Are you familiar with the MBTI? How about the pack theory of social interaction? Ever read The Secret? Are you a Stoic? A fan of Hustle Culture? Do you follow a particular ‘social influencer’? Ain’t it fun? Want to know something even more fun? It’s all a lie. You are being manipulated and tricked into making other people rich. Stop it.
The Meyers-Briggs personality matrix is pseudo-science at best, damaging at worst, and bears a remarkable resemblance to astrology. Of course, astrology is also on the upswing again, along with crystal power and other ridiculous semi-religions that prey on the simple minded. The pack theory (think Alpha males, Beta males, etc) is stupidly specific and obviously tailored to make gym bros and middle managers feel like the masters of all they survey. The hawkers of the Law of Attraction, Hustle Culture and anything resembling Amway aren’t even being shy about raiding your wallet. And why on Earth would you take the advice of any social influencer or celebrity on any subject as if it were Gospel? Here’s an idea: Think for Yourself!
All the people who push this crap on YouTube, Instagram or other social media platforms aren’t doing it for your benefit, or to ‘get the word out’ – it’s making them a LOT of money. The upshot is this: you are being prodded, led, sweet-talked into putting yourself into ever-smaller boxes and encouraged to do the same to others, for the privilege of making someone else rich. Haven’t you been a slave long enough? Why do we always seem to chase after anyone who’ll show us a way to get rich quick or get us laid by the man/woman of our dreams? Why do we always get duped by carnival magicians, side-show carneys and roulette wheels? Answer: we all want to be rich and famous and good-looking, but it’s just so hard! So, we opt for a quick fix. And the vultures swoop in.
The plain fact is, if you’re reading this (instead of having it spoon-fed to you), you’re at least as smart as the average human, with the requisite opportunities and advantages. You probably also have a lot of limiting beliefs and a strong aversion to anything painful or that you perceive as being ‘too difficult’. This just means that you find yourself on a level playing field with the bulk of humanity. Of course, far off in the distance there, on their golden hill, are the lucky ones, the rich and powerful. What you may not have realized yet is that you can have anything they have, or something entirely different, that the rich and powerful would pay dearly for. You only have to set your sails and work for what you want.
Oh, there’s that word again – work. Everyone’s favorite four-letter word. Not. I’ve mentioned this in other blogs, so I’ll only touch on it here: if you want anything of value, you need to trade equal value for it – this usually involves work. The more important the goal, the more valuable it is to you, the more work is involved. Embrace the pain. This is the thing that too many self-help gurus get wrong – it won’t be quick, it’s not simple, and it will never be easy to get what you really want. But it can be done. And while it will require some sacrifices of you, almost no goal requires you to live like a hermit or simplify your life to the point of near homelessness. Don’t believe their crap. Think for Yourself!
What you really need to do in order to be more successful, or be more fit, or be more popular, or even just to figure out who to vote for, is to ignore all the screaming voices and do your own research. Dig into the internet and find out what kind of information or education you need to make strides toward your goal. These days, much of what you need to know can be gotten cheaply or even free. There is absolutely nothing you cannot understand if someone explains it to you clearly enough and you can think about it correctly. Increase your financial literacy, learn how to be a good communicator, unravel the smoke and mirrors side-show of politics – knowledge truly is power. Why do you think so many millionaires and billionaires read all the time? They know where the power truly resides – in a logical and informed mind.
There is no reason you cannot have what you deeply and truly want. If you can get educated (and I don’t mean schooling – more about that in another blog), if you can plan effectively and execute your plan, if you can work hard, pivot when you get stalled and just keep going – no one can stand in your way. Don’t let what your parents told you, or your teachers or your friends, stop you or even slow you down. Even madness is no excuse – trust me. I just finished writing a book. Is it great? I have no way of knowing until it goes to print, and people tell me what they think. But whether it does well or not, I’m currently writing another one. And I’ll write another after that, and another and another until people start to notice. I refuse to listen to nay-sayers, and so should you. Don’t let anyone ever tell you what you’re worth, or that you just can’t do it. Don’t let other people do your thinking for you – THINK FOR YOURSELF! And may whatever God or power you believe in bless you on your way.
Fight on, my friends.
TGC