There are many vices that people use to make the lull of their everyday lifestyle have a sort of purpose. Some people choose religion and make sure that at the root of their efforts they do what is best for their chosen church. Others lean on family, that is their drive, and it is what makes the lull all the more liveable. But as a whole, I think the biggest vice to living the lives we do, is the cliché. People ue clichés unconsciously as if it is an ironclad law for life and the way we live it. Parents say “eat your food, there are starving kids in Africa”, as if to guilt a child into not wasting food – which wrongly asserts that the consumption of it all would do the starving kids one better than if it was left uneaten. Then as you get into your teenage years you get the “I want you to go to college” sentiment which offers no end goal in terms of profession, retirement plan etc. but the belief that your chances will greatly improve with a degree. Although many people have found this to be bogus, we continue to push it as a fact to the unsuspecting teenager.

It was a cliche that landed me in a house that will probably never be worth what I originally paid for it. It was a cliché that landed me in a four year University pursuing a career that ultimately paid less than expected, one I no longer pursue or support and tens of thousands of dollars in debt. It’s a cliché that pushes people to see me as an unmarried man and wonder whether I am gay, a playboy, or have commitment issues. It’s a cliché to see my status as self-employed and assume that I spend the majority of my time on the Playstation, couch or watching TV. The problem with clichés is that they tell only a percentage of the story yet people use them as if they represent all. A homeowner could be better off than an apartment dweller based on the cost of his/her home, the state of the market and of course the value of the property. A college student has the potential to get hired for his degree, based on what field he chose and the availability of said position. A married man could have the support of a loving woman (or partner), dual income and early retirement, but and this is a huge BUT, this isn’t everyone. Some married men end up burnt, charred and disfigured by his spouse… even killed for insurance money. I know its a bit extreme but point being, it isn’t always a good thing.

We really need to cut this stuff out, I began to question my parents when I got older and realized that the clichés that fueled their “advice” was beyond flawed. I began meeting college graduates who were now career Dillards sales people. Entrepreneurs who held only a High school diploma and made ten times the money I made with my clichéd degree. I moved into a house and the economy crashed, I went to a church where the preacher was “about his money”… all of my right decisions were starting to look very, very wrong. It all starts to look like bullshit when you are getting less than someone who didn’t buy into the clichés, when you are sending a check to pay for a Student Loan 10+ years later and when you realize that it may not get any better. When are we going to cut the slick sayings out and tell the truth about life to the young ones who need it?

The best advice I could have gotten as a child was that life is what you make it. With a heavy emphasis on make, the winners are the people who can take the cards they have been dealt, strategize, plan and execute for a better tomorrow and take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. Clichés lead to adults who suffer from entitlement, excuse making and a weakness of character. Think about the clichés you grew up hearing as if they were fact, think about which ones may or may not have worked out for you and think about which of them you accept as a fact of life as opposed to a variable percentage. Do you push clichés on people? Are you a victim of a cliché gone wrong? Do you honestly believe that line you just gave me? Or does it all just sound cool. At the end of the day its all just clever words that either rhyme or sound logical – but its all just stereotype and it really helps to know that.

Written by Greg Dragon on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 

Filed under Money and Business, Parenting 101
Tagged with cliche, entrepreneur, guilt, money