Are you a sucker or a loser?
Before you read on, please be aware that the emotionally charged words used in this post (e.g. sucker, loser, quitter, etc.) DO NOT apply to you but to the generic concept of an "employee". I'm using these words to make a point about the unsustainability of the current corporate employment system, which follows what Warren Buffett calls the "institutional imperative."
According to Buffett, this institutional imperative is blinding everyone in the company, with the result of executives and managers making decisions that are not in the interest of shareholders and definitely not in the interest of the working people. Charles Handy chimes in, voicing his conviction that employees are, in truth, "investors of intellectual capital" yet are not treated as such. They are treated as temporarily owned "human resources" to be exploited as much as possible, for the duration of the employment.
All this may sound a bit abstract, which is why I created a simple question that people who are serious about building their wealth can try to answer. The question is:
"Are you a sucker or a loser?"
A sucker is defined as "a person easily cheated, deceived, or imposed upon." (From www.dictionary.com)
A loser is, well, we all know what a loser is.
First, I'd like to confess that I used to be a sucker. Up to June 2000, I was a sucker being royally screwed.
Indeed, I've always worked hard, really hard, for companies. I created a six-figure revenue for my last employer in a few months, even though that wasn't even my job.
Technically speaking, I was a sucker because the value I created FAR EXCEEDED the money I was paid. Luckily for me, I realized this quickly and quit after 7 months.
I then created my own company, a marketing communications firm called Major Force and located in Old Montreal, a nice historic neighbourhood in Montreal. I secured many large contracts, from $10,000 to $40,000. Once, I made $10,000 in a few hours. Several times, I made more than $1,000 just through a phone call connecting a buyer and a seller.
At the same time, I was also making $100 per hour as a translator (French to English and vice versa). I was both a free agent and a business owner (I had a partner who did the graphic design work, I was "just" the president of the firm and the account executive).
Anyways, I quit corporate America 7 years ago (on June 20, 2000). I expect many more people to begin quitting corporate America en masse. Of course, you first have to realize that you are a sucker, that is, someone who has been deceived into thinking that the employment system is fair.
I have to point out that it's possible that you are NOT a sucker, but rather, a loser. Being a loser, obviously, is not that much better!
A loser is someone who's trying to do the LEAST while getting paid the most. People who want a "secure" job without stress (e.g. government workers and civil servants) are losers. They will do the absolute minimum so they won't get fired, while playing politics in order to protect their job. In the short term, they might "win" in the sense that they exert minimal effort while getting a paycheck that is more than what they're really contributing to the bottom line.
They're losers in the medium and long term because companies are not stupid. More and more companies, in fact, use a system like SuccessFactors.com to track performance data and REWARD employees based on performance (not politics).
They're also losers because they neglect to develop their talent, strengths and human capital. They completely rely on the employer and on their job, which they do not own and can be taken away from them anytime.
In summary, a sucker contributes MORE than what he's paid while a loser gets paid MORE than what he's contributing.
Some of you might point out that there are people who are paid approximately what they're worth to the company. That is, they are neither losers nor suckers. They are employees who are fairly compensated for their work. Yes, they're called "free agents."
Indeed, a free agent will put down a fair price in the proposal to his client. A free agent also can refuse to work for a particular client since he has many clients. In short, the free agent has the freedom and power to work when and where the value he receives (in money or strategic value, such as a new account in a new industry) is approximately equal to the value he contributes.
But let's get back to employees. Is it possible that some employees are indeed paid a fair amount for the work they produce?
It's possible in the short term, but I doubt it is in the long term. Indeed, there's a reason why companies hire middle managers. Managers have the task of continually reducing costs while continually increasing productivity. This means they will constantly try to make you MORE productive (this means your workload increases, your responsibilities increase, your stress increases) while giving you NO extra resources, staff or tools. Eventually, you become a sucker, because your productivity will increase WHILE your salary stays the same.
Notice, by the way, that this is why companies are reluctant to hire a woman for a responsible position AFTER she has given birth. They intuitively know that it would be extremely difficult to "squeeze" productivity out of a new mother because her new priority is elsewhere: she will spend a lot of her attention and energy toward taking care of her new baby. Women also sense this reluctance from corporate managers, which is why so many female workers launch their own business after they give birth.
So if you don't want to be a loser nor a sucker, what should you do?
The only solution is to become a ... quitter!
Just like Neo, in the movie The Matrix. However, quitting the system is one thing. Being able to survive OUTSIDE the system is a different thing altogether.
In my case, I had to undergo extreme training in order to fight the system. I had my own secret masters and teachers who helped me to increase my mental combat system and technique, in the same way that Neo had a mentor in the person of Morpheus.
Notice, by the way, that training is not enough. You've got to test your combat skills in a real fight. This is why, when Neo said "I know kung fu" after having downloaded all the combat systems in the world into his brain, Morpheus immediately says: "Show me."
To know and not to act so as to get results, is the same as NOT KNOWING.
My point basically is that if you don't want to be a sucker nor a loser, then you've got to be quitter. Quitting is easy. What is hard is the ensuing training and practice.
Financial freedom is for those who thirst for glory and lust for battle. It's reserved for the few who are absolutely committed to being the best and to practicing every single day in order to improve their economic and financial performance.
Jeff Bezos and Steve Pavlina are similar in the sense that BOTH of them practice their business combat skills EVERY DAY. Bezos commented that every day, including Sunday, he would look at his Amazon website to tweak it, refine it, make it better.
Pavlina writes every day, and I'm pretty sure he also tweaks and tests and refines his AdSense placement layout regularly.
Ultimately, it's up to people to determine whether they are losers, suckers or quitters. I realized that I was a sucker 7 years ago. It took me 7 months to figure it out. How long will it take you?
Some people work for 40 years before realizing that they've been used and exploited by employers.
We are all free to take any action, but we are not free to determine the consequences of those actions. Choose carefully your role. Your whole life depends on it.
According to Buffett, this institutional imperative is blinding everyone in the company, with the result of executives and managers making decisions that are not in the interest of shareholders and definitely not in the interest of the working people. Charles Handy chimes in, voicing his conviction that employees are, in truth, "investors of intellectual capital" yet are not treated as such. They are treated as temporarily owned "human resources" to be exploited as much as possible, for the duration of the employment.
All this may sound a bit abstract, which is why I created a simple question that people who are serious about building their wealth can try to answer. The question is:
"Are you a sucker or a loser?"
A sucker is defined as "a person easily cheated, deceived, or imposed upon." (From www.dictionary.com)
A loser is, well, we all know what a loser is.
First, I'd like to confess that I used to be a sucker. Up to June 2000, I was a sucker being royally screwed.
Indeed, I've always worked hard, really hard, for companies. I created a six-figure revenue for my last employer in a few months, even though that wasn't even my job.
Technically speaking, I was a sucker because the value I created FAR EXCEEDED the money I was paid. Luckily for me, I realized this quickly and quit after 7 months.
I then created my own company, a marketing communications firm called Major Force and located in Old Montreal, a nice historic neighbourhood in Montreal. I secured many large contracts, from $10,000 to $40,000. Once, I made $10,000 in a few hours. Several times, I made more than $1,000 just through a phone call connecting a buyer and a seller.
At the same time, I was also making $100 per hour as a translator (French to English and vice versa). I was both a free agent and a business owner (I had a partner who did the graphic design work, I was "just" the president of the firm and the account executive).
Anyways, I quit corporate America 7 years ago (on June 20, 2000). I expect many more people to begin quitting corporate America en masse. Of course, you first have to realize that you are a sucker, that is, someone who has been deceived into thinking that the employment system is fair.
I have to point out that it's possible that you are NOT a sucker, but rather, a loser. Being a loser, obviously, is not that much better!
A loser is someone who's trying to do the LEAST while getting paid the most. People who want a "secure" job without stress (e.g. government workers and civil servants) are losers. They will do the absolute minimum so they won't get fired, while playing politics in order to protect their job. In the short term, they might "win" in the sense that they exert minimal effort while getting a paycheck that is more than what they're really contributing to the bottom line.
They're losers in the medium and long term because companies are not stupid. More and more companies, in fact, use a system like SuccessFactors.com to track performance data and REWARD employees based on performance (not politics).
They're also losers because they neglect to develop their talent, strengths and human capital. They completely rely on the employer and on their job, which they do not own and can be taken away from them anytime.
In summary, a sucker contributes MORE than what he's paid while a loser gets paid MORE than what he's contributing.
Some of you might point out that there are people who are paid approximately what they're worth to the company. That is, they are neither losers nor suckers. They are employees who are fairly compensated for their work. Yes, they're called "free agents."
Indeed, a free agent will put down a fair price in the proposal to his client. A free agent also can refuse to work for a particular client since he has many clients. In short, the free agent has the freedom and power to work when and where the value he receives (in money or strategic value, such as a new account in a new industry) is approximately equal to the value he contributes.
But let's get back to employees. Is it possible that some employees are indeed paid a fair amount for the work they produce?
It's possible in the short term, but I doubt it is in the long term. Indeed, there's a reason why companies hire middle managers. Managers have the task of continually reducing costs while continually increasing productivity. This means they will constantly try to make you MORE productive (this means your workload increases, your responsibilities increase, your stress increases) while giving you NO extra resources, staff or tools. Eventually, you become a sucker, because your productivity will increase WHILE your salary stays the same.
Notice, by the way, that this is why companies are reluctant to hire a woman for a responsible position AFTER she has given birth. They intuitively know that it would be extremely difficult to "squeeze" productivity out of a new mother because her new priority is elsewhere: she will spend a lot of her attention and energy toward taking care of her new baby. Women also sense this reluctance from corporate managers, which is why so many female workers launch their own business after they give birth.
So if you don't want to be a loser nor a sucker, what should you do?
The only solution is to become a ... quitter!
Just like Neo, in the movie The Matrix. However, quitting the system is one thing. Being able to survive OUTSIDE the system is a different thing altogether.
In my case, I had to undergo extreme training in order to fight the system. I had my own secret masters and teachers who helped me to increase my mental combat system and technique, in the same way that Neo had a mentor in the person of Morpheus.
Notice, by the way, that training is not enough. You've got to test your combat skills in a real fight. This is why, when Neo said "I know kung fu" after having downloaded all the combat systems in the world into his brain, Morpheus immediately says: "Show me."
To know and not to act so as to get results, is the same as NOT KNOWING.
My point basically is that if you don't want to be a sucker nor a loser, then you've got to be quitter. Quitting is easy. What is hard is the ensuing training and practice.
Financial freedom is for those who thirst for glory and lust for battle. It's reserved for the few who are absolutely committed to being the best and to practicing every single day in order to improve their economic and financial performance.
Jeff Bezos and Steve Pavlina are similar in the sense that BOTH of them practice their business combat skills EVERY DAY. Bezos commented that every day, including Sunday, he would look at his Amazon website to tweak it, refine it, make it better.
Pavlina writes every day, and I'm pretty sure he also tweaks and tests and refines his AdSense placement layout regularly.
Ultimately, it's up to people to determine whether they are losers, suckers or quitters. I realized that I was a sucker 7 years ago. It took me 7 months to figure it out. How long will it take you?
Some people work for 40 years before realizing that they've been used and exploited by employers.
We are all free to take any action, but we are not free to determine the consequences of those actions. Choose carefully your role. Your whole life depends on it.
posted by Super Peter at 11:48 AM
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