The world punishes the honest and hard working

[Aussiejeff]

...and then this crap comes along just to reinforce how the "World of politicians punishes the honest and hard working citizens of Oz"... again....

We work too hard, say federal politicians


FEDERAL politicians say they are overworked and want to cut the hours they spend at Parliament.

But a Victorian mum juggling three jobs to make ends meet has hit out at MPs, who she says should stop "crying" about their workload.

Liberal backbencher and GP Mal Washer said the public "lacks intelligence" if they didn't understand their representatives were more productive when well-rested.

A report by a parliamentary committee looking at how Australia's hung parliament operates says the burden has grown on stressed politicians.

The interim report recommends they start work on Mondays at noon instead of 10am, when Parliament sits.

The politicians, who ride in taxpayer-financed cars to board taxpayer-financed flights to get to work, say a tight schedule and winter fog is forcing them to leave their families early and forgo functions in electorates to fly to Canberra on Sunday evenings.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/we...eral-politicians/story-e6frf7jo-1226061454690

Well, according to the small poll near the bottom of that article, 95% of respondents DON'T think our pollies deserve shorter work hours and more pay. Of course, past experience shows that level of vehement rebuttal by the hoi poloi only serves to encourage said pollies to whip fait accompli legislation through lickety-split. :angry:

 

[jaystar86]

I want to give an example here of a close family friend of mine and also mentor.

He started work at 16 without a 'good' education behind him and at some stage in his early work days branched out into his own business. He built that business up over 30 years to sell it for a very substantial figure (multiples of millions). During running his business he gathered around him a large property portfolio (I'm aware of 10 properties he has held for a long long time and a few developments he did on the side).

This gentleman gives a lot of his money (and time) to charities. He also made every effort in his business to branch out and offer jobs to people that were trying to better themselves in our society. To my knowledge there are three people who thank him for helping them become financially free (my family is just one of the beneficiaries).

Since selling his business he has branched out and started helping young business people in there own businesses. I am one of the beneficiaries of this. He has never asked me for a stake in my business nor a financial payout for his time/service and his advise has always been amazingly profitable to me (I take him out to dinner and help him in anyway I can to compensate).

This example (plus one other similar not as good story though) has proven to me that the world doesn't punish the hard and smart worker, it punishes the hard and not smart workers. Most example I've seen of hard workers failing is because they did something stupid or didn't do something to better themselves.

I'm happy for people to believe whatever they wish to believe, however, this example to me is why I believe this world rewards those that work hard. As long as they work hard in the right way (which I believe most people don't do).

I also believe that the perception of 'wrong doing' or 'negative actions' is just that someones perception. Take the video of packer before. Most people take that to say he doesn't want to pay tax (which may be true). I believe he was saying, he is happy to pay tax but definately doesn't want to pay more then he has too (which also may not be true).

Regards,

Jayvan

 

[ChaoSI]

This example (plus one other similar not as good story though) has proven to me that the world doesn't punish the hard and smart worker, it punishes the hard and not smart workers. Most example I've seen of hard workers failing is because they did something stupid or didn't do something to better themselves.

i like this... it's always better to work smart than to work hard. Asian countries are pretty good shows of this (not to say the don't work smart but... yeah)

your example is of a truly excellent human being jay, but as with all this psychology, there will always be the 5% who don't follow the general trend so i guess the question here is.... what is the trend?
in a 95% confidence interval who's the 95% ? the scoundrel nerf herders. or the saintly altruists.


as for the thread, incorporating what jay's said, i think it'd be more correct to say that the world happily takes advantage of people who aren't smart about what they do.

the ability for people to take advantage of one another is a conflict of desires.
if your desire to fulfil your own goals above other peoples (if they are mutually exclusive anyway) then we take advantage.

simply put noone is purely altruistic nor should they be, if we put everyone before ourselves we end up last in line, if we jump the queue then everybody hates us..
just finding a balance.

last point, natural selection in a really screwed up way. (just from what i see at work)
mr ceo rises to the top perfectly able to house and care fully for probably 20 kids... but he only has one.. (or his high powered wife is only able to conceive once due to stress from work)
mr and mrs dole bludging baby bonus scabbers are barely able support their drug habit with tax payers money let alone their children... and yet somehow they're the most fertile people on the planet.... men and women of this SES walk past each other in the street and the girl gets pregnant.....

/end random rant...

 

[burglar]

... random rant...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_imported_fire_ant

Red_imported_fire_ant (RIFA)...." were the first clearcut case discovered of a green-beard gene,[7] by which natural selection can favor altruistic behavior."

 

[Gringotts Bank]

Agreed, GB. But is our sense of community and the common good now so diminished that we simply don't care what others think about us?

Julia, yes community seems diminished. But what caused that? Answer: being too concerned with what others think of us!

I do my best every day to be totally unconcerned with what others think of me. It's the only way to live. And if you live that way then you're authentic. And if you're authentic then you're happy. If you're happy then community-mindedness comes naturally.

 

[ChaoSI]

Julia, yes community seems diminished. But what caused that? Answer: being too concerned with what others think of us!

I do my best every day to be totally unconcerned with what others think of me. It's the only way to live. And if you live that way then you're authentic. And if you're authentic then you're happy. If you're happy then community-mindedness comes naturally.

what if you're authentically concerned with what other people think of you and your happiness is derived from the good opinion of others?

 

[Gringotts Bank]

what if you're authentically concerned with what other people think of you and your happiness is derived from the good opinion of others?

The thing about that type of happiness is that you become a slave to others. You become a people-pleaser and you are dependent upon being able to constantly perform up to others' expectations. What happens when you stop working at age 70? Whom will you please then? The ladies at the bowling club? Everything about your natural self is subjugated this way.

The happiness that is derived from doing that which you do naturally when you have no concern about what others are thinking - that's more dependable and stable. It also leads somewhere useful. It's not a meaningless loop.

 

[Knobby22]

The thing about that type of happiness is that you become a slave to others. You become a people-pleaser and you are dependent upon being able to constantly perform up to others' expectations. What happens when you stop working at age 70? Whom will you please then? The ladies at the bowling club? Everything about your natural self is subjugated this way.

The happiness that is derived from doing that which you do naturally when you have no concern about what others are thinking - that's more dependable and stable. It also leads somewhere useful. It's not a meaningless loop.

Some truth there, but man is a social animal. You need friends. You need social intercourse. Being loved and feeling belonging is important. Going fishing or to the footy on your own is not satisfying. Going to see a movie on your own and having no one to discuss it with afterwards is pitiful. Man is not an island.

 

[Gringotts Bank]

There's nothing more attractive than an authentic person. They always have people wanting to be around them. That's the (apparent) paradox.

I say apparent because there's nothing paradoxical about it, it just looks that way. The inauthentic man is trying to please everyone, because he is afraid of not being good enough. But he gets what he fears - others' judgments. The authentic man makes no effort to please anyone, because he has no fear of his worth. He gets what he desires.

 

[ChaoSI]

The thing about that type of happiness is that you become a slave to others. You become a people-pleaser and you are dependent upon being able to constantly perform up to others' expectations. What happens when you stop working at age 70? Whom will you please then? The ladies at the bowling club? Everything about your natural self is subjugated this way.

The happiness that is derived from doing that which you do naturally when you have no concern about what others are thinking - that's more dependable and stable. It also leads somewhere useful. It's not a meaningless loop.

i'm not diasgreeing that it is a more precarious way to live, but your opinion that your way is the ONLY way to live, and it's not.
relying on social validation is a bit hit and miss but there are people who do that and get along through life. Yes we're more tied to people that we already are but that's the price we pay for being social animals.

besides your role on this planet is defined entirely in relation to other people,
you are you, but you are also somebody's child, parent, friend, coworker etc you get the point....
like knobby said man isn't an island.

also by your definition, people that rely on the good opinion of others are automatically deemed "inauthentic".
which brings me to the question "how are you defining authentic?" is it any person who cares little for the opinions of others? is that the only criteria ?
authenticity would be just being who you are... if you're codepenedent the be so, sure it's not the healthiest way to be but hey you are what you are.....

 

[nomore4s]

The world punishes the honest and hard working...................


Which is probably why there are so many dishonest & lazy people out there.

 

[nioka]

. Going fishing or to the footy on your own is not satisfying.

Going fishing on my own is one of the joys of my life. Going with others usually leads to problems and is nowhere near as relaxing as being on your own with nature. AND, I usually catch more fish that way. Then if there is no fish I dont have someone pestering me to move or go home early.

I don't agree that the world punishes the honest either nor does it punish the hard working.

 

[cynic]

The world punishes the honest and hard working...................


Which is probably why there are so many dishonest & lazy people out there.

Well , yes , many of us do enjoy sitting on our ASSe(t)s!

Having said that, many of us did partially earn them first.

 

[Knobby22]

.
I don't agree that the world punishes the honest either nor does it punish the hard working.

I agree. Lazy people are the ones whinging.
Dishonest people are filling our jails.

 

[bandicoot76]

Dishonest people are filling our jails.

...and also filling our political parties,govt agencies, the justice/legal system, banks, parliament, senate, company boards, media, lobby groups, unions, education system etc etc

 

[nioka]

...and also filling our political parties,govt agencies, the justice/legal system, banks, parliament, senate, company boards, media, lobby groups, unions, education system etc etc

To an extent I agree but not to the point where they FILL them all. They have inFILLtrated but hopefully they don't FILL them. I see more good people than bad ones.

 

[Julia]

The thing about that type of happiness is that you become a slave to others. You become a people-pleaser and you are dependent upon being able to constantly perform up to others' expectations. What happens when you stop working at age 70? Whom will you please then? The ladies at the bowling club? Everything about your natural self is subjugated this way.

This is a valid point and one which has perhaps been a bit misinterpreted by subsequent posters. People who constantly feel the need to please others can come across as being needy for approval. Their lack of personal "OK-ness" doesn't allow them to feel whole unless someone else confers approval on them.
Hence we see these people often being anxious to do what they believe will win approval.

It can be difficult, though, to differentiate these folk from those who do feel fully confident in themselves and then from that base are happy to help others.
(This could go to the whole altruism argument.)

The happiness that is derived from doing that which you do naturally when you have no concern about what others are thinking - that's more dependable and stable. It also leads somewhere useful. It's not a meaningless loop.

Yes, I know what you're saying.
But perhaps it's sometimes a fine line between this level of confidence and independence and the more pathological disregard for what is good for a community and its members?

Some truth there, but man is a social animal. You need friends. You need social intercourse. Being loved and feeling belonging is important. Going fishing or to the footy on your own is not satisfying. Going to see a movie on your own and having no one to discuss it with afterwards is pitiful. Man is not an island.

Agree about the discussing of a movie type stuff. But not necessarily about other activities.
We are all different. (awful cliche.)
So some of us need the company of others to really enjoy most of what we do, whilst others find constant company inhibiting and irritating.

There's nothing more attractive than an authentic person. They always have people wanting to be around them. That's the (apparent) paradox.

Yes it is. And as above, mostly we find needy people unappealing company.
Confident, happy people who have clear ideas about what they like and dislike are attractive and interesting.

I say apparent because there's nothing paradoxical about it, it just looks that way. The inauthentic man is trying to please everyone, because he is afraid of not being good enough. But he gets what he fears - others' judgments. The authentic man makes no effort to please anyone, because he has no fear of his worth. He gets what he desires.

Well described. But again, it can be easy to fall over that line into being cocky, self opinionated and arrogant.

Going fishing on my own is one of the joys of my life. Going with others usually leads to problems and is nowhere near as relaxing as being on your own with nature. AND, I usually catch more fish that way. Then if there is no fish I dont have someone pestering me to move or go home early.

I don't agree that the world punishes the honest either nor does it punish the hard working.

Agree on both points.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Another example I saw recently was on my way to work. My bus travels along a main road with three lanes - the left one is a bus lane. At around 8:30am this road can get pretty packed.

Most people stay out of the bus lane and patiently wait, but I've noticed time and time again pretigious cars like BMWs and Mercedes driving in the bus lane to get ahead of everyone else.

I guess it's these type of people who get ahead in life - those who are willing to break the rules.

 

[Boggo]

I think they probably play by the rules and work hard to get their status, the problems start when they get too comfortable in that zone, put themselves above everyone else and then become the Conrad Blacks of the world as the natural order re establishes itself.

"the first generation clears the land. the second generation clears the debt. the third generation clears the assets"

 

[tothemax6]

last point, natural selection in a really screwed up way. (just from what i see at work)
mr ceo rises to the top perfectly able to house and care fully for probably 20 kids... but he only has one.. (or his high powered wife is only able to conceive once due to stress from work)
mr and mrs dole bludging baby bonus scabbers are barely able support their drug habit with tax payers money let alone their children... and yet somehow they're the most fertile people on the planet.... men and women of this SES walk past each other in the street and the girl gets pregnant.....

Welcome to the 21st century.