When did you realize the system is rigged?

[TheRegalMachine]

I guess my moment was sometime in the mix of that when I realized "NOONE IS GOING TO COME SAVE YOU; THE HARD WAY IS THE EASY WAY".

I still have an "easy" road ahead of me with the mortgage, student loans, and value creation on the side..... but if I learned one thing it was to say "The F* With Easy!"

Needless to say, TML and Unscripted have been acceleratory bibles to my journey. MJ thanks brotha!

Jeezuz that's one hell of a story you have there. Glad to see you have risen above and are actively making strides to a better tomorrow.
It irks me when I see and hear people use easy and/or hard as crutches for inaction.
Easy, hard, long, short, who gives a shit it doesn't matter until you get in there and go.
You are going in hard and you should be proud of that.

 

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[luniac]

We go to school from 5 years old to 18 years old.

From 8AM-3PM. We have a teacher telling us what to do. We have to ask permission to go to the bathroom, when to go on lunch/break, when to move class, and when to go to the next grade. We also can't speak up during class without raising our hand.

From 18 years old to 65 years old:

From 9AM-5PM. We have a boss telling us what to do. We have to ask permission to skip work, leave early, go to the bathroom (depending on the job), and have our company tell us when to go on break/lunch.

I slowly realized that school was just a way to prep the next generation of employees. Teach them some basic reading/writing, some arithmetic, and how to follow orders.

It's a good thing the system is setup this way. I honestly don't think it would work if there were more entrepreneurs than worker bees. Who would we hire?

I'm pretty sure I read this on this forum or in the books. It's been a while.

and the worst part is they make you feel that its what you want too.
How sinister is it to manipulate the brain in such a way that you convince urself that the unnatural is natural.
And even worse to so utterly brainwash people that they then brainwash their own children and think it's the best thing for them.

goddamn man...

 

[• nikita •]

and the worst part is they make you feel that its what you want too.
How sinister is it to manipulate the brain in such a way that you convince urself that the unnatural is natural.
And even worse to so utterly brainwash people that they then brainwash their own children and think it's the best thing for them.

goddamn man...

I've always detested the school system and always been punished for it. When I didn't go to university and worked towards getting a job instead I got called multiple names by my parents and emotionally beat-up for months. When I got a job they told me to quit and go to university because it was unstable to work without a degree.

They screamed and cried at me to take a "normal" job with a commute when I took my comfy remote job that let me work on my business at the side, because I couldn't take the shitstorm that was typical office job with a boss breathing down my back. Apparently that makes me weak-minded, and don't I "want a fancy job title to tell people"?

My peers work their a$$ off at university for a life of shit pay and no rest, and ask me how the hell I got this job right out of school. I keep hearing "I wish" "if I" "you're smarter". I'm stupid as F*ck. The only difference between them and me is that I actually took action. I still can't believe that it worked because it's been drilled into me that the only way is decades of "education" then basically slavery in a cubicle.

When your parents are almost traumatised by your choice, even though you're happier and more successful without going about the normal scripted path, you know it's the ultimate brainwashing. Jesus F*cking christ, why can't people see this?

 

[luniac]

I've always detested the school system and always been punished for it. When I didn't go to university and worked towards getting a job instead I got called multiple names by my parents and emotionally beat-up for months. When I got a job they told me to quit and go to university because it was unstable to work without a degree.

They screamed and cried at me to take a "normal" job with a commute when I took my comfy remote job that let me work on my business at the side, because I couldn't take the shitstorm that was typical office job with a boss breathing down my back. Apparently that makes me weak-minded, and don't I "want a fancy job title to tell people"?

My peers work their a$$ off at university for a life of shit pay and no rest, and ask me how the hell I got this job right out of school. I keep hearing "I wish" "if I" "you're smarter". I'm stupid as F*ck. The only difference between them and me is that I actually took action. I still can't believe that it worked because it's been drilled into me that the only way is decades of "education" then basically slavery in a cubicle.

When your parents are almost traumatised by your choice, even though you're happier and more successful without going about the normal scripted path, you know it's the ultimate brainwashing. Jesus F*cking christ, why can't people see this?

at least u didn't actually go through 5 years of university and then actually got the cubicle job and only then see the truth for what it is...

 

[• nikita •]

at least u didn't actually go through 5 years of university and then actually got the cubicle job and only then see the truth for what it is...

Oh man I almost caved a lot of times... It was tough resisting because it seems like a much safer option, but ultimately I knew I'd just end up miserable. University is even worse than a job -- paying a fortune for someone to show you powerpoint slides, just to spend years in an office. I watched a few snapchats of people in my local universities (through that map thing they recently introduced) and almost threw up in my mouth. Sorry for the dramatics lol

 

[luniac]

Oh man I almost caved a lot of times... It was tough resisting because it seems like a much safer option, but ultimately I knew I'd just end up miserable. University is even worse than a job -- paying a fortune for someone to show you powerpoint slides, just to spend years in an office. I watched a few snapchats of people in my local universities (through that map thing they recently introduced) and almost threw up in my mouth. Sorry for the dramatics lol

well lucky for me I got financial aid to fully cover the costs of college, so I'm not in debt, at least I dodged 1 bullet lol

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

I nominate this to be at least Notable.

Done! It's very similar to this thread as well:

Notable! - The [SCRIPTED] Vault (Dogmatic Social Engineering)

 

[mmcconnell1618]

When did you realize the system was rigged? More importantly, what did you do about it?

My first job right out of college was to be a programmer for a rather large life insurance company. I quickly realized the place was a hell hole and I was being asked to perform menial tasks for other lazy employees.

I was thinking about quitting when my boss called a meeting to inform everyone that he had a solution to our problems... wait for it.... Day Planners for everyone! The next two hours of pain involved my boss explaining to everyone the exact right way to use the Day Planner. Decision made. I was getting out of this place.

I asked my boss to chat privately in his office. He listened to my issues and then asked me if I was quitting. I said "unless things change." His response: "You know you'll have to give back the Day Planner!" Holy Shit! I was quitting and all he cared about was the damn Day Planner? I had no doubts about my decision.

I started a consulting business with a friend and we did IT work around the city for the next two years making twice as much as I was getting paid at the Day Planner dungeon. Unfortunately, I was still trading time for money and didn't fully realize how scripted my life had been.

I moved to NYC and got my dream job building web sites for name brand companies and feeling that my six figure salary at age 24 meant I had made it. After a year, I was called into a conference room with a couple of co-workers and the CEO was on speaker phone. He wanted to let us know that some people were being "let go" from the NY office but we didn't have to worry because he considered us his "A-Team" and our jobs were safe. Fast forward two months and I'm again called into a conference room but this time I'm told that if I agree to sign away my rights to sue the company, I can keep the severance check in the envelope in front of me. While this is happening, I'm being locked out of my computer system as a precaution in case I decide to delete something on my way out the door.

That was when I honestly knew the game was rigged. I had done everything right. I had played by the rules. I was making more than $100,000 a year at age 25 in NYC and I was part of the A-Team. The CEO said it himself! But, I was just a tool for the company. They didn't care about me in any way. They treated me like a criminal the moment they decided I was no longer needed.

I feel blessed that I got to learn that lesson at such a young age. I took a high paying contract job helping a startup get off the ground and stockpiled as much cash as I could. I moved away from NYC to a place with a much lower cost of living and I decided to start a software company helping small businesses sell online like I was doing for big businesses. The cash I built up from the contracting job paid for me to spend 6 months building version 1.0 of the software. The first year I sold $12,000. That's a far cry from a six-figure salary but at least I knew that no one could fire me but myself. I worked my tail off and eventually had 5 people working for me. I made more money than I ever did at a job and created intellectual property that still brings in royalty checks to this day.

I haven't achieved full money system independence yet but I'm on my way and I'm inspired by MJ's books and the incredible stories here.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I feel blessed that I got to learn that lesson at such a young age. I took a high paying contract job helping a startup get off the ground and stockpiled as much cash as I could. I moved away from NYC to a place with a much lower cost of living and I decided to start a software company helping small businesses sell online like I was doing for big businesses. The cash I built up from the contracting job paid for me to spend 6 months building version 1.0 of the software. The first year I sold $12,000. That's a far cry from a six-figure salary but at least I knew that no one could fire me but myself. I worked my tail off and eventually had 5 people working for me. I made more money than I every did at a job and created intellectual property that still brings in royalty checks to this day.

I haven't achieved full money system independence yet but I'm on my way and I'm inspired by MJ's books and the incredible stories here.

Excellent story, glad to have you here.

 

[Mr.Brandtastic]

It's hard to say if I thought it was rigged. I always thought it was possible to get to the top. But for a long time I just didn't see it. It was hazy. I couldn't or wouldn't connect the dots. Was there some road block? What was it? Vision. Knowledge. And everything else. It didn't seem possible because I didn't know what I was looking for.

But coming here, reading books, blogs, forums, and other places expanded my mind. I was so ignorant before it was astonishing. It opened up a world of possibilities that I had never considered. I knew I wanted to be free(work and do what I want anywhere) and I knew I wanted to travel(be anywhere). That's it. That's what I still struggle on for. Not fancy cars or mansions, although that would be nice, but CHOICE.

Were there moments in the past I hated? Absolutely. But rigged? Hard to believe. I'm not a conspiratorial person. I remember when I went on infowars (popular conspiracy site) and thought, "Oh this is a bunch of bullshit." It didn't matter if it was real or rigged. Or anything. You have to deal with the cards dealt. That's it. Period.

 

[Gwenqou]

It was a few weeks after MJ planted a seed in my head.

I didn't realize that the system was rigged until I read FML during my Internship.

The book took me outside the box and made me SEE that everyday I would wake up, go to work, go home, have 2 hours free time and then go to sleep. The whole process repeats again the next day.

Kinda sad if I have to do that for the next 50 years. The book speaks the truth. I always want to do crazy and advantageous things such as travel around the world, skydiving and etc. Well, they ain't gonna happen during retirement. Thanks to MJ, I've been able to do these things as a result of entrepreneurship.

It took me several days to let the fastlane concept to sink in. But since then, the fastlane seed has been growing in my brain and it has now taken root.


What I've learn:

Maybe some of you get excited from reading the MJ's book and come onto the forum, but leave after a few days because the motivation wears off and you go back to your slowlane life.

Funny how the mind works, if you keep repeating the same idea in your head, It will stick eventually.

That's how I manipulate my mind to fully go from slowlane mindset to fastlane mindset. I was surrounded by a lot of slowlaners, and from time to time, fastlane mindset would wears off a little and the slowlane mindset would slowly kicks in. I would keep reading FML when I have free time. Eventually, you start to see everything around you with the fastlane perspective.

For example:
most people in college are in it for a job, but a job won't get you rich without sacrificing your time, especially time with the loved ones. Most of the time, a job's pay will have limited upside potential.

TV shows are such a big distraction. It takes away your brain's space to think and focus on the reality as well as focus on the important tasks at hand to change your life

Many people hates their jobs but can't get out because of that mansion and fancy sports car payments. They are trapped.


Once you switched to the fastlane mindset, you can't go back..ever.

 

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[Arthur Redline]

Hello, The word rigged is used to describe situations where unfair advantages are given to one side of a conflict.
Thank you

Yes but as an business owner you can work on in to make that unfair advantage on your side. That is the difference between a business and a brand for example. One survives the other one thrives.

 

[Paul Schuyler]

Thing is, most of our family members and parents see the college degree as security for the rainy day.

Yeah this is funny and the crux of the College argument. The other night I had a polite argument with some family members. They acknowledged, college doesn't really educate you per se, there are lots of ways to do that. BUT, they said...you will 'need' that degree to get the first job and also 'just in case' you get laid off and can't do anything else. So in other words, their justification to spend all the money and time in college was for one brief 1st starting job introduction and a 'just in case' option. A completely defensive strategy which is even focused entirely on the least significant moment of a (conventional) career. It truly makes no sense and we're even beating up grade schoolers about this stuff and their grades, prepping them earlier and earlier like little robots.

 

[dior616]

I took a 5-week course in college during the summer and was hanging on a thread for about 2 weeks knowing there's no way I would pass, so I withdrew to save my GPA. I figured.. I essentially payed about $1k on a 2 week course just to barely get anything out of it and retake it during a regular semester of 16 weeks.

I was studying mechanical engineering and looking at the curriculum, the people that actually worked as an engineer barely, if ever, used what they learned. Hell, 90% of the classes are outdated. Colleges can barely keep up with the rapid changes in tech.

My main point is the price of uni and ROI for any major is ludicrous.

P.S.
Finding parking at my campus sometimes took an hour. And what did my genius college decide to do? Build an ART BUILDING over a parking lot.

I think I read this somewhere in MJ's books how colleges basically lure young folks into their 'resort' with cool athletic programs, buildings, etc. But F*ck a quality education right?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

If anyone wants to truly see how the system is "rigged", watch any food related documentary on Netflix and how the government and their boards and their lobbying groups are all scratching each other's backs.

Yes, I'm a capitalist, but not a capitalist because it's profitable to people into the SICKCARE INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX and then profit off treating them. It's like poisoning someone and claiming you're good because you also are providing relief from the poisoning.

Big Ag gets you sick legally by pushing shit food as normal and acceptable.
Big Pharm and Big-Health and Big-Insurance treats your diabetes, obesity, low energy...

And after you feel lethargic after drinking a 32oz jug of Pepsi, BIG MEDIA will distract you, but not of course after Pepsi sponsors the Juvenile Diabetes foundation.

If there was ever 1 sign of RIGGED, there it is:



Put all 5 industries together and you get the ultimate cluster-f*ck of rigged.

I can't even do a TRUMP BILLIONS...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_aLESDql1U

Because it's TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS...

 

[CosmicMind]

Just look at our legal system.

I don't know about you but isn't it supposed to be fair, consistent and just?

Not to get political or into details. But I mean some people get away with things that the average Joe would be screwed big time. In many contexts in society.

And don't even get me started with college degrees.

Universities advertise themselves as a beacon of free knowledge yet they love being expensive and raising tuition and being prestigious by keeping people out(zero sum game). WTF is wrong this picture?

Our university system would be slaughtered in a free market with rational agents.

 

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[mmcconnell1618]

Excellent story, glad to have you here.

Thanks MJ! The fact that you read and replied to my post on Christmas day is remarkable and lends serious credibility to your work. Thank you.

 

[ruzara5]

when I realized the system is rigged.

Realization that it is a scam and a script? Fastlane and unscripted reinforced and improved what already is true. Those two books bring a great ton of experience and information that places the pieces at a sharp point. More personally? It started in about 3rd grade. Early 80's late 70's outsider and outlier responses in classrooms and general kid functions with others. Also. Watching the television. Concepts that that were being taught and what is seen did not equate at all. Meaning huge endless opportunity. Almost hidden in plain sight.

 

[OMDA]

I've had several different FTE's, but one in particular stands out in my mind.

After I graduated college, I had a difficult time getting a job. Part of it was my inexperienced, entitled attitude. I was also upset about not getting a positive response from my 'dream job'. I tried a bunch of things. I also put some really dumb, irrelevant things in my various resumes. Things that, if I saw them today on the other side, I would immediately bin the resume for.

So, not happy with my job options but sitting on a 'good' job offer, I decided to pursue a PhD.

My professor wasn't even there for the summer. His guidance? Just read a bunch of white papers. For months. And do some programming of X.

It bored me to tears. I was rudderless and getting depressed. I thought most of the academic papers were bullshit about nothing practical (they were). I hated coming to the lab and working. I would dream of anything else. Entrepreneurship, a real job that paid 3x as much as graduate school, you name it.

One of the many things he told me was "You need to work on your thesis, but keep in mind, if you're lucky, only two people will read it. You, and maybe me if you're lucky."

Several things lead to my breaking point. One, was we had a meeting with another graduate student. He had already produced 3 actually useful, relevant papers. He was using a much less complex, off the shelf, software to test his ideas. He didn't have to use an obtuse, outdated Java based program that his professor had designed himself, like I did.

After the meeting, my professor said "don't worry about him...he's very smart". I gave him a strong WTF face. Who am I, then? Graduated top of my class, in a PhD program. Does that mean I'm not smart?

Then he asked me to work on something. I told him it would take me a month to do it his way, but less than a week if we just used the OTS software. To test the idea. He didn't care about it. He took my suggestion as a sign of disrespect and insubordination (he was the conservative Indian type boss).

That week, I decided I had enough. I told him I was quitting. I had no plan other than to desperately apply to jobs, I just couldn't stand him, his face, and the PhD program.

During the exit interview, he told me: "You know, all of my white students end up quitting, but the Indians and Asians commit and stay the whole time." I chuckled.
"Oh, so we're going there?"
"Your Indians and Asians stick around and work for you because they have to. They are slave labor. If they don't listen to you or they piss you off, you fire them and they get kicked out of the country."
"I don't have that problem. I can get a job that pays 3x as much, accomplish things that people care about, and won't have to write a thesis that nobody will read."

I actually ended up getting an interview with my dream job, but had a bunch of other 'interesting' things happen along the way. Moved across the country, and have been employed since.

He told me all kinds of shit that just wasn't true. He had spent an entire 2 years outside of academia his entire career. And that nobody without a PhD can ever design anything.

Hahahahaha.

Just for fun I decided to look up his salary because it's public record. I made more than him almost half a decade ago. That makes me feel fantastic.

 

[gazzagb22]

I think I've always known, but it's been a more unconscious knowing. That feeling that there has to be more than this. But not knowing I've blindly followed the script, rejoicing for a while when it seemed to be working for me with, being made redundant from the RAF with a big payoff and a small pension when I was 30 and had 5 months off, big pay rises in my mid 30's when the IT company I worked for was doing well. Then it all went to crap and redundancy came along. Had a year off and learnt some knew skills and because I was married at the time, I allowed my wife's insecurities and worries guide me back in to a scripted life. We eventually bought a business, a Public House (Bar) and had aspirations of it making money to fund what we wanted to do in the future but it was a slow lane solution and when the economy nose dived, so did our business and our dreams (and subsequently our marriage). Sold the business at a loss and managed to broker a deal where I was paid for a year without working. That was when my little girl came along and I was blessed to be around all of the time, although the lack of sleep wasn't the blessed part! Those moments of living unscripted , having money to take the time off and not worrying showed me that you don't have to do the norm. But I have not had the courage in my convictions to step off the sidewalk and out of the slow lane. I've had great ideas but fear and what I felt was lack of expertise paralysed me. Years later to see others had implemented those ideas and made millions. Who hasn't been there. I believe I have that courage now but it is still feels like stepping in to the unknown, but that's OK. That is how the script gets to you and I acknowledge it's power but am determined to lift my middle finger to it! F*ck you script!!!

 

[FeaRxUnLeAsHeD]

I had the benefit of growing up poor and also being screwed one way or another at almost every job I ever held.

I'm relatively the same.

I realized the system was rigged when I was old enough to understand the struggles my parents went through, even before I started working myself.

My father came from welfare. My mother came from a single-mother in a second-floor apartment in a shitty area. My father worked full time and my mother worked half time, and they fought about money all of the time.. and it's no wonder - a mortgage over your head, bills, 2 kids, and all of that shit costs money.

My father's middle-management job at a local trucking company was a nice salaried job - one that paid minimally, and required 60 hour work weeks without question. My dad tells me the stories to this day of how new guys would get hired in making nearly double what my father was making, and did less.

One day my father complained when his secretary wasn't allowed to work OT according to his boss, and didn't know how he was going to meet certain deadlines without extra help.

"I'm already working 18 hour days.. what do you want me to do?"

His boss replied "I don't care if it takes you 24 F*cking hours, get it done"

That remark, combined with a constant reminder from his boss that "you have 2 kids, a mortgage, and a wife at home, and your wife works part time - you can NEVER leave this job" - that haunting statement that my father reiterates to me every once and a while is a constant reminder that the system is rigged, and the only real way out is to work for yourself.

Fortunately for him, he has a better job now, my folks paid their house off and live somewhat comfortably, and I'm working a high-paying sales job while building my own shit on the side. I'm 24, and if I don't crack 1M before i'm 30 I'll be surprised because the road paved in front of me looks pretty good..

In my own jobs, I've had similar experiences:
- Worked retail and did 3x the work anyone else did (some guys would even hide during an entire shift) and made less than most people
- Made $10 an hour selling $1,000 annual gym memberships with no commission

Honestly, even once you get a college degree and excellent work experience behind you, you're probably still going to get shafted by a rigged system.

This year, I helped the startup company I work for to find real estate, train new sales hires, build our sales development team, train that team, helped hire new individuals, did accounts receivable (because our finance person doesn't do their job), and took over partnerships on top of my regular sales job for the entire Q4.. on top of selling $300,000 in software, and my W2 for end of year only reflects $65,000 (Granted they haven't paid me on another $15,000 worth of commission and I started the job in April).

Now, I'm mid-salary negotiation because I've realized the amount of work I was doing, the value of it, how nobody else can do it, and that I'm worth a lot more than I'm getting paid. Either that or I'll just focus on selling because you don't always get compensated on going above and beyond. I guess in the event we liquidate and things go according to plan, I can make myself 500K-1M there, assuming they don't toss me out before my shares vest for speaking up in many facets of the business where people are too afraid to speak on.

Someone once said on this forum, people complain about the guy making $150 an hour, but the only difference is the clothes and car don't suck as much, and the house is a little bit bigger at home.

 

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[Nemolein]

Just for fun I decided to look up his salary because it's public record. I made more than him almost half a decade ago. That makes me feel fantastic.

OMG! I gonna do that when i earn money from my own business. Those f#cking teachers believe a thesis could you to earn money. That sucks. Sadly high well paid teachers believe on it, and this is teach to students that's why i believe students must question everything and everyone about the purpose of going to college.

 

[Rawr]

I could echo a lot of stuff here - realizing employee salary vs employee's work to client (one lil biz i had i kept 90%, and just checked work and emailed it). I could echo feeling literally sick as I look at job offers on career sites (today's one was for marketing director, and it had highlighted a good sense of humor and some other trivial shit and literally one single thing out of 20 bullshit corporate speak bulletpoints that could specifically help understand the job requirement). I could echo the false self assurance one gets when he has an office job. One girl once asked me "you don't know about that trendy bar? Do you work in corporate!?" That bravado usually evaporates around 5pm Sunday...

But I think it started with my freshman year in college. When I saved up all summer for my Uni. I paid for my classes, and then got a list of the books needed. I went to the bookstore, and bought all the books they told me I'll need. I spend $400. I never spent $400 on anything besides my car. The next memory I had was me walking to get food, and I had $2. That's all I had. I bought 2 jr whoppers and devoured them. Half of those books we never used, or maybe once or twice, and 75% of them we didn't really need.

I never bought more than $100 worth of books at that bookstore again

 

[hamhock89]

Every time I see a job offering "competitive pay!" all I see is, we'll pay you just enough for you to not bitch, and too little for you to have a decent quality of life. Most of these jobs are $12-14/hr jobs and they seem to be EVERYWHERE. Of course, that could just be my way of searching, however I do not have a college degree to leverage, lest I can afford college, lest I get a loan for college because we all know the college loan system is rigged now. Lol, it's a system designed to keep you beat down in the rat race.

And to think, through school, cartoons, tv commercials, hollywood movies. EVERYTHING is set to distract and keep you in what I call the "Consumer Loop". Wash, Rinse, Repeat. Let's all work our asses off for little pay and celebrate over the weekend partying it down so we can all "wash away our sorrows" and get up and do it all over again! The country music singer singing on the radio told me it was cool to do! But wait, isn't that guy a millionaire?! Ahh fooey! He's right, drink up everyone! This is an epitome of delusion.

It sickens me honestly. But in a way, I actually like it, because everyone of us here knows what is going on, we know hyper-consumerism is up to a new high, and it will be as long as people are buried in their cell phones. Zombies if you will. If there's any time now better than ever to work your way out of the Rat Race, it's now. Leverage your abilities and creativity. No One will notice, they'll keep slogging along with their day. And honestly? Most people are scared as hell to take the jump because they dont like risk.

/rant.

 

[Nomadic]

I realized the system was rigged when I had my first real lesson in finance. It hit me like a brick in the face.

30 year mortgages? 5 years to pay off a $35,000 car (and that's considered successful)? Taking 30+ years of paying off student loans that you can't even pay off in decent time because the degree that you borrowed the money for didn't get you a job as good as they said it would? Getting mandated to work overtime for a total of 50, 60, and even 80 hr work weeks and then a huge chunk of that money being gone from taxes when you get it?

Money taken off of my check from the very people that setup the system that tell me I need a great credit score to buy something but then won't allow me to check that score for free, at least not the TRUE score. Taken from the very people that make money on the fact that I need money to live, and make money from taking direct advantage of people who have to borrow money to get by.

I realized that day that not only is the system rigged, but it is setup to keep you behind so that you always owe someone something and there is always something to hang over your head.

It's that day that my entire attitude changed about what path I wanted to take.

 

[WJK]

Every time I see a job offering "competitive pay!" all I see is, we'll pay you just enough for you to not bitch, and too little for you to have a decent quality of life. /rant.

You appear to be very set in your point of view.
Have you ever hired or fired anyone? (It's whole different point of view on that side of the fence -- especially on Fridays when you have to make payroll, no matter what.)
Entry level work is entry level work, and it is paid as such. (When I jointed the workforce, student minimum wages were $1.65 per hour -- so what's your point, young person?)
Why can't you educate yourself and get some job skills -- go to college? (A bunch of us have done it. I have 4 college degrees including a J.D. -- which I worked for over my lifetime and I pay for myself!)
Have you thought about all the informal education that is available now -- especially on-line? You can study anything, at anytime of the day or night, for as long as you want. (Formal college degrees aren't as valuable as they once were because they have become more common -- real marketable skills and a lot of self-education are where it's at in this economy.)

Rant on, if that's how you want to spend your time. It's not very productive...

 

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[hamhock89]

You appear to be very set in your point of view.
Have you ever hired or fired anyone? (It's whole different point of view on that side of the fence -- especially on Fridays when you have to make payroll, no matter what.)
Entry level work is entry level work, and it is paid as such. (When I jointed the workforce, student minimum wages were $1.65 per hour -- so what's your point, young person?)
Why can't you educate yourself and get some job skills -- go to college? (A bunch of us have done it. I have 4 college degrees including a J.D. -- which I worked for over my lifetime and I pay for myself!)
Have you thought about all the informal education that is available now -- especially on-line? You can study anything, at anytime of the day or night, for as long as you want. (Formal college degrees aren't as valuable as they once were because they have become more common -- real marketable skills and a lot of self-education are where it's at in this economy.)

Rant on, if that's how you want to spend your time. It's not very productive...

I'm going to open that to discussion. I think what bothers me the most is the FTE moments I've been having lately, I feel anger is a stage side effect as a result of coming to multiple realizations. I know its not too late for me to start, but If I knew 5 years ago what I know now, I would have had 5 extra years available. Live and learn. No harm, no foul. As far as a formal education goes (brick and mortar college), I unfortunately do not have the resources at this time to be able to go back to school, I feel if I did, it would be for a STEM or some type of MBA. Both are very interesting subjects. Sure, I could receive student loans no problem and go to school full time, and then touches the subject of regular lifes dues that have to be paid as well. You'd think for a single man with no kids it would be alot easier. Of course now that I look at it, it kind of looks like excuses at this point doesn't it?

 

[FeaRxUnLeAsHeD]

I could echo a lot of stuff here - realizing employee salary vs employee's work to client (one lil biz i had i kept 90%, and just checked work and emailed it). I could echo feeling literally sick as I look at job offers on career sites (today's one was for marketing director, and it had highlighted a good sense of humor and some other trivial shit and literally one single thing out of 20 bullshit corporate speak bulletpoints that could specifically help understand the job requirement). I could echo the false self assurance one gets when he has an office job. One girl once asked me "you don't know about that trendy bar? Do you work in corporate!?" That bravado usually evaporates around 5pm Sunday...

But I think it started with my freshman year in college. When I saved up all summer for my Uni. I paid for my classes, and then got a list of the books needed. I went to the bookstore, and bought all the books they told me I'll need. I spend $400. I never spent $400 on anything besides my car. The next memory I had was me walking to get food, and I had $2. That's all I had. I bought 2 jr whoppers and devoured them. Half of those books we never used, or maybe once or twice, and 75% of them we didn't really need.

I never bought more than $100 worth of books at that bookstore again

I can echo the college story.

When professors have you buying books (sometimes even THEIR books) that cost $500 each for the 'current edition' - when the previous edition is now worth $60 but is considered 'outdated for the class' - and then you end up using 30 out of the 400 pages in the book and resell it after the semester ends for 1/10th of the value.

I remember going into the book store with almost no money and was fortunate enough that I could afford a $40 hoodie that had my school name on it.. and that mealplan that I didn't use the entire semester because I lived way too far away from the dining hall, but the school wouldn't let me opt out of it and I had to cut a $2,000 check at the end of the semester, otherwise I couldn't register for classes.. and I only had $3,000 in my bank account after saving and working 3 jobs the entire semester... it was from that day going forward I not only realized the 'non-profit' school was a for-profit machine after arguing with the finance office about the $2,000... and then I promised myself I will never donate a dollar as a successful alumni and that I will instead donate to my local community college I went to.

 

[Tris]

Sometimes I feel like my company sat on the committee to write The Script.

In many ways, I can defend the pharmaceutical industry in good faith. But there are days when I know thegood things we do don't outweigh the reality of it all.

I was so enamored by my job.

I was a rock star.

Walk into an office with Starbucks in one hand and a briefcase full of drugs in the other hand. Cute receptionists smiling big and waving at me. A nurse gives me a big hug and grabs her venti skinny soymilk late and calls me a life saver. I got my fat bonus check yesterday and on our morning conference call the regional director said I'm the one to go to for clinical knowledge.

Then I see the doctor, "Oh (insert name of drug), how about you go into this room and tell this patient who's dying why her prescription costs $1,200 a month"

All I can do is parrot back the party line, "blah blah insurance companies suck blah blah patient assistance program blah blah."

Suddenly, Im not a rock star. I'm the face of a company who makes a great drug for really sick people... and the price keeps going up every month.

And then I meet the husband of the patient and he tells you it's ok. Because he'll pay whatever he needs to to keep his wife alive. And then he tells me that none of the hospitals will put her on a transplant list because she's too sick.

And then my day just goes to shit.

Combine that with:

• Your CEO testifying before congress then getting fired with a $30 million severance
• Realizing that you're not getting paid for almost half the prescriptions you sold
• Realizing you're not going to hit quota because you're not getting paid on half of the scripts you sold
• Getting sold the dream of middle management only to be told you're not qualified when the position opens up

That's when I realized the system is rigged. And it sucks. And the only reason I go to work in the morning is because I can put 20% of that pay check towards my business.

When did you realize the system was rigged? More importantly, what did you do about it?

I realized after I got my first job that I didn't want to live like everyone else. I felt like everyone were clones to society and hardly anyone wanted to be different. I wanted to feel different. I wanted to live differently. When I started college, I realized even more that it was total bullshit. You are fed lies that you will get higher paying jobs and able to live a better life because you went to college. They were even spreading the "only study STEM" script and I followed it. I wanted to be able to get a job when I finished, so I only focused on STEM majors. I realized more and more that it was all a lie because I had so many co-workers that were college graduates that were working as waiters and waitresses! Doing jobs that has nothing to do with their degree. They couldn't find that "dream job". This is why i started businesses. I didn't want to live the scripted life. i did find a job after college that had nothing to do with my degree and was underpaid and it was the TOTAL definition of "Corporate." I saw people celebrating the weekend. They were ecstatic that the weekend was near. They spent 12 to 16 hr days on the job. They had no life. I quit. I didn't want to live like that. Now I am 100% focused on business. Sure we will have to keep one foot in the door to pay the bills, but the important thing is that we are aware of the scripted bullshit and that we want to get away from it.

 

[P789]

For me, I discover it by watching and understanding the comedy speech by George Carlin entitled, Life is Worth Losing and observing my parents and peers on what they are doing in their everyday lives.

His speech was almost fit the definition of the SCRIPT.