THE WORK ETHIC

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   gmwilliamsposted 12 years ago

   Why is there prejudice against the highly successful and affluent among us?  Now, really,    If a person is rich and wealthy, he/she is often called an elitist, materialistic, and other pejorative names.  There is even suggestion that there should be a more equitable distribution of income across the board.    Well, ambition and success should be praised for what it is worth.   
   
   Many highly successful and ambitious people come from humble origins.    They studied, planned, sacrificed, strategized, and worked smart to achieve their goals.    Success is the result of planning and hard/smart work.     Success often involves sacrifices and taking intelligent risks.     
   
   Many people portend to want success; however, when they realize the steps and sacrifices it takes to become such, they do not want to make the effort.   Well, success costs and involves time!    Oftentimes, success means leaving one's comfort, familiarity, and secure zone!   Many people are not willing to do this!       
   
   Success is a long road.    Even though these socioeconomic times can be quite perilous, success can be achieved.     There are many of us who make excuses as to the reasons success cannot be achieved.   However, there are people do achieve success in these times.   Why all the blame and excuses?   If one wants something bad enough and is willing to work for it, it can be done!   Let us have a lively discussion!

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   1. 68

      AshtonFireflyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I actually agree with you strongly here.
      It has always bothered me that people scorn and always have a bad word for people who can afford nicer cars, clothes, etc. :"I bet they think they're something walking around in a 300 dollar dress," etc. Personally, I think you hit the nail on the head. It's not just about not being willing to do what those people did to achieve their success. It's about being jealous of that person.
      Those who do not have money are jealous of the people who do. Instead of saying to themselves "You know what, I could get there if I wanted to. I just have to work hard for it," it's easier to make that person out to be a villain and make it seem as if that person is doing something wrong by spending the wealth that they have worked so hard to achieve.
      If I achieved great success by working my way up, sure I'd want to be able to buy nice things! I think those who have genuinely worked their way up through hard work and effort deserve the rewards for their efforts and I applaud them for their success. For those who have achieved their wealth through dishonesty...well then I guess that's on their conscience.
      But we should not be scornful of the wealthy simply because they have more money than we do. Some people say it's "not fair" that wealth is not distributed equally. But why should it be?! Why should a lazy bum be paid the same amount as a productive worker? We should all be rewarded as much as our productivity earns.
      In the meantime, I'm working may way up to owning a nice home and a nice car and nice clothes. And once I do, I will feel good about knowing that I've worked hard to achieve it, and will take criticism from no one.

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      1. 85

         gmwilliamsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         A resounding and quite thunderous applause.    I totally concur, concur, concur!

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   2. 85

      NateB11posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      There are a number of assumptions in the question. First, there is an assumption that working hard will bring about wealth; there are people who work all day and go hungry, and there are those who simply inherit their wealth. The work ethic is mythological and a ploy to control people. And it is an assumption in the economic system that a person ought to be enslaved, struggle, and coerced and terrorized to conform to the money struggle and the job, no matter how degrading and damaging to brain and body. The other assumption is that there is value in struggling, in ambition, in greed; these things involve ego, comparison, competition, violence. The search for "more", to be important, in this case by hording money, is a comparative process that breeds conflict; inevitably it leads to disregard for those who have less, even displayed in the initial question and discussion; furthermore, it is illusory, some concoction in the mind about who "I" am. The person who wants to gain more, to have more money, identifies with their wealth and position, compares himself to others who have none; and the reverse is true; it is a cultural and social structure that encourages this comparison and envy. In other words, there is a problem in the very assumption that there should be rich and poor, and that is also one of the assumptions of the question; that there should be rich and poor, and somehow some are more deserving than others. It's an inherently prejudice assumption, and based on the very problem, which is comparison, conflict, competitiveness, ego. The problem is not so much with the poor person, but with the person who has identified with wealth in this way; there will be fear to maintain it, fear of losing it, fighting to keep it; and the inevitable will happen. Life will end, and the terror will set in when the person realizes that who they are, the bank account, the car, the house, all these identifications, will die with them. It is better to die to it now.

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