To have without being

Intelligence, status, laziness, and unhappiness.

Everyone wants to feel smart without doing the work to become smart. Everyone wants to be “high status” without beinghigh status. Because they never actually achieve either thing - the intellect or the status - they never scratch the itch of what they really crave. Lazy performances become temporary relief for underlying dissatisfaction.

In other words, it’s like getting a fake Birkin when you really wanted the real one, but publicly saying "The fake is just as good!" Lazy, sloppy, obvious lie to anyone with sense…so certainly you aren’t convincing yourself. You still want the real thing.

It’s much easier to explain the Genius Idiot than to unpack the complexities of acquiring status. So let’s start there.

The Genius Idiot

Have you ever wondered where conspiracies even come from? Just a few years ago, a small crowd gathered in Dallas, TX to see the resurrection of JFK Jr. I thought this was outlandish, and decided to include this conspiracy in a consumer survey I was leading at my job. The results were so shocking - 14% of US respondents said they believed in it - we thought people were trolling. But month after month, the numbers barely moved, finally landing at 16%. Insane, illogical, yet someone came up with it and got others to agree.

For an idiot, the world is a confusing place. They don’t know how anything works, and as mentioned in this thesis, they don’t care to find out. So when faced with a situation, they use the little they have to come up with an explanation. Other Genius Idiots are relieved by this explanation and quickly cosign. Now, they feel smart. They’ve figured out what everyone else couldn’t. They know the REAL truth!

The Genius Idiot is quite common. They are not interested in reading, let alone studying, but every now and then they come across a few “big” words that make them feel even smarter. The Sydney Sweeney “controversy” is perfect example. A Genius Idiot was unable to distinguish between a cheeky ad and a plot to brainwash America. They flipped through their handy book of Isms and Other Smart Sounding Words and landed on eugenics. “This is it!” they giggled as they plopped up their camera. It spread like wildfire, more theories thrown in by the second.

Yet, American Eagle just ran a campaign with Coco Gauff last year. AE also was one of the first in their niche to feature diverse models. When Aerie came out, it was praised for how inclusive it was compared to Victoria’s Secret. This was before the height of culture wars when “diversity” became a trigger word. But now, we’re supposed to believe they’re in cahoots to take down anyone that isn’t blue-eyed. That idea doesn’t make much sense when you throw in basic research.

I’ll also let you in on a secret as someone who has worked with executives at the companies people claim are scheming and conniving…these things are created by regular people just like you. No one remotely thought this was a campaign about eugenics. Perhaps I’ll write another article about the myth of the corporate overlords.

But that said, you could blame them for not having someone in the room to scrutinize the ad. You could talk about how unconscious bias inadvertently impacts marketing. How the sexualization of a teenage brand is akin to Abercrombie / Hollister in the early 2000s. But these topics require research and contextual understanding - something the Genius Idiot lacks.

At the end of the day, millions felt good about either coming up with a conspiracy or believing one. Nary a Google search in sight. It felt even better when it turned into a collective, because now it felt empowering and like sticking it to the man. Until the dust settles and the discomfort sets back in. Now, you have to find something else to cling on. You’re just waiting for anything, anything at all, to jump on so you can FEEL smart again. Instead of, you know, picking up a book.

There is a fulfillment that comes from learning. Slowly getting better at a language. Developing expertise over years of trial and error. That’s the fulfillment the Genius Idiot needs, but prevents themselves from receiving out of laziness. They have more access to information than ever in human history on the same phone they use to scroll through conspiracies. It isn’t a matter of ability, it’s a matter of desire.

Money without status

Status follows this same pattern. The clearest example here would be what I refer to as the LLC Loser - they have money, they can appeal to a…specific group…but they do not have actual social status. They can easily impress those who don’t have any money / use their money. But stripped of the car, watch, gaudy logos, they cannot hold the attention of real power players. They can hardly hold the attention of a woman without talking about what they have or regurgitating a podcast talking point.

Money and things are relatively easy to get. Developing depth, presence, perspective….much harder. To have social status is inherently social. At the very least, can you connect with people outside of your immediate circle? Are you respected by others who are at or above your level? Plain and simple…do people genuinely like being around you? If people only like you for your things, you do not have status. You have resources and you are just a means to an end.

But we see people - young men especially - chase this route of getting as many things as they can without the personal development. Copycats without their own taste. No original thoughts or bringing anything to the table aside from profit. The money cannot replace the fulfillment that comes with developing your own personhood and achieving that respect in the room. You’re stuck faking “status” around people who have no choice but to look up to you, because that’s the only way you can get a crumb of what you want.

It’s no secret that many millionaires and billionaires are unhappy because they can’t buy or lie themselves into fulfillment. I find it hilarious when people say the wealthy don’t work…of course they do, it gives them purpose. Otherwise, at a certain point, you’ve done and seen everything and there’s nothing new / exciting to keep you occupied. The same people around you all the time doing the same things. Reminds me of that episode of SpongeBob where Squidward went to live in paradise then got tired of it. Fulfillment comes from working on things and seeing them come to fruition. That’s it and that’s all.

How to avoid being either

I know that many have the misconception that if they just learn all the rules they can waltz into the nearest country club and walk out a member of the rich and powerful. This exact thinking is why people say the wealthy can spot a fraud from miles away. You have to develop yourself as a full person beyond the surface level expectations.

Nothing I teach you will matter if you never do the work. Even if you hit the lottery tomorrow, you can easily end up a wealthy loser. Wealthy and uncomfortable around luxury. Or wealthy and still scared to talk to people. You cannot substitute doing the work.

I created “How To Get Rich” to help you step into rooms with power instead of just following rules. It’s a journal that helps you find what makes you powerful and what’s preventing you from using that power. I would recommend that over taking years and decades trying to figure it out.