Posted on 08/08/2006 7:11:51 AM PDT by stainlessbanner
Allow me to be politically incorrect: The No. 1 reason people aren't rich is because they're lazy. This is purely my opinion and no one else's, and I have no scientific proof to back it up.
Why the sudden honesty? I'll tell you.
The Best Policy?
One of the things I loved most about the Marine Corps was that I never had to worry about what anyone was thinking. When I was preparing to be an officer, there was no sensitivity training. When superior officers spoke to you, they didn't have to wrap their words in ribbons and bows, and didn't worry about hurting anyone's feelings.
In fact, we often went out of our way to hurt others' feelings just to test their core toughness. (I'd repeat some of the more choice comments I've treasured over the years, but I'm not writing for a military audience.)
When I returned from the war and entered the civilized world of business, I was shocked by the phoniness, the covert hostility (disguised as caring), and the fake smiles that are rampant to this day. It's been over 30 years since I was discharged from the Marines, and I still haven't adjusted.
Today, I'm still hesitant to let my employees know exactly what I'm not satisfied with for fear of being sued, or to compliment a pretty woman for fear of being accused of sexual harassment.
But I'm happy to say that things are changing. We now have reality TV instead of Father Knows Best, a phony show about fake family harmony from my era. Today, commentators like Bill Maher and Jon Stewart rip into politicians under the guise of humor.
We also have Donald Trump, who has millions of people from all over the world tuning in just to hear him say the magic words "you're fired" to an apprentice wannabe. And of course there's Simon Cowell of American Idol, the critic of all critics, whose book of brutally honest dismissals I was recently tempted to buy.
An Honest Assessment
All of this overt honesty, while sometimes contrived, encourages me to be more honest about my favorite subject -- getting rich, and who's most likely to do so.
Most of you who follow my books and this column know how I make my money. First of all, I'm an entrepreneur. I've been starting companies since I was a kid. I never wanted to be an employee -- I always wanted to be in control. I didn't want someone like me telling me what to do. Consequently, I now have companies, agencies, or strategic partners all over the world.
Second, I love real estate. Not only do I think it's the best investment in the world, I can prove it. What other investment is there that has bankers lining up to lend you money? They won't lend you millions of dollars for years at a time to buy stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. And what other investment will your insurance company insure against losses? Surely not mutual funds or a 401(k).
Third, I love commodities like oil and gas. Why do I love them? Because they're in short supply and in great demand. Wars have been fought over oil and gas for years. What do you think the war in Iraq is about?
Finally, I've loved gold and silver for years. Why? Because I don't trust the U.S. government to be good stewards of money. As you may know, the Bush administration has printed more funny money -- over a trillion dollars' worth -- in six years than all past U.S. presidents combined.
Wars have been fought over gold and silver, too. Why do you think the Incas lost their empire to the Spaniards, or the American Indians lost their land to the European settlers? The conquerors may have said that they were acting in the name of God, but remember -- there's only a single letter's difference between "God" and "gold."
No More Political Correctness
The recent outbreak of honesty also inspires me to be more forthcoming in general, and less politically correct. This is the web, after all, where honesty is respected, not suppressed, censored, or forced to be "sensitive" like our old, more traditional forms of media.
You wouldn't be reading Yahoo! Finance if you weren't serious about being rich or becoming rich. So I owe it to you to be more truthful. And I'm not worried about offending the financial losers of the world, because financial losers don't read this column.
So, rather than tell you week after week about real estate, entrepreneurship, gold, silver, oil, and gas, I've decided to occasionally run a less-than-politically-correct column and tell you exactly what I think about the subject of getting rich.
The L Words
It's in this spirit that I opened by saying that lazy people don't get rich. I also said that the difference between "God" and "gold" is a simple "L" -- as in "lazy," or "looting." The conquistadors who looted the Inca Empire in the name of God weren't lazy. They were thugs with guns, but they had ambition.
Another word that begins with "L" is "loser." Over the years, I've met many losers who pray to God to give them gold. They'll never get it that way because, as the Sunday school I went to taught me, God helps those who help themselves. Again, the conquistadors may have been killers and thieves, but at least they knew how to help themselves.
I do, too. As some of you may be aware, I wasn't born rich. And I've written openly about my failures as an entrepreneur and my losses as an investor. I haven't hidden my horror stories. The reason I don't keep them secret is because my failures are the best learning experiences of my life. We learn by making mistakes -- except in school, where we're punished for making mistakes. This may be why most schoolteachers aren't rich.
I'm not recommending that you become an ambitious looter, as Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling were convicted of being. I only want to point out that if you're not a lazy loser, you may find yourself with more gold in your life without having to resort to looting.
What do you care?
BTW, I'm "lazy" every night of the week volunteering at my church, teaching illiterate people how to read and raising my son...and guess what, I have all the $ I need on top of it.
"God helps those who help themselves."... but, my mom added "God help those he catches helping themselves."
This guy is way too self, and money, absorbed. Of course real estate is a grand scheme, buy low, sell high, until everyone owes their soul to the bank.
He may enjoy his "fruitful" life today, but I don't want to be where his life is going in the future. When money is your god, you have no God.
"What do you care?
BTW, I'm "lazy" every night of the week volunteering at my church, teaching illiterate people how to read and raising my son...and guess what, I have all the $ I need on top of it."
All of what you said qualifies as very important productive work. I would not qualify you as lazy at all. If you are pursuing your dreams whethere or not they create financial wealth you are successful. Mother Teresa was supremely successful just as Sam Walton was. Life is about a never ending pursuit of a dream and even though it usually involves financial wealth it does not have to.
Ironically, it's not found in the article, but in most of the responses.
Really, I thought I'd somehow clicked and been transported to Democrat Union! (DU).
The responses to this thread prove Kiyosaki's point. Most people are too lazy to do the work to get rich and will vilify anyone who discusses true principles of wealth creation to justify their own situation.
Absolutely!
My checks from our efforts at Multi-level marketing are putting our daughter through college. No loans.
Those checks also roofed my barn, purchased our Unimog (German Army Radio Van), Land Rover Lightweight (Belgian Army), Rokon Trailbreaker (US made 2 wheel drive motorcycle), countless guns and ammo and ham radio gear.
The other result of our efforts is more people using synthetic lubricants MADE IN AMERICA and getting better fuel economy due to less friction than foreign sourced petroleum lubricants.
Also more AMERICAN MADE oil filters, air filters, etc.
I know posting this will result in flames from many, but oh well, I won't call them lazy or anything else. They will just prove the above points.
I will wonder how in the world they call themselves Republicans or conservatives as they flame those participating in the American dream.
I love your response, glad to see that FR has people pursuing the American dream and being self reliant which is what a true conservative is all about. You are never truly free until you are financially free and I know you realize that.
Send me info via private mail about your synthetic lubricant.
How do you know he isn't a Bible thumper?
How do we know he isn't tithing a huge amount?
I have a friend who does quite well for himself and his family who tithes 10% and has done so for over 30 years.
He tithes more per year than many people reading this make total annually.
I don't as, while I do believe in God, have read the Bible cover to cover twice, I would be considered a heathen by most Bible thumpers.
My talent is writing stories. Laziness isn't as much of a problem as time management.
I think you made my point.
Gimme a break - Maher and Stewart rip into Republicans - it's a one sided - totally biased hit job. Nothing more. This starts out sounding conservative - a "pull the chumps in" -- then the bull - Mater and Stewart... yawn.
Great point. I resemble that remark!
Maybe my dreams are lesser than yours, but I have not promoted or sold anything in my life to get where I am. I have merely helped others, and tried to save the money I earn.
I feel that if a person has no real talent, they should be a saleperson.
My two cents:
I've read his book, but never seen the show.
Arrogant or not, he's exactly correct when he says the vast majority of rich people in this country got that way by working like dogs, something too few people nowadays are willing to acknowledge. As a society we romanticize the poor and villify the rich in an almost kneejerk fashion, when the truth is that most people end up in their financial situation as a result of choices, good or bad, and not luck.
Whether the pursuit of material wealth is a worthy goal to make the centerpiece of one's life is an entirely separate argument, more in the realm of faith and philosophy than yahoo! finance.
"Maybe my dreams are lesser than yours, but I have not promoted or sold anything in my life to get where I am. I have merely helped others, and tried to save the money I earn.
I feel that if a person has no real talent, they should be a saleperson."
You just sold me on the idea that you are not a sales person ! All of us are in sales. We persuade people to agree with us, that is sales. You sold your wife or husband on marrying you, that was a super sales job. As far as the profession of sales, a lot of them are very talented and could have done a lot of other things if they wanted to. All the great products or services would never find a customer if not for sales people so sales is what makes the entire economy run. You really need to revise your impression of the sales profession and the essential value they bring to our economy. Putting down business and sales is what I would expect on DU, not on this bastion of free enterprise.
So, I'm a Bible thumper because I don't believe in the monetary standard.
Maybe I don't tithe as much as "the rich", but I give, of myself. Have you ever just given a car away to someone who needs it? Have you ever given something you cherish away to someone that has admired it?
To me, life is giving, not taking, and no amount of tithing can make up for some "business" deals. Sharing is caring and no amount of money can make up for the lives ruined by scare real estate tactics and "creative" financing.
The way I see it, that if Kiyosaki is arrogant, it is arrogant people who do make things happen. You may not be like him, may not even want to associate with people like him. But the fact is, it is those ambitious, arrogant people that make things happen. And thank God we live in a country where those kinds of people can work towards their ambitions (at least for now).
Well, yes, sort of...
In the winter I do several snowmobile races and shows.
One of my dealer tagged along to help at most of them.
After two years, he said that the reason he had come along was to learn my sales "pitch", but had given up, as in 2 years I had never said the same thing exactly the same twice.
I had never really thought about it, but I never have developed a sales "pitch" as I myself do not like salesmen, and I just talk with people naturally about our products and opportunity sort of the same way guys talk about sports, etc.
My background is not in sales, but electronics, logging, sawmills, and precision mechanics.
After everybody you know has said "no" and starts running in the other direction when they see you, you eventually run out of customers.
I've never seen that happen, at least not to me as I'm not pushy about it. I seldom even bring up the subject to people I know, but wait for them to ask. They see my clothing and vehicles with the company logo on them, and when they are ready to ask, they do. (and have).
Most of my dealers and customers have come to me not the other way around.
When you have a Unimog, a Land Rover Lightweight, a Rokon Trailbreaker and cars bristling with ham radio antennas, rally logos and company logos, you can't go anywhere without people approaching you.
I volunteer doing things I would do anyway for fun and am approached by many folks then.
We provide communications for the Maine Forest Rally and the New York International Rally, etc., which is both fun and good for business. We also attend 4X4 events and have competed in some, which helps.
Our Unimog was the only vehicle to make it all the way through the mud pit at Stump the Hummer one year. 100 yards of chest deep mud. Now if that ain't fun and good for business!
As far as running out of customers, no way... Just do the math, 300 million Americans.
How many are using synthetic lubricants so far?
Not many. There is no end.
If we somehow did get all Americans to use our products, we could tell Saudi Arabia to kiss off as we'd need 10% less fuel due to fuel economy increases nationwide.
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