Of Motivation and Being Poor

Short End of the Stick
I have long maintained that there are poor people because life handed them the short end of the stick - that once they see an opportunity to get themselves out of poverty, they'd grab it. So all it takes is a break. Fairly simple, right? And why not? Who wants to be poor anyway?

Work Perk
It is with this paradigm that I'm partial to recruiting poor people for my social enterprise - that's the whole idea anyway. With much better pay than what the industry is offering, a product that's easy to sell, plus the chance to be your own boss, working when to want to, hey, this offer doesn't land on your lap everyday.

No Taker
But why is it that after I show them all the works, the how-tos, dos and don'ts, the money they stand to gain, why is it that they nod with gusto but do nothing? I even ask them how much they make in a week and then tell them they can earn it in less than half a day when they join the team. Nothing. I didn't get it.

Chicken or the Egg?
I talked to my housemate, Brian Stockwell, about it. He said something interesting. He said, the poor are not necessarily motivated because they are poor. It may be the other way around. They are poor because they are not motivated.

Lingering Thoughts
That explains a lot of things. It doesn't matter if you're in a shithole. If you stay long enough in that shithole, then it's not a shithole anymore. It's now home - a place comfortable and familiar. Not like the unknown where you face uncertainties, surprises, where everything is unfamiliar and therefore, scary.

--- TheLoneRider

ps - if you're reading this and I once talked to you about joining the crew, it means this article is not about you. Kapiche?

These guys like this story:

Tony Ancheta

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Beach Lot

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