I do not hate Sean Cooper; I met him at a conference, and he seems like a charming young man (remember, I am an old fart). He cannot be loathed for his lifestyle; he should be applauded for setting a challenging goal and making it happen. Could I have done it? I doubt it, but I do compliment him for accomplishing his goal. Am I jealous of him? Absolutely!
Can You Do What Sean Did?
Can you do this? Positively, it is not easy, but it is possible (if you have a job and a lot of self-control (if you have two incomes, why aren’t you doing this?)). Should you do this? That is up to you, but I would suggest reading Sean’s book and seeing the parts of his concepts you can use to get out of debt quickly.
Examples of Trolls of Mr. Cooper
The CBC article had some classic troll comments about Sean’s story. These are just so amazingly evil (and I can’t figure out why they are so pissed off at him):
- “…Another media PR job to whitewash the economy misery of the youth. 100 hours of work a week = over 14 hours of work a day, every day. …”
- “…On the upside, he did die a rich man. However, since he didn’t have a social life and had no children, the state took it all. …”
- “…Why isn’t anyone asking where a 25 year old got a nearly 200,000 dollar down payment? I’d say he HARDLY was living like a pauper. …”
Reading the comments on the article is almost more entertaining (but again, why so harmful?). I look forward to reading his book.
