A few days ago I made my first post on Steemit and it netted nearly $15,000. I was as surprised as anyone!
I then began to look into what exactly Steem (the cryptocurrency) and Steemit (the social media site) were. And, as I wrote yesterday, in a span of just two days I became incredibly excited about the future and potential of it all! I'll be writing a lot more on that as every day that goes by I get more excited about it.
However, one of the reactions to my success on the platform from many people was one of anger, jealousy or envy.
If you felt that way you need to Stahp! Immediately! For your own health and well being.
Here's why.
A BAD ATTITUDE LEADS TO A BAD LIFE
I am 45 years old and have done more in my life than most people. I've started numerous multi-million dollar companies, have traveled to over 100 countries, tried to sail the world and sank my boat en route, I've lived in China, Thailand and Mexico for extended periods and experienced many things.
In that time, and in all my travels, I've noticed there are certain qualities about people that determine how well their lives go.
While there are many qualities that can be discussed, I've noticed that those who are happy to see others doing well, generally do very well. And those who are angry/jealous/envious of the success of others generally do not do well (of course there are exceptions, but it is rare).
I've never delved deeply into psychological analysis or research on this topic. It's just something I've noticed time and time again throughout my life.
To put it simply, if you are on Steemit and are hoping to make money on the site by providing excellent work that others appreciate AND you get angry when you see others have success, you have the wrong attitude... and if you do this here then you likely do it in other parts of your life which will also lead to the same dismal results.
On the other hand, if you see others have success and the first thought you have is, "I want to have success like them!", then you have the right attitude and you are more likely to succeed.
Why?
I'm sure there are dozens of reasons why... but the most obvious one to me is that the person who gets upset by others' success is more likely to wallow in their own self-defeat. Instead of improving themselves they'll just take the outlook that the "world is against them" and pile-drive themselves deeper into a hole of self pity.
On the other hand, the person with the right attitude will quickly ask themselves, "How did this person achieve the success that I aspire to?" And they will quickly begin work on reading and researching on how that person did it and try to incorporate some of those things into their life.
In other words, those who hate the success of others are more likely to just sit around and tell others how much their life sucks and how unfair life is. While those with the right attitude will continue working to improve themselves to become the person they want to be.
And, if you've ever known someone who complains about the world and their lot in life, you'll know, no one wants to hang around that kind of energy... except others with the same energy... where they all sit around and mope and complain. They generally are what are called "anarcho-communists"... but that's a story for another day.
NOT AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS
One term I heard about my immediate popularity on Steemit was that it was an "overnight success".
Those with a bad attitude will just claim, "He's so lucky. I'm never lucky like that."
While those with the right attitude will ask, "What gave him that success?"
And, believe me, having the success I currently have in life did not happen "overnight"! It happened over approximately 11,000 nights!
Here are some of the occurrences that occurred over 11,000 nights (30 years) which contributed to my "overnight success" on Steem:
- At 12 years old I decided to eschew government school and decided to learn everything I could about computers, including building my own Apple II+ clone computer myself, by hand.
- At 17 years old, after years of spending my adolescence on computers I realized I had no social skills and was extremely shy so I decided to become a rapper to get rid of my shyness (and ended up as the #2 white rapper in Canada in 1989).
- At 20 I realized I wasn't good enough at rap so I began to work towards understanding the stock market and finance.
- In the meantime, realizing appearance matters, I worked to improve every aspect of my appearance including hitting the gym daily, getting Lasik to get rid of the coke-bottle glasses, changing diet to get rid of acne, got a big mole cut off my face and finding good fashion consultants (girlfriends often are the best at this!)
- At 24 I quit my job at a bank (where I was about to be promoted as the youngest bank manager ever at the company) and started an internet company in 1994.
- I started what is to this day still the largest financial website in Canada, called Stockhouse.com, after taking on nearly $200,000 in credit card debt to fund it (having everyone I knew including friends and family said I had lost my mind to give up my job at a bank and bet everything on the internet)
- By the year 2000 the company was in eight countries, had 250 staff and was worth $240 million
- By 2001, the tech bubble collapsed and the company was nearly bankrupt and worthless. My partner tried to commit suicide by jumping from an eighth floor of a building.
- I spent a year salvaging the company, laying off 200+ people (which is NOT fun) and managed to sell it for a small amount of money.
- I then decided to buy a sailboat and try to sail around the world to figure out what was really going on in the world. I sank the sailboat in a storm in El Salvador but continued on by backpack, train, car, taxi, plane and foot to about 80 other countries.
- During that time I researched the philosophy of libertarianism and anarchism intensely. I also researched Austrian economics and by 2006 I felt like I understood how the monetary, financial and economic system worked.
- In 2007, when the housing bubble collapsed (which I predicted), I knew I understood how it all worked and most people didn't so I began planning to launch a website (The Dollar Vigilante) to get information on the evils of central banking and governments out there to people.
- In 2009 we launched The Dollar Vigilante (TDV) and for the first two years hardly anyone knew about it or cared. We made no money and after having spent any money I had remaining from my internet company over the course of the last seven years, I was basically broke again.
- I wrote daily on The Dollar Vigilante, since 2010, I attended and spoke at every conference of significance (and my first speech was so bad that I hired a speech coach) and worked incredibly hard to get our message out there and it began to grow and make money by 2013.
- By 2013 it began to catch on and I decided to try to launch an incredibly bold real estate project in Chile but mistakenly partnered with a psychopath who defrauded myself and dozens of investors I brought in out of $10 million (it is still in court in Chile)
- That and a few other business blunders left me pretty broke and the public shame of having such a massive failure had me drinking myself to death and suicidal.
- In 2014 I decided I either had to kill myself or change my life massively and stop drinking, be healthier and power forward on building my business and taking care of my family. I went into deep introspection, spirituality and tried all manner of psychedelic plant medicine, including ayahuasca, DMT and iboga to understand how to heal myself.
- After doing that and numerous other things, including yoga and meditation, I decided again that I either had to kill myself or "go for it". I decided to go for it and put myself into my work 18 hours per day, 7 days per week and focused on building things and tried to forget about my massive failures.
- I wrote daily, did thousands of interviews (including interviews conducted by myself for Anarchast and TDV), launched an anarcho-capitalist conference, that most said was crazy, called Anarchapulco, and they have all grown massively since and all my adventures including sneaking into Venezuela and reporting on hyperinflation and collapse there as well as going to the last two Bilderberg's to expose the globalist elites with @lukewearechange grew my infamy. As well, all during this time, I have been one of the biggest proponents of cryptocurrency, including bitcoin since $3 in 2011 amidst many calls that I am "stupid", "crazy" or worse.
And then I posted on Steemit and it made $15,000 and a lot of people with the wrong attitude thought I am just a luck-box.
MORAL OF THE STORY
Behind every "overnight success" is usually years of work, struggle, self-improvement and risk-taking.
If you see someone doing well, and feel angry/jealous/envious, try to recognize those feelings and stop them as much as possible. Instead, ask how they became successful and work to improve yourself to become the success you want to be.
I've seen many people come on Steemit after seeing my story, post a very plain, not well written article and then complain that it didn't do well.
I've been writing daily since at least 2010 (and before that for years at Stockhouse.com and blogging for decades) and improving my craft constantly. To think that you can come on Steemit, having never written much before, with no following and have instant success is the equivalent of hearing that Tom Brady is making a fortune in the NFL and deciding to go down to the local park, throw a football and complain that no one cared and you didn't make any money.
Like all things in life, you have to work hard to do well. If you like writing and feel like you have something important/interesting to say, you can do well on Steemit. The platform has been built to offer you the opportunity for success.
But, believe me, it does not come "overnight".
ive listened to at least 100 hours of your podcasts for free. Your votes didn't come from no where.
I've listened to a couple podcasts and I've been on stockhouse.com since the late 90s. I might even have met him at some of these financial conferences. So yeah, Jeff's got his following.
This! The $44k post I recently made was only possible due to the work I've done for less over the last 3 years. I have been coding on different layers of the underlying technology and learned everything I needed, from elliptic curve crypto, to RPC calls and economics. Back in these times, I was mostly motivated by the appreciation I received, now I can actually make a living off what I love doing! Thanks to the Steem community!
Consider the millions dollars of Bitcoin block rewards going to miners and electric companies...
Then consider Jeff fucking Berwick making 15k for providing value and onboarding his fanbase to Steem.
Which would you rather pay for as a shareholder?
Precisely @cob. You get it bro.
Yes. And this guy's hard work did not begin when he pushed "submit". He's been building his reputation outside of Steemit for years with a hard struggle. His rewards here merely show what is possible when someone transfers to Steemit, and now we know he's bringing his base, too.
FWIW: The only reason I'm here is because of the statements made by Steemit's originators on Berwick's show. I'm 30% here because Berwick said you could make money at it(I trust Berwick), and 70% because I know that the future of social media rewards good/quality content/comments with micropayments.
Don't mind the haters @dollarvigilante, they exist everywhere!
"but the most obvious one to me is that the person who gets upset by others' success is more likely to wallow in their own self-defeat."
I know so many people that base their lives around that. Having to be just as good as your neighbor or having a bigger house than his, or whatever. They don't realize that's not what it is about, and at least not here on Steemit. I hope they will learn to see things from a different perspective soon. The whole "if my neighbor has a better car than me he is somehow stealing from my prosperity"-attitude is just childish in my opinion.
People have to work and contribute for in the long run to enrich their lives, and Steemit shows how well your contributions can do if you work hard for it. And they have the advantage of blockchain technology which means you get 100% of what your contribution is worth.
But don't expect to reach that goal/point over night. Many who aren't as talented or successful as others have to do the grind instead. I recently stumbled upon this users post: https://steemit.com/reality/@tuck-fheman/how-i-made-usd1-32-in-12-hours-on-the-new-blockchain-based-social-media-site-steemit
which mentioned your first post as well. More people should read it instead of spreading hate to already successful people.
Haters gonna hate!
You have a very well-lived and impressive life thus far, Jeff, and it's one you should be proud of. What matters is that you are successful by your standards and happy by your standards, and YES, the smart people in the world ask "How did he do that?", not "How can I find a reason that's impossible for me?!"
The brain's processor THINKS in questions and answers, millions per second. Why would we use our conscious thinker to ask questions that are leading and immediately trap us or lead us ONLY to a bad answer?
Ask smarter questions, get smarter, reach your goals!
I am going to have to take the Anarchapulco Investment workshop of yours if you do it again. I am fairly ignorant but want to start understanding that.
Thanks for all you provide, Jeff!
So true. it pisses me off when people tell me i am lucky. they have no idea how much work i have put into stuff. i look up to you, brother. im glad to be working together.
I've listened hours and hours of anarchast podcasts for free.
You deserve it @dollarvigilante
Peace Love Anarchy !
Hi Jeff,
thanks for your write up... Great to see you aboard on this blogging platform and also great to see you doing so well :)
I'm really curious about that China Boat Trip and The Sunken Ship.
Would be great to read more about that one!
Yeah, would love to hear that story too! Upvote (almost) guaranteed;-)
you are exactly the perfect voice and role model that steemit has been needing for the past weeks, i have also had much success in life, and a positive attitude is the first and foremost reason for my success. i look forward to reading all your blog posts mr dollarvigilante... Craig ☺
Thank you for this! It's so inspiring. I've had a good amount of success on here! And it makes me want to work harder. People get jealous and angry when I draw something well. I feel like I can somewhat relate to you because I've been drawing ten years now . People need to focus on building their skills!
Not to take away from the well thought out and conveyed point of your post but I just need to see/ hear this. I NEED IT NOW!
Who was the #1 white rapper in Canada in the 80s? Tom Green ;)
Should of stuck with the rapping.
Haha!! You go bro!!
Man ...are good :)). You shoud start rapp again :D
Love it. The homage at 2:13 made me smile lots. :)
How could we have known you are such a fine rapper!
Damn old school... damn, I enjoyed it :) Thx
I love your posts dollar vigilante!! You were the first person i followed on steem. Thanks for doing the interview with the steem creators too. I really enjoyed it and i though it helped clear a lot of confusion up for me. Also i want you to check out a post i did that i think everyone can relate too. Thanks!
https://steemit.com/adultery/@mootadoe/how-i-caught-my-wife-cheating-and-what-i-did-about-it
As corny as it is... it's actually kind of good considering where rap was at in the 80s and ur white dudes from Canada. The takeaway I got from your post is that you have to be willing to take risks and get back up when you get knocked down... that and you have to be honest enough with yourself to recognize when something isn't working and be willing to make a change.
1989 was a blast up here in Canada, pretty sure I heard this song in the bars, which I think is still awesome. Check the O.R was pretty good as well. Damn, this brings back some funny memories of me and my buddies dancing to electro Rap..lol No girls, just 5 guys being totally stupid on the dance floor with a beer in each hand.
This is so awesomely rubish Jeff! I love it haha!!
Remember, it was the 1980s! :P
Um...jeff..i think posting a scrap book journal about this part of your life would be considered epic by many. ;)
there two videos are pearls!
Aah jeff I had no idea about this and it only makes me love you more ..
Let us never speak of it again, what happened in the 80's stays in the 80's ;)
Were there only two white rappers in Canada at the time?
honestly, that's pretty damn decent for 1989... but were you guys really the number one or two group then? I mean, c'mon what about the epic and never forgettable: Maestro Fresh Wes w/ his hit, "Let Your Backbone Slide" also released in '89?
This is unbelievable. I knew you are an awesome guy but I never thought you you had such an intense life with lots of struggle.
Sometimes people don't pay attention to what is going on in their lives and end up pretty miserably. But you proved that with enough effort, time, consistency and dedication towards something meaningful anybody can achieve whatever they want.
That is truly inspiring story, I hope that all of the work that you've done so far is going to be heard by millions of people and counting. Being your follower for over a year now, and continue to be so.
Besides you can check out my recent post: 27 reasons to join Steemit. I think you can find it valuable.
This inspiration became part of my latest post :) Hope you like it
Jeff you're a badass and a huge mentor to a growing group of like minded peaceful people. Fuck the haters =D
Thanks for this, very motivating read. Although I must beg of you... PLEASE do a Steemit rap throwback to your 80's days! Neon colors and parachute pants required lol XD
I am sure @fyrstikken the singing viking would join in with you if you wanted haha
I think you totally should have made #stahp a trending hashtag/keyword with your original post.
Aside from that, very well thought out post. We've certainly seen a lot of people join up here without any kind of experience in journalism, blogging, reporting, or (writing as a whole for that matter) and expect to make a ton of money from copy/pasting news articles they find at other sites. Its refreshing to see so much original work being displayed here on steemit and users getting rewarded for that. I agree with you, I think many of those who have make a fair chunk of change have put a lot of work into their writing for years and years.
I've subscribed to Dollar Vigilante because you put yourself out there. I've seen the videos of you when you were in Venezuela during the crisis that is going on. Most people don't have the balls to visit a 3rd world country but there you are doing it.
This post was good and inspired many people here
Upvote Done @dollarvigilante
I feel myself ashamed a bit even I didn´t wrote anything bad about you but i was thinking "man they just upvotet another famous person" It´s easy to say don't judge a book by its cover but hard to manage in life. Happy to see you here now.
Many of us had spent hours working on our posts just to be completely ignored for others who have SP or a minor celebrity internet status. Can you really blame us? I can speak for myself but I've also seen a lot of amazing posts that got pennies and now are forgotten into oblivion.
There are a lot of unfair things going on and the system seems completely rigged, I don't think the platform will survive if it's only about multiple accounts, crossvoting, unreacheable megawhale status and 0.1% unique content creators who are luckily to make money. This will turn toxic very soon if it hasn't already.
I think you need to read this post again.
No man, read mine again. The rich get richer that's it, that's how it all works and especially Steemit. I can guarantee that if I would have 10-50x SP my posts I would have made it to the trending page in 5 minutes. And that's only one of the platform problems. The gap between rich and poor is enormous.
And I've seen people saying the whales' wealth is being dilluted. That's a blatant lie, they are getting even more richer by the minute, the gap becoming wider by the second. Newcomers like dollarvigilante and others won't get nowhere near early birds and adopters, that's a fact. I've also seen a lot of good first posts made more than 2 and 5k and now they are getting pennies. If you think a platform will survive only with whales and megadolphins upvoting each other and having multiple accounts that's fine. But any smart people knows this is not sustainable once the gimmicky payouts stop. My reputation also started to drop lately, so I must have been doing something good...this is how the game works, I'm upvoting mediocre (mediocre is an understatement) posts that I know that will make 2k in 10 minutes no matter what they post. Does anybody really think a post like this or the previous one is worth 15k? Get real. Steemit dug itself into a hole.
I think you need to read this post again.
Actually the whales are diluting out. So it's going more in the direction of groups of peers as the money impact from a few spreads to more. The trick now is to become widely followed, and probably more so within an expertise area going forward (like finance, for example). just IMHO.
I'd like to see regular updates from the owners about their predictions about the network. Ie: intended results vs. actual results each month. (In addition to user data, network info, etc.)
This is a quote from one of your posts:
I know you are going to say that you were just kidding but still I think this sums up your attitude pretty well.
I think that on a very deep level Steem is amazingly fair - those with a mindset that demands being rewarded will ultimately fail and those with a mindset that appreciates being given a chance will ultimately succeed.
I was not kidding really, but it was definitely ironic, that's what the site promotes, 20k payouts, spread the word, circle jerking, power up. It will be amazing to write 10 top trending posts and retire (yes I can retire with that much so imagine the obscenity that many poor people from developing countries have to see here everyday). The people earning that kind of money think they are chosen ones by the gods themselves because of their innate talent...and well who can't really blame them, I can't. I do, but I can't really.
I don't really care since I won't ever make any real money here, I'm not a native english speaker so I'm very limited in what I can post (the whole site is geared towards english language even if there are lots of people desperate to write in the own, as if that will get a whale to vote...
I agree with you - but didn't vote - don't want to get down-voted
Don't be a coward, you are better than that. This site needs a lot more people like you if it wants to survive.
I just checked your blog. And the way I see it:
I wonder, if you have put the same amount of effort to any other social media rather than steem, (facebook, twitter, youtube, etc) would you be able to make as much money in your first month?
Forget @dollarvigilante, if I can make as much money as you in my first month, I'll be making a happy dance.
And I think all of those who are making more than me, are an inspiration to me, I'm trying to learn how to have a good impact myself. :D
You know why I made that money? Because a whale came from the depth of the ocean and somehow clicked on one before the 30 minute mark. If that didn't happen I would be sitting with pennies right now. But instead of creating a post saying how great, talented and hardworking I am and how Steemit it's a perfect system...I know better, it's not, it was a fluke and it was not about my talent at all (which I know I have, at least a little...people pay me for my services and that's all the proof I need). It won't survive the way it's currently set up, a lot of things will need to change. And the things that would really need to change won't.
By the way, the Steemit platform is not half of Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, not even Reddit or Medium, so please don't compare that. Like I said in the previous post, once the gimmick stop, people will jump ship. They already are...look at user retention. I'm personally here because I curate and power down, so they have me for 2 more years (clever, maybe I will drunk powering up one night!).
too bad you're sort of a glass half empty sort @moonjelly... instead of being encouraged by a whale giving you a step up on a post, you just see it as a fluke and focus on what would be if that had not happened. Did it occur to you that the whale saw some value in what you wrote and maybe you could work harder at learning the craft of writing? It is a craft and needs to be learned. The message I got from @dollarvigilante in this post is; be aware of what your strengths and weaknesses, be willing to change as you need to move your life along and always be learning. Doesn't matter what platform you are on, a following is needed if you want to grow and develop. It's the nature of the beast.
Lol. You are already so addicted jeff...
I've been reading some of the comments and if there are legitimate concerns about how the system works, that is cool... I am still trying to understand how it works. But if you just get angry when you see others doing well and feel sorry for yourself, you need to change that habit. :)
Others doing well means what? I don't feel envy seeing Justin Bieber or Twilight novels being best sellers, it makes me sick. They won't be remembered or respected 15-20 years from now, quite the contrary. That's not envy, is powerlessness.
With what you earned (actually your previous post is pretty good...) I can live a full year in my country. That's almost insulting for many of us, especially considering how this system works. English is not my native tongue, I've been fighting my whole life for everything I have. You sound very condescending in your post. You seem to speak from a place of privilege. Seeing these schemes and people with no talent getting rich makes me sick, because trust me, people are getting rich here doing nothing but clicking while others "power up". I can retire with 10 posts of yours, and in countries like mine that's life or death not the difference of getting a new iPhone or not, so expect to see many angry people like me in the future, not at yourself but at what they are seeing.
Steemit is a system that places money above all, so it will eat itself up. That's not good for anyone, that's why western civilization is collapsing and nihilism, hedonism and ostentatious living are all what people seek.
You can call me an anarcho-communist (as if you know what that means, I have actually lived through a dictatorship where people "disappeared" or got tortured because of listening to Black Sabbath or whatever).
Please don't take this personal, I'm attacking the ideas you mentioned, not you. I actually enjoyed your previous post like I said. Actually you are one of the 0.1% examples, content creators that did great posts and had the luck (plus talent of course) to made it big. Many are just minor internet celebrities that get upvoted so they can spread the word to others...
Where are you from ? I am reading everything you say and just wanted you to know , I listen .. I am Austrian living in Indonesia , I do understand !
It doesn't matter what country really (I'm from South America), the problem is the condescending attitude of so many people here that think they are all that for making a post on the internet. They start giving life lessons, lessons in perserverance...right in their second one, even if I would admit this was enjoyable ;). People that come from privilege love to do this, they think they had it hard because they travel somewhere exotic and lived with the "natives". They had all the resources and connections yet they think they earned everything they have. Well they sure didn't developed humility and character, only real struggles forges that. I myself "earned" a lot compared to others and never in my life I would think of starting giving lessons to others. I don't have a guilty conscience.
Anyway, I've seen Youtube posts here earn 5-7k and the video itself had 120 views, you draw your own conclusions. I don't think people here understand how hard it is for poor people seeing nonsense getting 20-30k. There's nothing groundbreaking, there's not a single post in the whole site that deserve that kind of money, it's vulgar and repulsive if you ask me. And what's more vulgar and repulsive is that it's totally fine and ok for many people.
The total lack of respect and support to other cultures and languages is also astonishing too, maybe they don't bring enough money to power up so they don't matter. Perhaps they matter to split the payout on a post, look at the picture I took with the natives! I'll give them half!
No spanish, chinese, portuguese, etc whatsoever. You won't see any "whale" voting anything in that language anytime soon either, that's how this works.
I am observing in semi silence. I value your!! honest opinion and do not feel you are one of the mindless haters . I choose not to say more than this .
You are wiser than me that's for sure.
"There's nothing groundbreaking, there's not a single post in the whole site that deserve that kind of money, it's vulgar and repulsive if you ask me."
I'm curious how you became the arbiter of what posts deserve. Why should anyone ask you?
Read my posts again.
Because it's irrational and ridiculous. Plus you are right, I don't have a vote, rich people have the vote, actually mega rich people, there's a handful of them (but they manage multiple accounts).
I got paid more in a post than I would make for creating the real job I was proposing. I already debated the corrupted system behind it that made it possible.
Yes sure, I will cash my money, like I said, 500 dollars for me is 50k for you and I didn't do anything unethical. But you won't be hearing me cheering or clapping 500, 1, 10 and 20k posts about nothing anytime soon because I know the value of real work and that's not it. This platform may make it valid in your eyes but it's not sustainable and it's a gimmick.
Like I said in a previous post, a Youtube video post earned 3-5k and hundreds of votes (several of them actually) with 100-120 real views/visits on Youtube each...that's all the proof you need of how much something is worth. That's the definition of hollow. Look it up.
This is exactly the kind of response the so-called "whiners" need to hear! If only more whales and wannabe whales could get this we would all be better off.
To keep ignoring the needs of the little guy again and again is just going to lead to more attrition and the platform won't do as well as it should. Listen to the little guys! They are the future of this platform and without new users that can feel they are part of the system they will go back to FB and elsewhere where they can be with their real friends and make nothing like they always have instead of making nothing here and getting browbeat for being losers again and again.
@dollarvigilante I'm really becoming a fan. I enjoyed your video from before and I'll be sure to "follow" you once the button actually does something!
Cheers
All I can say is wow. Your an inspiration to me and reading this posts gives me hope that my little blog may one day take off. I'm no stranger to hard work. I've held various jobs from manual labor to a phone rep just to make ends meet. It nice to know that hard work can pay off. Thank you dollarvigilante.
i agree hard work does pay off sometime it just takes a long time
I think this guy is right too. There is no such thing a free hand out. Your always working for it some way or another.
You are partially correct. Positive attitude is important in life. However, what you do not mention is that a tiny fraction of all humanity is hoarding obscene amounts of wealth, and the global disparity in wealth is getting worse and worse and those with capital use that capital to gain even more capital. This leads to appalling misery and poverty, environmental destruction, sickness, and so on. This belief that the rich are somehow better and more deserving by virtue of the money that they have obtained is a total upturning of values that humans held for thousands of years, and it is playing out with devastation on the earth.
Having said that, on a platform like Steem, where hypothetically anyone can get as rich as anyone else through the quality of their writing (is that what made your $$$ here?), then the idea of "If you cant beat them, join them" is more appropriate.
I hate the notion of "privilege" - the idea that those who were born in the right milieu can't see why they have it so good and that their success is based on luck (then further built on by work) - but it seems to apply. Billions cannot afford to sail around the world, but thousands do spend their days fishing off small skiffs trying to feed their families and failing because factory fishing vessels have depleted their stocks. Your answer appears to be that these people need to buy their own factory farming vessels. If only all fishermen had factory farming vessels, there would be no poor fishermen, right?
The answer to me appears to be that those who are more fortunate should share their luck, and yes, hard work, with others who have less good luck, but who work equally hard. This will lead to a lessening of resentment, not to mention revolution, war, terrorism, bloodshed and misery.
Resentment is a fact of life, just as your observations are. When people know they are being left behind, they become resentful. Telling them to quit being resentful and simply become rich themselves goes down as well as Marie Antoinette and her "If they have no bread, let them eat cake" speech.
So that's a large modifier on your otherwise sensible post.
Good post. I'm afraid the people who are angry won't get it.
The way to achieve success is to keep working away diligently and just simply show perseverance.
Somebody else put up a very relevant post about people being envious of other's success that fits in very well with your post as well. People are offended when they see other's doing better than they are. It is the basic psychology of envy.
What people don't seem to realise is that any kind of success is at the end of a long road. Just because it is the first time you heard of someone and it seems like they suddenly became a success doesn't mean that's how it happened.
I think people these days are sold on this idea that you can become instantly famous and hence wealthy for doing nothing. It's a lie that is sold to people by the mass media - just like so many other things they sell us.
Part of the problem is that people think that wealth will solve all of life's problems. It might solve some of them but I have many very wealthy friends who tend to be miserable so it is not that simple.
Anyway I'm going to keep on working towards my goals. As long as I enjoy what I'm doing it doesn't matter whether I get rich off it or not. True success is enjoying your life and making good friends.
All the best:)
I broke character on my other account and spoke about Galt's Gulch. This is my SERIOUS account. The @chaospoet one is my have fun and see if I can have complex conversations only in poetry that I make up really fast on the spot that is relevant to whomever I am talking to. So far I pull it off most of the time and it is a challenge.
Anyway, I was reading your post on that account got excited and posted out of character... TWICE. LOL.
Here is a post I made to try to address this same envy issue you are talking about... the video you can watch if you want it also has a link to the original which is all written. No up vote required, but it'll show you that you are not alone and a lot of us have been trying to get people to realize that this is a paradigm shifting moment. This is NEW! It hasn't been seen before! Rejoice!
https://steemit.com/steemit/@dwinblood/siren-song-for-the-down-voter-if-you-think-the-down-vote-flag-is-a-solution-i-made-this-for-you
Thank you Jeff for sharing your hard-earned journey to success and your spot on insights on judgemental people. Though not nearly as much as you, I have also achieved a fair amount in my life so far, and I often get told I am so lucky, although I never had a free ride to anything. The hard work has definitely been worth it though, and I would not change it for a thing :-)
This is incredibly affirming for me. I was wondering why people were so eager when you began to write. Now I can see why.
I started posting on Steemit 5 weeks ago initially viewing it as a speculative opportunity. I was wrong in my initial analysis and have since spent my time figuring out why and trying to dig deeper to find the potential.
Digging deeper into the rabbit hole yourself, you may find some value in my journey to figure out Steemit.
Hey Jeff,
I fully agree to you. Greed and jealousy is what eats one up from the inside. Those people will never be happy because the more they have the more they want. They never will stahp. You are like a role model. Where you stand in life is not given you by night. It took you much time and effort to be where you are now. Much respect from me Jeff.
Really looking forward for more from you.
Your little fish
Nothing wrong with making money on steemit @dollarvigilante just allot of defeatism and jealousy about
These people are the same people who complain about being unemployed but fail to apply for jobs. They also are the people who turn down a job flipping burgers because they think it's beneath their dignity. Instead, they opt to be leeches.
I listen to all of your Anarchist podcasts, and you've done well as dispelling the myth that in order to be successful, one must have "exactly what Jeff Berwick has." One think that struck me the most was when you discussed a woman who moved out of the US, made $20,000/year working online. She had a high standard of living and was exceptionally happy. That's success.
Completely agree. The fact that the first post was brief and an introduction doesn't invalidate the work that went into it historically. You've put in sweat and tears I am sure. Glad to have you on board
I never understoof why would someone be pissed for not making "as much" money as everybody else. If that person compared their value with any other social media experience they would realise that they are now making at least 100%+ more than before.
I do respect that you have put in a lot of work to get where you've gotten, I couldn't do it. I try but people like you are a different breed of human being. The amount of work it takes to be as successful as you are requires more focus and dedication than most people are willing to put in.
Michael Savage, "The Savage Nation" radio show was a direct customer of mine in my younger, more prosperous years. I learned a lot from him. His energy was insane, and I can tell your energy is up there as well. I don't think you should even compare yourself to normal people because you are not normal and neither was Savage.
People are jealous of you mostly because you are doing something that they can't possibly do. They might have a large family that needs to be tended to.
I do not like your post, I would have more respect for you if you were humble, and understood that these people cannot possibly emulate you, very few people can.
I wrote a post on envy a few days ok, if you are interested check it out here: https://steemit.com/philosophy/@anthonyc/less-than-good-vibes-11-greater-than-it-s-easy-to-become-envious-of-success-just-don-t-do-it-and-become-successful-yourself
Well put, Jeff. The negative Nancys on here get to me at times, especially the ones who will flag a post just because they think it is making too much money. I have never understood those people.
It has been great watching all the people I follow on FB beginning to post on Steemit. I get so excited seeing the likes of you, Luis, Juan, Sterlin, the Freemans, Lily and John, Kurt, and others, writing your first posts and seeing the value in this community.
I have learned so much from you over the years and I am glad to see you doing well here. It has been a long and hard road for you and you have earned every bit of success.
@dollarvigilante I agree with you and wrote my own post including what i believe to be the true reason of peoples anger towards others.
https://steemit.com/life/@ultramari0/this-is-the-real-reason-you-get-mad-at-people-making-money-on-steemit
Glad to have you aboard @dollarvigilante. Looking forward reading your posts. Keep Steeming!
You can't argue with sound advice, good reporting, and years of experience. Even young steemisans who hit it big quickly usually brought a boat load of follower from other platforms. Great job!
If people are getting mad at others for making money then they should just make money themselves.... I made my fortune investing in Dolph Lundgren Coins!
https://steemit.com/beyondbitcoin/@splatterhaus/how-i-became-a-millionaire-investing-in-dolphcoins-and-the-logic-behind-the-dolphcoin-humor
We should also understand that success does not happen overnight.
I don't get angry at others making money on steemit I get angry at why they make it and the system itself. Quite frequently people are voted on not because of great content but simply because of who they are. If they are popular and might bring more members to steemit they get the votes and money no matter the content while other members get nothing but maybe a few bot votes. Speaking of bots they are part of the broken system. You have bots voting and people following the bots voting on what they vote on to get curation rewards. Again not about the content but about getting the most reward.
Exactly, but they think the system is perfect. The word is actually "machiavellian".
That's with almost all kinds of celebrity. There is a lot of work to gain "celebrity status". But once you're there, you'll make money for even belching and farting. lol :D
Thank you so much for sharing this Jeff @dollarvigilante, that is exactly how I think and see it! Behind every "overnight success" is usually years of work, struggle, self-improvement and risk-taking.
People forget how hard you work and dont know what you have done to achieve things in life. I have been working for 3 years to build a large following on youtube and face book of 160 k followers, and people go you are so lucky! No, i worked my ass off day and night, weekends and had no life. Keep doing what you are doing!
You might find it interesting to check out my last post where I also mention you, because I believe its really great what you are doing. Let me know your thoughts! https://steemit.com/steemit/@allasyummyfood/how-i-build-a-following-of-160-k-from-scratch
Enjoy your succees on steemit !
You very much deserve it !
I have been on my own rollercoaster of life and it's been amazing so far. As long as you wake up the next day , all is good . I just made a few cents with my post yesterday and that is more than I ever made on other platforms . I am proud of myself 👯 because I never wrote as much ever , in just 2 weeks . That's a personal milestone .
I did not hear about you before but you just got a new fan . It seems you know what you are doing and do it well . I still don't understand . Are you Canadian or Austrian ? Alles Liebe !
PS : I am watching in silence what is going on , I suggest you get familiar with the "backstage" scene of that system and its little groups , to really understand the complainers.
i'm kind of new to seemit. i do like this site. it is cool. i just need to find more time to use this site.
Exactly as stated above in this post . Jeff was far from an overnight success only because of Steemit.
Any of you who have bothered to follow his life story as it unfolded would know he has had many ups and downs through out his life. He's not just some new guy who became a Steemit Celebrity with a single post. He's been a celebrity in the crypto world for years!
There's many of us who have been following him for years and we've seen the trials and tribulations Jeff has faced to get where he is today. Haters gonna hate, but FFS give credit where credit is due!
Have any of you expatriated from your home country to travel the world, then capsized your boat only to hope and pray you'd drift to shore safely clinging to a flotation device? Having lost everything but your shorts, a surfboard and praying this was enough to find you safely back on dry land is no joke and certainly was nothing short of a miracle.
@dollarvigilante Haters gonna hate, but for those of us you know who you are and what you've done throughout your life, we very much support you and your endeavors! Keep on, crushing it brother!
You have been knocked down so many times then found the strength to power on well done you as you say a lot of people would have given up I would have probably given up too, I can relate to being knocked down Just wish i had your strength to keep fighting. 52 years of knockdowns but I still love seeing people do well it makes me feel better
You can't be everybody's "cup of tea"!! Keep it up @dollarvigilante
I enjoy your youtube video's. Lots of great insights.