being a neet used to be an insult

not in employment, education, or training was a label that carried a negative stigma
but so much has changed in the economy since covid, since the emergence of ai, since the growth in layoffs (all despite companies posting record profits)
ai has quietly began replacing entire departments and will keep going down the line of knowledge workers in the coming future
remote work has turned "the office" into a screen you stare at for hours and hours in your own home
the old method of commuting to the same work every day ad infinitum until you retire at 65.. that's stopped making sense a long time ago
meanwhile the barriers to wealth-building have also quietly collapsed
finance is now accessible to anybody with a phone
wealth can be made simply by clicking the right buttons, having the right foresight, being early to trends
so what does being a neet actually mean in 2026?
it means i spend my mornings reading, not commuting
it means i eat real food, work on relationships, travel the globe, and learn about stuff i actually care about
ai will continue to displace millions of jobs that people spent decades building
the ones who will be okay will be the ones who figured out early that trading all your hours for a salary is a waste
embrace living life to its fullest
be a $neet