Resistance to hard work - vent - question

[Walt34]

I am wryly amused by rants about others not working hard on a forum devoted to the prospect of not working at all.

 

[frayne]

+1
Never seen one either. I see more people w*rking multiple jobs, living with multiple roommates.

Perhaps we see what we expect to see?

At one time in my life I worked with a bunch of folks who were one step above homeless(some were homeless). They didn't drive nice cars, have credit or anything else. They were people who tried and lacked some skills, some life handed a bad deal to.

I recall one guy who didn't have the mental capacity to move a board from one pile to another. It wasn't for lack of effort, the man was so upset by his inability to do the job, he stood there and lost his bladder. Yeah, there for both the grace of God goes me, or anyone here.

+1

After I retired I worked for H&R Block and VITA doing taxes primarily for low income and elderly. I saw plenty of new iPhones, crazy tattoos, piercings and fingernail art but all of these folks had W2 income and were doing the best they could under some dire circumstances.

 

[Sunset]

OP, I think it's been that way since the 70's. Welfare participant driving the brand new SUV, etc. Disability scams all over the place. Running up credit card debt and defaulting, preplanned. And on and on and on. ...sigh....

Not sure, from what I see my neighbors at 1 house think the disability scam is a much better way to live, or at least easier.

They have been disabled for at least 17 years, yet I would see them go off biking, and the wife has a beautiful flower garden, plus she mows the lawn more than I do. Both used to work for USPS but now just collect their disability checks.

They are down to 1 vehicle as I guess a problem with disability scams or welfare, is unless you are also willing to work, you won't get rich.

 

[Sunset]

.......

A 40 year old colleague of mine came into a modest inheritance and asked for advise on how to invest. I sit next to him and he’s heard my vocal enthusiasm for investing. I took him through the process of opening a brokerage account then I reluctantly picked some low cost dividend ETFs. He told me a few days ago “I told my wife its up $18,000... can that be right?” “Yes Joe it is right.” We’ve had the whole conversation about long term money and inevitable market dips .. My hope is it registered. But for a guy with a business degree I have to ask myself how do you know so little?


Im pretty sure my ‘bring my lunch’ daughter’s got it. I helped her do her first electronic trade into a short term fund on Friday. I bought her a couple of books on investing that posters on this forum suggested.

......

What a gem you are !

I'm going to borrow this idea for our daughter, as I have talked with her about $$, but if I actually sit down with her, and help her set up a brokerage account, that will overcome some hesitations she may have.

 

[travelover]

I have found no method to turn a slacker into a hard worker if they don't want to...........

You can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think.

 

[aja8888]

I rent inexpensive housing and have for decades. Was renting 53 units at the top. I have yet to rent to the mythical Lexus driving welfare recipient. They just don't seem to be among the applicants for our places. I have never felt any jealousy for the lives of my tenants.

'They are all in Section 8 Housing complexes. My DW fee managed a few hundred units at one time. Free rent, and if you don't use up your utility allotment in dollars, you were cut a check for the difference.

 

[brett]

I see lots of young people working hard, striving to make it and move forward. There are always be some who have no ambition and will be takers for most of their lives. Same with my generation.

I think that every generation looks back and thinks the younger ones do not work as hard.

Alas, working hard is not enough any more. You have to work smart and work hard.

 

[Cobra9777]

This thread reminds me of a coworker/friend from my college days. She was a very hard worker and so I enjoyed working with her and we became friends. But she had obvious issues (anger, anxiety, self-esteem, depression, people issues). She never finished high school because she ran away from home at 16 to escape her father who had sexually abused her for many years. Confirmed later by her brother.

We stayed friends for probably 20 years after that, but she was slowly going down a self-destructive path with alcohol and drugs. Despite being a hard worker, she never held a job for very long. Had a few short-term relationships that never went anywhere.

After many years of trying, she finally found a doctor who signed off that she was unable to work due to mental disability. She gets something like $1100/mo and lives alone in a crap apartment. What she doesn't spend on rent mostly goes toward pills that the same doctor prescribes.

I permanently cut off the relationship 10 years ago when she started repeatedly asking for money. I felt bad about it but I knew it was for drugs. She is fundamentally a good, caring person. I honestly think she had been irreparably harmed as a child by what her father did... to the point she was never able to relate to people or learn how to function normally in society. I watched her try for decades but it was never going to work. I guess she is why we have safety nets.

I make a point not to judge people too harshly. You can never really know their circumstances. Usually we just see the surface and maybe a couple layers below that and then make assumptions. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite certain there are lazy people who game the system. People see my old friend and can assume whatever they want. That's fine. I see people like her and try my best to make no judgment at all.

 

[kcowan]

Remember I said you have to learn it from someone. I told the son 3.2 GPA or I yank him from college and he can go to the Local Penn State. I explained lower than that and you wont even get an interview.
It is a hard cruel world out there...

I took a different approach. Get the GPA and graduate and you get $5k towards the purchase of your first car. Then I helped them get the best value out of the $5K for another lesson.

 

[GravitySucks]

I am wryly amused by rants about others not working hard on a forum devoted to the prospect of not working at all.

And a site where millionaires constantly discuss ACA assistance schemes also complain about food stamps and rental assistance programs.

 

[FUEGO]

And a site where millionaires constantly discuss ACA assistance schemes also complain about food stamps and rental assistance programs.

Now let's be fair. Some members complain equally about ACA subsidies alongside the food stamps and rental assistance.

And many of those same ACA complainers have the benefit of government provided healthcare via medicare or government retiree medical benefits The irony is thick.

 

[REWahoo]

The irony is thick.

Cast irony?

 

[MichaelB]

Cast irony?

<rimshot>

 

[Mdlerth]

Let us, indeed, be fair.

Now let's be fair. Some members complain equally about ACA subsidies alongside the food stamps and rental assistance.

And many of those same ACA complainers have the benefit of government provided healthcare via medicare or government retiree medical benefits The irony is thick.

Maybe not quite as thick if one admits that said complainer may only be getting benefits he's already paid for.

To become a government retiree required w*rking for the government for a long time. If a medicare recipient had FICM taxes withheld for thirty or forty years, he's hardly getting a freebie.

It isn't necessarily true that the beneficiary of food stamps and rental assistance was required to contribute anything.

 

[Meadbh]

I am wryly amused by rants about others not working hard on a forum devoted to the prospect of not working at all.

+1000

 

[Clone]

 

[Mdlerth]

Let's not bicker and argue about who killed who!

+1^6

 

[timo2]

It isn't necessarily true that the beneficiary of food stamps and rental assistance was required to contribute anything.

In effect, these people are sacrificing quality of life so the rest of us can have more affordable products. So they are contributing that.

If a country wants to have inexpensive labor, it has to provide some assistance. People with little food and unsafe housing make for poor employees.

 

[Senator]

I rent inexpensive housing and have for decades. Was renting 53 units at the top. I have yet to rent to the mythical Lexus driving welfare recipient. They just don't seem to be among the applicants for our places. I have never felt any jealousy for the lives of my tenants.

I am sure you have seen Section 8 tenants sleeping until noon, partying late and having the best TV screen they could find. Plenty of money for smokes and drink.

Most of my Section 8 tenants never had a job, nor were they required to. And if they did, I remember one said "The boss wanted me to clean the toilets, I am not doing that". I guess they should hire someone...

 

[Senator]

I have found no method to turn a slacker into a hard worker if they don't want to. I have had to work with a couple of those slackers when they've been forced to get a job for one reason or another, and it's torture.

I'd honestly rather have my taxes go to support them - then I don't actually have to interact with them on a daily basis.

I had a boss that used to say "If you want to find the easiest way to do a job, hire a lazy person. They will figure out the easiest way to do the task."

 

[timo2]

I had a boss that used to say "If you want to find the easiest way to do a job, hire a lazy person. They will figure out the easiest way to do the task."

That actually is a thing. My favorite Project Management book was 'The lazy Project Manger' "Why The Jungle Book's 'Bare Necessities' should be the productive lazy theme tune; * How to get the maximum output for a minimised input; *" https://www.amazon.com/lazy-project-manager-2nd-Productive/dp/1908984554

 

[travelover]

In effect, these people are sacrificing quality of life so the rest of us can have more affordable products. So they are contributing that.

If a country wants to have inexpensive labor, it has to provide some assistance. People with little food and unsafe housing make for poor employees.

Good point. A lot of these folks probably gave up good jobs as doctors, lawyers, engineers and even CEOs to toil at Walmart, for our benefit.

 

[GravitySucks]

I had a boss that used to say "If you want to find the easiest way to do a job, hire a lazy person. They will figure out the easiest way to do the task."

On a lighter note:

I was the laziest employee in my group, but also got the most projects completed on time. Got many complaints that I put my feet up on the desk relaxing during conference calls.
I had a coworker complain to my boss that I was lazy as I wrote scripts to automate the time consuming low intelligence part of The job. He had to work twice as hard as me because he didn't have time to automate his work.
(I offered to share the scripts but he would have had to build tables of his equipment. Would have been an hours work to reduce four hours a week. Thought since he was working so hard I should build the tables too. He was the first RIF victim in the group.)

 

[timo2]

Good point. A lot of these folks probably gave up good jobs as doctors, lawyers, engineers and even CEOs to toil at Walmart, for our benefit.

 

[calmloki]

I am sure you have seen Section 8 tenants sleeping until noon, partying late and having the best TV screen they could find. Plenty of money for smokes and drink.

Most of my Section 8 tenants never had a job, nor were they required to. And if they did, I remember one said "The boss wanted me to clean the toilets, I am not doing that". I guess they should hire someone...

Sometimes our Section 8 tenants sleep late, sometimes not. Sometimes they party, though way less than our normal, better funded tenants. Some smoke, some drink, and they all try and have the best tv or whatever else they can find. Much like anyone else. Shocking! You've described people!

Not saying that there aren't Section 8 tenants who try and game the system and not saying it doesn't piss me off when I see it, but that is very human. I take advantage of credit card offers and then drop the cards rather than becoming a lucrative customer; people here play all sorts of games to their personal advantage with social security and health care.

I try and keep our Section 8 population low - only have 3 right now - mostly because I don't like hopping through the government hoops and also because I find being around poor people depressing. Maybe choices they made weren't optimal; maybe life dealt them a tough hand - the woman who for about 10 years lived with and cared for her invalid mother in our apartments till her Mom's death, leaving her with few skills and in her early 60s.

I don't envy the lives of poor tenants, nor do I begrudge them their efforts to sustain themselves - and as far as I can tell, being on assistance is a horrible job.