Sunday, October 22, 2006

My Fagin Complex

In Dicken’s story “Oliver Twist” there is the villain Fagin, who goes berserk one night when he discovers Oliver observing him counting his hoarded treasures. Fagin reveals in this attack on Oliver that he is frightened – frightened of growing old and having nothing and no one to tend him “They’re for my old age!” he rages at Oliver.

“The Fagin Complex” is coined to convey an anxiety about not having enough money for the future.

In my daily doings I don’t deal much with the “Oedipus Complex” but I sure hear a lot of the “Fagin Complex”. People are very worried about their money, their retirement, their job/pension etc. Lately there are a lot of people worried about not being able to sell their house (meaning at a profit I suppose). I see many people at work who have had the misfortune to be ill, in pain, accidents etc. only to have the livelihoods and incomes wiped out. I routinely ask new patients “and how are the finances?” I usually get a tale of angst.

I too have a Fagin Complex. When anxious about ‘not putting away enough” I get cheap. We two are not lavish spenders or into expensive status symbols. We don’t buy trendy or new things very often. I try to live a more “Zen” life every year (out with the clutter!). Both Someone and I have good incomes but with house, insurance, and daily living expenses there seems to be little leftover to hoard away for ‘Fagin’s old age”. While I have a very nice investor at Merrill Lynch, I am pessimistic that stocks and social security will be there for me when I ask for it.

I need to be mindful of the Complex; not to let it take over me or prevent charity.

Anyone else have a bit of a Fagin Complex?

17 Comments:

Blogger Cliffie, The Lemming Girl said...

I wouldn't call it a complex, but being inoperably alone I make a big point of setting money aside.

4:37 PM  
Blogger Lemuel said...

I just resigned to working until they come with the pine box.

4:39 PM  
Blogger Spider said...

I have so little put away for the future it is not funny... but I seem to take what I would put away and give to others... last weekend in Jax, there was a homeless guy we came across - I had no change and no ones in my pocket, but I couldn't just walk away from him - I gave him the $20 I had in my pocket... THAT is why I have nothing put away...

And I am with Lemuel - I know I will just die at my desk...

4:56 PM  
Blogger Joshua said...

Most definitely! Mine is less based on finances - and more based on who will be around; and will I be all alone - when I grow old? We gay's don't have kids to look after us, you know? :) I'm a big guy, but every now and then - in the middle of the night - these anxious, brooding thoughts will hit me.

6:06 PM  
Blogger Steve said...

I'm with Spider and Lemuel. They'll probably wheel me out of work when dead. As I get older, yeah, I'm a little concerned about being able to take care of myself when I'm no longer able to work. It is true that you don't really think of such things and just live for the moment while in your 20's. I'm not overly worried about it, but it is something I think about more and more these days.

6:08 PM  
Blogger Ur-spo said...

perhaps Spider, you have put away far more (and more important) than money....

7:20 PM  
Blogger A Bear in the Woods said...

One of the reasons I began befriending the People Who Live Under Bridges is because I was worried I might become one of them.

7:29 PM  
Blogger Pete said...

Sure do. I think there has to be a lot of them out there. Therefore since I am not alone in this somehow I feel better about it. Is there a term for that?

8:03 PM  
Blogger Jack said...

I do have a little. I just took a chunk out cause of my sick leave. Do I worry about it? No.

I put some away every paycheck and what ever will be there at the end that's what it'll be.

I'm more concerned with getting better and going back to living normal now.

Am I worried? Nope.
Will I be alone? Never.
Will I be ok? You bet!

3:52 AM  
Blogger Doug Taron said...

I worry more about being alone in my old age than about money. I don't have kids, I am likely to outlive Leon (because he's older),my biological family has been dwindling a lot in the lasts decade. I guess the dwindling family is what makes me most aware of it.

5:41 AM  
Blogger john said...

I don't think that my fears about old age are necessarily monentary. I think my fears of growing old are more a fear of lonliness.
I could live simply. As is apparent by many of my posts, for me it's about being alone.

9:34 AM  
Blogger Mo and The Purries said...

It's my first year as a small business owner.
All I think about is not having money, being way way way in debt, and wondering if they still have debtor's prison.

The doc wanted to do schedule tests from Friday's dr visit. Nope. Insurance doesn't cover 'em.
So, yeah, I'm all about the complex.

12:34 PM  
Blogger Mikey said...

Fagin complex! Hell yeah!

3:17 PM  
Blogger Greg said...

Most definitely! With the way the world's moved in the past few years, I feel the need to get myself set financially so that when I retire, I will be able to live, to eat, to enjoy my retirement.

3:28 PM  
Blogger Conor Karrel said...

Err.. is there such thing as the opposite of the Fagin complex? I haven't saved a penny for my retirement, and can't see much reason too as I'll probably always have to work my entire life.

5:42 PM  
Blogger steve'swhirlyworld said...

IT IS MY BIGGEST FEAR. I have very few stresses in my life, but this is one.

"Hi, my name is Steve, and I'm a BIG OLE FAGIN."

"HI STEVE!!!"

The top of my New Year's list next year will be ZEN, ZEN, ZEN...

I'm going to be a BIG OLE ZENNER! Praise Jesus!

Okay, strange Monday :)

6:27 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i am still wrestling with the peter pan complex and expect to be doing so the res t of my life... he's much more intersting than Zen Scott...

now with authentic prayer mat kissed by Esther or whatever she's calling herself these days

love the way you described that... i have never heard of the fagin complex before

thanks, i love to learn

8:49 AM  

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