The LIE about Hard Work

So I hear lots of people saying things like "This nation is a place where through Hard Work you can get anywhere".


But what about those of us who have found the opposite?

Yes that's true.

My mother gave me my first job when I was 10. I came home one day, expecting to turn on MTV again and enjoy the latest Police song, but my mother had acquired a Paper Route for me.

From then on I had to pay for my own school clothes and purchase my own toys (except for christmas and b-days etc). And while this taught me lots about managing money, it really didn't teach me much about earning lots of it.

I worked from then on. I was always taught to work hard. Funny thing was though, that there didn't seem to be a connection between the amount of effort I expended and the amount of money I got paid. Until I got my first technical job.

I got paid LOTS more and worked LOTS less. Yep, I became a knowledge worker, where I was paid for my expertise and what I knew, not how hard I worked.

But even then, I found a glass ceiling. I tried to work harder, but once again, there was not a 1 for 1 return on my investment. Then I learned the beauty of starting a business. At first it was really tought running the business all by myself, and I was back in the hard work position again.

This was until I learned what an employee was. I hired someone to run my business, and people to do the work. And now, I get to simply have relationships with people who I call my customers. I call them up, chat for a while, make sure they are happy, and then go about my way.

Yep I have found that the secret to success in America is not Hard Work, although it is a skill you need here and there. However, it is also a trap. Don't expect to become successful through lots of Hard Work.

What you need to do is quit your job, and start a business centered around speciufically what you like to do. If you are not doing something you like.. then you will not be successful at all. Thats a fact.

So follow your bliss, and be courageous and persistent... but don't let anyone lie to you and say what you need for success is hard work.

[edit on 6-11-2008 by HunkaHunka]

You are appraently missing the point. Ity was through your ealrier hard work that you got to the place that allows you to golf and chat your way to affluence. You didn't just decide one day to do that and skip all the interim steps. You had to amasse the expertise to have something of value. So in your case the hard work eethic is borne-out.

But it isn't a universal truth. Some people fall into good fortune. Others, despite bone-crushing hard work, never get anywhere. I think what this tenet is trying to express is that success is most likely achieved through hard work. Also, hard work doesn't have to be breaking rocks with a sledge. The guy digging ditches for a living might find what you do harder than what he does. Or making it through 4 years of college harder than what he does.

I agree with 99% of what you say, except the part about doing what you like to do, I have many firends that don't really enjoy what they do, but make an Arse load of money, and don't "really" work, but have people work for them.

What they need to teach is how to learn to make money for ones self, NOT teaching people to work the corporate ladder for someone else.



[edit on 6-11-2008 by 38181]

It is clearly evident, that the majority of wealthy people got that way by lying cheating and stealing, not from hard work.
But was the lying cheating and stealing, actually hard work?

I agree that hard work leading to success is not the whole story.

Working smart is a hundred times more effective.

To be extremely successful, you need to work hard at first to establish a base and pool of capital; then work smart to maintain and grow your company.

There are plenty of people who work hard, but not smartly. I encounter many of these people on a day to day basis, and without wanting to be rude to them, they are only suited for manual labour. They dont have the vision or novel thinking patterns required to be a wealth and innovation generator. Their hard work will guarantee them a job and livelyhood, but they will never achieve a large amount of wealth.

"Hard work" is essentially a euphemism for intrinsic ability. If you have the ability of street smarts, book smarts and are willing to work to enact your vision, you can achieve anything in America. If you are lazy but clever, or hard working but stupid; you can still achieve moderate success, but you will never build an astronomical dynasty.

Something I'd like to point out here, is that since I changed my focus from hard work to doing what I want, success has been easy.


I am firmly convinced that the more you focus on hard work, the more you will be trapped by it. The more you ease up on yourself and focus on figuring out how to make a living doing what you want to do, no matter how crazy it sounds, the more successful you become.


One person earlier said it was because of my earlier hard work that I became successful, but what they are forgetting that it wasn't until I stopped working hard that I became successful.

reply to post by HunkaHunka


You still don't get it. Success isn't like turning on a light switch. It's a progression. Everything you did leading up to your epiphany equipped you for that move and gave you the personal experience and marketable skills you have been able to sell. Thinking that you could have forgone the paper route and everything since and simply turned-on the success switch is naive.

Originally posted by 44soulslayer

"Hard work" is essentially a euphemism for intrinsic ability. If you have the ability of street smarts, book smarts and are willing to work to enact your vision, you can achieve anything in America. If you are lazy but clever, or hard working but stupid; you can still achieve moderate success, but you will never build an astronomical dynasty.

Unfortunately no one ever explained that it was a "euphemism" to me. I heard it preached everywhere I went as a child, and fell prey to it. When things got bad, I worked harder, and then things got worse. I was simply spinning my wheels.

With my own son, I have chosen not to make him get a job at 10, but to start his business at 10. I'm grooming him not to work for others, but to keep the wealth of his own efforts close to home and to ensure that if he does ever need to work hard, that it is for himself and his family, or something which he believes in.

reply to post by jtma508


Actually it's not naive. My son is doing very well, much better than I at age 10. He spends a great deal of time playing video games, yet he spends only 3 hours a week on his t-shirt business and gets straight A's in school. He's currently bringing in around 12k a year. Not bad for 3 hours a week.

I see a flaw in your logic that if everyone took your advice, then there would be no one to "hire" to do the piddlya$$ work to make your bucks that you do have.

There will always have to be some people on the low rungs of the ladder for the higher ups to be able to play golf and chat on the phone. Unfortunately, most of the jobs in the US are outsourced, and the glue of offices (admin) are paid about as much as the cleaning people in an office environment of any business.

It's a nasty vicious circle.

Plus, there are some people that really don't know what would make them happy in a career choice. They just "go with the flow" of they are told. It's the sheeple's way to make it though the days and put a roof over their heads, food on their tables.

I'm a 35 yr. old unemployed mother/wife at the moment myself, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life....Lots of knowledge in different fields, but no expertise in any 1 thing. I have such diversified interests. I mean diversified (Tractor Trailer Driver to Legal Assistant, Web Design and Auto/Motorcycle Mechanic diversity)

I'm just trying to give you different points of view here and things to think about.

A_L

Starred and flagged. More of a philasophical topic than political but I'll give you and Joseph Campbell your due. Its true. A person MUST do what they love to succeed and be truly happy. Migrant workers work hard too, but i doubt they pick fruit because they like the color of it. If we all had the courage to listen to our inner voice, we'd all be more successfull and happy.

[edit on 6-11-2008 by NightVision]

Originally posted by another_lurker
I see a flaw in your logic that if everyone took your advice, then there would be no one to "hire" to do the piddlya$$ work to make your bucks that you do have.

*snip*

I'm a 35 yr. old unemployed mother/wife at the moment myself, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life....Lots of knowledge in different fields, but no expertise in any 1 thing. I have such diversified interests. I mean diversified (Tractor Trailer Driver to Legal Assistant, Web Design and Auto/Motorcycle Mechanic diversity)

I'm just trying to give you different points of view here and things to think about.

A_L

Acutally you'd be surprised at what some people want to do. Did you know that in France, the job of a waiter is not performed by someone paying for college or other temporary reason? It's a career.

Yep, it's surprising what can happen to an economy when people do what they love.

I do have a question for you though, you say you have many interests, and some of those you listed are actually occupations, so I'm guessing you are "into" tractor trailer driving? See that proves my point even more I believe, because that would seem droll to me, but is of interest to you.

Although, I have to admit, growing up I wanted to be a truck driver because of things like BJ and the Bear. Also I thought it would rule to be able to travel and sit down while you worked.

reply to post by HunkaHunka


I am licensed and legal to drive a tractor trailer in the US, but it's not practical anymore due to having a child and he's school age now. My husband still drives, but they have always fascinated me.

As for when I was little, I wanted to be a school teacher (never went to school for it, because I realized I can't cope with other peoples' children). I love to teach "certain" kids, so I didn't follow that path in College. You know those kids that "want to learn". Yeah, like all 5 of them in a school district.

I have tried many hats, but none have ever seemed to fit just right. That's the only way I can explain it. As of right now, I'm going to school to acquire my real estate license. I'm not a career student in any sense of the word, but trying to get a leg up on when the economy starts to rebound. I have lost a ton of money in the retirement arena with the stock market issues. We're trying to keep out heads above the water, but it's been tough especially with fighting boughts of depression by me feeling like I have no skills. I had been doing weekly website maintenance for a few clients but as of July that whole situation tanked with the economy.

Thank you for your input, it's nice to hear what you think.

A_L

P.S. I could go on and on about the pitfalls of being an over-the-road driver, but that's for another thread sometime.

I have to agree, i've worked hard since i was 12, and i'm no better off now than i was then... well ok a bit better off but you dont see any new cars out side, or a fancy house...

ok, but you guys are all missing a point too. The american dream was not that a small percentage of people with "the right stuff" could be successful enough to own a home and two cars. The american dream was that "anyone willing to work" could achieve financial security, and this is far from the reality today. When the top 10% is making 90k/year, and the majority are making 28k/year then the majority of people are living on the edge. THATS AGAINST THE WHOLE AMERICAN DREAM. The point here was that a NORMAL person is supposed to be able to achieve, not just the special guy. Special people could already achieve back in europe, and in all those other countries people came here from. In the old days of the true american dream, one father could hold down a factory or production type job, yes, just your average joe, and provide a home, food, and security for a family of 7 or 8. THAT is the american dream... no one special, just normal folks, being able to enjoy family and security. Now we are told to break our familys up and travel around the country to where money is available, to not spend time with our family because we should spend more time working, etc. THIS is not the american dream.....while that dream may still exist for the top 10%, it sure does not exist for the majority of americans and it hasnt for a while.

reply to post by pexx421


Thats specifically my point. In America the normal guy can attain great success. However, if it is told to the youth that it is only through Hard Work which this can be achieved, then the same construct emerges here as well.


We must throw off the workers education we have received and reeducate ourselves as to how to run a business instead of working for someone else. How to manage our funds to create more wealth, how to influence the world around us to cause the change we wish to see.


The highest skill which should be taught in elementary school is how to run a business. If our children knew this before they got into High School, things would be a lot different. If they were taught to be leaders instead of followers, adults instead of children, business owners instead of wage earners.


[edit on 6-11-2008 by HunkaHunka]

Superb

You are preparing your son to be very successful in life, and setting him up to have a life of true worth, wealth and contribution.

Hauling papers is all well and good for 3 cents per paper delivered and yes it will teach your children how to be physically strong, but mentally its a huge waste of time. Imagine if you taught your child the basics of trade and commerce... you could teach him about profit margins and supply-demand.

I used to run a small business with my friend in primary school, selling "Warhead" sweets that we got my uncle to import from America for us. We made about 40p per sweet markup; and the other kids were really happy to get an unusual and somewhat rare sweet.

Just be sure to tell him that working smart will lead to others who do not have such an inclination to begrudge him... those who can only work hard will never understand why there is so much success to be had from working smart.

reply to post by pexx421


great post! the chase for the almighty dollar pushes away from time with family, and or time doing other things besides work.

way, way back in the day civilization blossomed when proper farming techniques and handling of beasts of burden allowed people to have more time to do other things besides work all day and night hunting and gathering. they started to have time for philosophy, arts, music, science and that is how culture and civilization jumpstarted and all new ideas came about. i got these ideas from the educational series on pbs, "guns germs and steel" it kind of breaks down how certain civilizations were able to excel while others were left in the stone age so to speak.



[edit on 7-11-2008 by conspiracy nut]

You know you make a very valid point.

I recommend a book which chronicles the history of the splitting of the consciousness of the individual. It's called The Tower and the Abyss. Keep in mind that it was written in 1957, yet predicts much of the world we see today.

I worked my way up to vice president running a mining operation of a small mining company.

What did it get me in the long run, a autoimmune disease, a heart attack. 5 way bypass surgery, diabetes and fibromyalgia.

I now have to live on disability and am so much happier without all the stress that allmost killed me before i was 55.

And my health is improving.

So you can take your hard work and shove it.