When the economy feels rigged, shortcuts start to look rational

[davis196]

So what are you suggestions for a "shortcut"? Acquiring skills that are in demand and maintaining good relationships with the right people?
This doesn't seem like a shortcut to me. You are still in the "rat race" and you still have to compete with people like you.
A real shortcut would be a way to exploit the system for your own financial gains while staying in the legal "gray area". Most rich people became rich not by working hard, but by finding ways to exploit the system without being punished by the law. Nothing in this live is "safe". Having a job and some savings in the bank creates a false sense of security, but you could die tomorrow and you job and bank savings won't save you.

[slapper]

The system is designed that way. We call it capitalism. On paper, everybody has a chance to get rich, drive lambos, fly jets and wear golden necklaces but it is just a small possibility because there simply isn’t enough supply of lambos for everiebodie. The majority will have to do what you explained. Born, graduate, have a job, get married, make 2 kids, die in poverty. It is because the system needs people to enter this life cycle. Otherwise rich peupol woulnt be driving ferra… i mean lambos. If you want to escape that rat race become one of the overseers, you will need some incredible luck, smarts and a head start capital. Some people manage to do it with less resources but they are outliers. Their data is meaningless. (In other words,  If you were one, you would have escaped it too.)

Most of what you said is true. The system does require people to be in that cycle. Outliers are rare. Luck is more important than anyone wants to admit.

Though, you said outlier data is nonsense. I disagree. Not because outliers prove "anyone can make it". That is a lie that people sell to keep us running. But because by studying outliers you see what the actual variables are important. And sometimes those variables are not luck and capital. Sometimes it is just: they stopped playing the game that everyone else was playing. They did not get rich. They just got free. Different thing. Most people will never attempt that move because they are still chasing the lambo. They don't want to leave the game, they want to win the game. I am not saying I have escaped. I have not. But I stopped counting my life from their scoreboard. That became much different than I expected. Maybe that is still contained inside the rat race. Maybe there is no true outside. But at least I am running towards what I actually chose.

Accelerating inflation makes all these ideas difficult, which prompts many to search for quick ways. If, for example, you saved $250,000/per 10 years to buy a house, you will find that prices have changed greatly. We are not talking about 300,000, but 500,000 or more. Therefore, the ideal solution is to invest what you save in various assets that achieve an average return on investment that is higher than inflation. Otherwise, you are wasting your time.

I should have said this more clear. Saving without growing is only seeing your money shrink slowly. The inflation math is brutal and I have experienced it too. You work, you save, look up and the goal moved further away. It is exhausting. But here is where I get stuck. Investing being a part of the answer seems obvious until you ask: invest in what? With what knowledge? Most of us discover money from people trying to sell us something. And when we invest from fear (because we feel the clock ticking) you make a lot of bad choices. We chase. We panic. We buy high and sell low. I have done this.

So what are you suggestions for a "shortcut"? Acquiring skills that are in demand and maintaining good relationships with the right people?
This doesn't seem like a shortcut to me. You are still in the "rat race" and you still have to compete with people like you.
A real shortcut would be a way to exploit the system for your own financial gains while staying in the legal "gray area". Most rich people became rich not by working hard, but by finding ways to exploit the system without being punished by the law. Nothing in this live is "safe". Having a job and some savings in the bank creates a false sense of security, but you could die tomorrow and you job and bank savings won't save you.

Skills and relationships are not a shortcut like most people think shortcuts are. They do not skip the work. They give no guarantee of anything. And yes, you are still competing. And I never put that it was easy or fast. I said it was mine. That is the difference I give much thought to.

On the idea that most rich people made it there by taking advantage of grey areas. Some did. Many did. But to exploit something, you need access. It requires knowledge of which doors exist and has the connections to open to get them Most of us don't start off with that map. So to tell someone without access to "just exploit the system" is like telling someone without a boat to "just sail to the island". The advice only works if you already have something that most people don't.

[Majestic-milf]

 In a way these industries that seem to make life easy won't just go away because before their inception, they may have studied humans and their wants and come to the conclusion that some of us want things that won't stress us and as such the dependency for those things often increase and instead of to look for a way out of them, we create scenarios that would keep making us rely on those things and then we'd convince ourselves that we need them to make life easier and better. Sometimes, we're the starters of our own problems.

[uche6215]

Shortcuts may look good in the initial stage in any field that you find yourself but shortcuts doesn't last long and will not take you far in anyway possible. Yes it is true that the bad economic situation that, we find ourselves has made plenty to be thinking on how to make it fast but for you to have a stable life that will be balanced and long lasting then it's important that you go through the process. The process is what makes any one successfully and sustainable any wealth that is acquired via shortcut can't be sustained because you will not know how to manage it. The essence of you passing through the process is for you to be built and fitted in life.

[Helena Yu]

It's all because of technology, this make people can't think rational anymore.

They see influencers, actors and rich people post a picture when they're at vacation, people are dream to be them because they're rich and they can enjoy their life, however they don't see the real life of those rich people who might don't have any time for themselves. Their picture at vacation are actually their job, not because they want to enjoy their free time. Which mean they're work all the time.

Shortcuts looks realistic since they think there's no way for them to reach that level from their current position, the same thing why many people fall to be a gambling addict.

[Alone055]

When people start to feel that shortcuts are rational and logical, they start getting involved in things like gambling or things that are either unethical or against the law. They won't think that they should do things differently, but they would think of spending whatever they have on something that can possibly change their life, or take them back to square one, and guess what? Most people end up ruining their lives because of these thoughts either by getting addicted to gambling and spending their life spendings on it, or getting involved in criminal activities and eventually ending up in jail for life.

So, even though systems might not be working the way we would expect them to work, and we might feel that eventually, everything we are doing will not give us the life we are dreaming for, but that doesn't mean we should think of taking shortcuts, or start believing that shortcuts are not risky but rational or logical. I know you were talking about it this way, but I know that most people would think of it this way if they start having such thoughts.

[Accardo]

The long journey isn't just for everybody but for the brilliant, dedicated, and patient people. Every engineered technology took years of sweat off intellectuals to be built. Engineers came together to build bridges, and modify them, tech engineers did computer and modified it to be this portable, it's paying off, not just the inventors, the present participants or users of computers make billions off the technology. Short cuts are for con and less confident people, the visionaries join a movement and stay in it for the love of it. Satoshi is a close example, he's cryptography lovesick, he built Bitcoin without asking for a dime.

[Coyster]

I do not think that having a desire to achieve success without following the "conventional" order of working nonstop for thirty odd years or more is a shortcut. It is basically a desire to achieve success through a different route, one you consider to be more effective and efficient. Of course, as long as you are not looking towards crime or anything illicit, if you believe in your skills and knowledge and you think you'd achieve success quicker putting it to work, then you have to go for it.

That said, my point is that the word "shortcut" sounds negative, but it is not always so. It could basically be one sticking to their guns and for example launching a startup, when their mates are getting hired in different industries.

[Dareo]

We may search for shortcuts not only because they are easy but sometimes because we feel that no matter how much we try, nothing in life is in our hands, so when we see something that appears that will give us quick results, we think that it might be within our control at least by trying, I think the point is that no matter how slow the long road is, has the foundation and the issue with shortcuts is that they are based on our desires and not on reality but it is also true that systems have changed so much that even taking the slow road doesn't seem as safe as it used to.

[Hispo]

...

But here is what I begin to think. It is not that we desire shortcuts. The problem is that we are building on things that we do not control. Jobs that can disappear. Systems that can change. Prices that are charged by individuals we will never see. The actual shortcut (perhaps the only one that works) is to require less of those systems. Study how to do things that remain useful even in the collapse of the industries. Create relationships with individuals, not only platforms. Spend less so you need less.

So... You need to keep in mind those are mainly factors we all cannot control in the long term and we have to "trust" politicians to do their best (ironically) so they system will not be so variable while we try to build for the future.
It is true jobs and industries change, but it is part of our own vision to foresee it and prepare for it in advance, not allow for the dark day to come upon us and catch us unprepared.

Also, the system itself believe those shortcuts are crimes, that is way the majority of people do not take them. Reducing one's tax payouts to our government through the use of loopholes could be considered a shortcut, but it is in a grey area of legality. If one is not careful, one could be commiting a crime and be thrown in prison very easily.

[Joy_learns_crypto]

But here is what I begin to think. It is not that we desire shortcuts. The problem is that we are building on things that we do not control. Jobs that can disappear. Systems that can change. Prices that are charged by individuals we will never see. The actual shortcut (perhaps the only one that works) is to require less of those systems. Study how to do things that remain useful even in the collapse of the industries. Create relationships with individuals, not only platforms. Spend less so you need less.

We are also building on a system where the well connected gets it, the economy is well rigid here (here being my country) that shortcuts is not only rational but Normal.
The shortcuts are also getting rigged that it is now a luxury to get things the shortcut ways.
The economy is rigged because most systems in power got their through shortcuts and unmerited victories.
People won’t fold their hands and wait for the economy. Finding shortcuts is like fighting for yourself it may not be doing things that a bad but doing things without excepting anything from the system because it is already rigged and corrupt.

[Rruchi man]

... because it is already rigged and corrupt.

In a rigged system where opportunities are not evenly distributed, some people will be tempted to get involved in crime and it may very easy because almost everyone around them sees it as normal, but there are other better options that could be considered, like

• Relocating to another system where there are better opportunities and the system is less rigged—that is, moving to another country if you can.
• The other option is trying to work outside the system; that is, learn a digital skill and get a job working for international clients or a company. The pay should be enough to help you not live under the system, in the terrible way they expect you to live.

[Oluwa-btc]

In hard times, shortcuts become very attractive.Most people don’t start out wanting to cheat,cut corners,or take risky paths.They simply get tired of struggling the long and right way.

All of a sudden,they starts feeling and believing that hard work doesn’t pay,the system favors only a few and corruption seems rewarding.Then shortcuts stop looking like “cheating” and start looking like survival tools,most times it’s not always about greed but fear and frustration.

[Findingnemo]

Forget the shortcuts, most of them even afraid of changing their jobs to a different company or the career into something that they desire or  feel it is going to be the future because we already got into some kind of financial committement so we can't skip the bills even for a month and not everyone got the previleage to ask the money from their parents or someone else while they are trying to work it out to change their desitnation, so the years passes and at the end they left with a small amount and a lot of regrets to enjoy the retirement.

[Majestic-milf]

In hard times, shortcuts become very attractive.Most people don’t start out wanting to cheat,cut corners,or take risky paths.They simply get tired of struggling the long and right way.

All of a sudden,they starts feeling and believing that hard work doesn’t pay,the system favors only a few and corruption seems rewarding.Then shortcuts stop looking like “cheating” and start looking like survival tools,most times it’s not always about greed but fear and frustration.

I agree. Sometimes it's as though those with integrity aren't given the reward and recognition they deserve so they resort to cheating and cutting corners because if we're being honest, that's the pattern that puts food on the table. Everyone wants to succeed but not all wants to be labeled as a cheat but condition often makes the choices for them.

[RockBell]

So what are you suggestions for a "shortcut"? Acquiring skills that are in demand and maintaining good relationships with the right people?
This doesn't seem like a shortcut to me. You are still in the "rat race" and you still have to compete with people like you.
A real shortcut would be a way to exploit the system for your own financial gains while staying in the legal "gray area". Most rich people became rich not by working hard, but by finding ways to exploit the system without being punished by the law. Nothing in this live is "safe". Having a job and some savings in the bank creates a false sense of security, but you could die tomorrow and you job and bank savings won't save you.

And the country have been sabotage by the so called leaders and  it as affected the living of the individuals and now the shortcut as started I agree with you it is not a shortcut at all. When it comes to skill the market is always very competitive and you need to know what you are doing so there is a lot to understand and there better ways you can invest your money without much stress and the only thing you need to do, is to do a study there are people that uses people's idea to get rich so it all depends on the study and the result.

The economy is wide and it is open for people to know what to do when it, comes to this, the best thing is to exploit the system and that way you can, even get experience from books because people are always sharing there experience, so we can pick one or two things from there, exactly there better ways to attend to things like this, than relying on savings and job.

[libert19]

...Spend less so you need less.

Shouldn't that be, "Need less, so you spend less"? Anyway, I do follow my version, I keep my needs low, so I don't have to toil much after my needs either.

When people start to feel that shortcuts are rational and logical, they start getting involved in things like gambling or things that are either unethical or against the law. They won't think that they should do things differently, but they would think of spending whatever they have on something that can possibly change their life, or take them back to square one, and guess what? Most people end up ruining their lives because of these thoughts either by getting addicted to gambling and spending their life spendings on it, or getting involved in criminal activities and eventually ending up in jail for life.

I did take gambling as means to make money at one point but I was quick to come back to senses that this is not it and I am glad this realization hit sooner rather than later.

[slapper]

In a way these industries that seem to make life easy won't just go away because before their inception, they may have studied humans and their wants and come to the conclusion that some of us want things that won't stress us and as such the dependency for those things often increase and instead of to look for a way out of them, we create scenarios that would keep making us rely on those things and then we'd convince ourselves that we need them to make life easier and better. Sometimes, we're the starters of our own problems.

I can relate to a lot of what you're saying. A lot of modern "easy life" tools are like comfort traps, that we walk into willingly. We want less stress, less friction, less thinking and these industries are created exactly around that framework. After a while, we don't just use them, we organize our whole life around them, then say, "I can't live without this." I've definitely done that.

Where I think is gets tricky, is that our "personal choices" don't take place in a vacuum. We are tired from work, stressed for bills, worried for the future. When you're already overloaded on your mind, of course you reach for anything that promises less work. So yes, a lot of time we're setting even up our own problems, but we're also reacting to an environment that is pushing us to the easy button all the time. Both may be simultaneously true.

For me, the real work is exactly what you're rooting at which is catching myself in that loop of "I need this to make life easie" and asking if that's really the case or if I've just built my life around convenience. The more things I can redesign to be simple by default (fewer subscriptions, fewer apps, fewer financial products I don't understand) the less in control I feel I am against these industries.

Shortcuts may look good in the initial stage in any field that you find yourself but shortcuts doesn't last long and will not take you far in anyway possible. Yes it is true that the bad economic situation that, we find ourselves has made plenty to be thinking on how to make it fast but for you to have a stable life that will be balanced and long lasting then it's important that you go through the process. The process is what makes any one successfully and sustainable any wealth that is acquired via shortcut can't be sustained because you will not know how to manage it. The essence of you passing through the process is for you to be built and fitted in life.

You're right that fast money with no skills and structure usually disappears. I agree with that 100%. But neither is the converse automatically true: going slow doesn't mean we'll be stable and successful. Plenty of disciplined people "did everything right" and still got wrecked by layoffs, medical bills or inflation. So when we have "wealth from shortcuts can't be sustained", we have to admit also that "wealth from the traditional process is not guaranteed either". Both paths are dangerous, just in different ways.

If my whole life depends on systems I don't control (a single employer, a fickle currency, a debt-based lifestyle) then even the "proper process" is a sort of shortcut, because I'm outsourcing my security to that which is outside me. I'd rather be building skills, optionality and reducing my dependence. That's possibly slow, but is not the same thing as blindly trusting "the process". So I respect what you say, but I believe that we need to be more critical of the systems, and not just the people who are trying to get out of them.

It's all because of technology, this make people can't think rational anymore.

They see influencers, actors and rich people post a picture when they're at vacation, people are dream to be them because they're rich and they can enjoy their life, however they don't see the real life of those rich people who might don't have any time for themselves. Their picture at vacation are actually their job, not because they want to enjoy their free time. Which mean they're work all the time.

Shortcuts looks realistic since they think there's no way for them to reach that level from their current position, the same thing why many people fall to be a gambling addict.

Technology doesn't produce the irrational thinking on its own, it magnifies something that is already there. If individuals felt their basic life course made sense, then those images would sting less. I might still feel envy, but I would not feel pressure to find a shortcut. The reason that gambling and "get rich quick" stuff is so attractive is because the normal path is blocked. Tech then takes that feeling and turns the volume up to 100.

I catch myself scrolling and seeing these perfect "rich life" pictures, my brain quietly tells me: "your normal life is not enough". I know it's not rational but still it happens. You're right that for a lot of those people, it is the job, the vacation. They are working at all times for making that image. But my emotions don't always process that, and they just see that there's a difference between their life and mine.

I think the dangerous combination is: economic stress + constant comparison + easy access of gambling-like products. If even one of those three was weaker, there would be fewer people who fall into addiction. We probably can't stop technology from showing us fake lives, but maybe we can work on our side, in turn, reducing how much we're keeping comparisons, building small things we control, and being honest with ourselves when we think that "there's no way to reach that level" voice is talking. When that voice comes along, that's usually the sign that I'm vulnerable to bad decisions. Your example of gambling serves as a good mirror for that.

[Cryptmuster]

How often have we sought a short cut? A quick opportunity. A secret method. Something that will not waste the years of boring construction. I have done it. Many times. And nearly every time I came out worse than I would have kept patient. But after a couple of months I am back and looking. Why do we do this?

I believe it is because the straight and narrow way seems like it is impossible. Work for 30 years. Save a little each month. Hope nothing bad happens. Hope prices do not increase faster than your savings. Hope you do not get sick. Hope your industry is not extinct. That is a lot of hoping. And then, when you are sitting with that feeling, that the safe route is not safe after all, shortcuts begin to seem like logic. Not greedy. Rational. If the slow road may fail anyway, why not try the fast one? At least there is a chance. I am familiar with this reasoning since I have experienced it.

But here is what I begin to think. It is not that we desire shortcuts. The problem is that we are building on things that we do not control. Jobs that can disappear. Systems that can change. Prices that are charged by individuals we will never see. The actual shortcut (perhaps the only one that works) is to require less of those systems. Study how to do things that remain useful even in the collapse of the industries. Create relationships with individuals, not only platforms. Spend less so you need less.

There's no certainty on the long road, you could just as easily lose your job as face a major crisis. Compound interest is the only way to help you on the hard road, but for that, you need to know how to earn and invest that money, and here again, the fast track is better. I understand it's not for everyone, some people find it easier to be an employee, but then you need to think about building a career and becoming a good specialist, which is also not easy. Trying the fast track doesn't require any special knowledge, you just need the determination to get started and stick with it when difficulties arise.

[348Judah]

The influencing factor that makes it looks rigged is the presence of inflation, an economy can not best perform at the interest of the masses when the inflation is running the order of the day, it will always be to the detriments of the people, before you know it, everyone will begin to seek for an alternative means to cut cost and be more smarter over the way the run it  with other people or businesses, that is why we could see prices manipulation, inferior market commodities in the market, fake or substandard supply and the likes all happened in such manners.