Want to Be Rich? Shut Your Mouth

Boon, cartoons,  cartoonist for hire,
Boondawgoggle, doodle,one guy drawing

Are you poor because you make stupid choices?   In my case I think so.  At least one area.  

I read a study the other day in REP. March 2014, Habits Rich and Poor, done by Thomas Corley, and quoted from Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals, 2010.  Although they are referred to as habits they seem more like decision or philosophies of living.  There were 10 categories: Early Birds, Goal Setting, Accountability, Self Improvement, Networking, Exercise, Junk Food, Self Restraint, Gambling, Gossiping and TV habits.   I don't think it would take a genius to figure out that rich people do less of  what normally could be understood to be bad things and more of the things that could be understood as good things. 

As I reviewed each habit for the most part I considered myself falling into the category of "rich", and then I came to the habit, Self Restraint.  This is defined as saying what's on your mind.  Evidently only 6% of "rich" speak their mind's where 69% of poor do.  This is the one category that upon honest self evaluation I have to say I like to speak my mind.  I like to speak my mind so much even when I tell myself I'm not going to say anything it nearly never happens.  I just have to say what I'm thinking.  I don't have to get the last word in mind you, but if I have a strong enough opinion on something I'm going  to share it.  I'm not a know it all by far, but I want to ferret out the facts and have no problem stating the facts as I know them to be and openly challenge you to present your facts.  If you can disprove my facts I'm happy to capitulate.

I thought this idea for a comic strip where all the panels are
underwater scenes.  Then thought what would happen
if a panel leaked.  Baseball, inner city play is tough.
Boon, cartoons, cartoonist for hire, Boondawgoggle,
one guy drawing, doodles

Now if this study is accurate, perhaps this poor habit is what has held me back in the corporate world.  I'm pretty sure I've rubbed some people wrong by expressing my opinion even if it didn't jive with the highest ranking individual in the room.  Actually coming out of college, and until I read this article, I believed this to be a sought after trait.  The more I thought about this the more I could point to or remember executives and managers I've either worked with or meet that always left me scratching my head as to how the hell did they reach the level they did.  They never seemed too "out of the box", out spoken or intelligent.  They mostly seemed like milk toast, marshmallow, yes men.  But maybe that is the secret.  Just go along, get along, and move along up the ladder.  I guess having your own mind is not really a characteristic the corporate world is seeking.  I guess all their mission, vision and employee hiring statements are just a bit of a lie.

Baffled? I'm going to have to speak my mind here. Yes I'm baffled.  How can it be that the rich are able to get through life without rarely sharing their thoughts?  How the hell do new ideas ever develop?  Does it take that one outlier to stir things up, garner consciences and then surround themselves with a protective shielding of yes men, who only succeed financially because they were stupid but yet smart enough to ride some one's coat tails.  Do  we really live in a world where 92% of rich people only want to say what everyone else is saying or hear nothing other than that which doesn't  challenge their own opinions?

Scary.  Very scary.