(Book: “Rich Dad, poor dad” by Robert T. Kiyosaki) This book keeps popping up in my social media feeds. It promises wealth to those that stop thinking like a poor person and starts thinking like a rich one. Great idea, no? Well, no.. It’s not and I will tell you why. First off: I have actually read the book in the 2000s, so I remember it vividly. Also, I couldn’t really wrap my head around how heartless it was to the author’s real dad. But let’s look into what it’s about: the author’s biological father and also his step-father. It compares the unassuming real father to the highly successful stepfather in a really nasty juxtaposition.

It notes that the real father was lead a normal life and never became one of the successful people. His stepdad (“rich dad”) totally did. And Robert spends this book telling you how to think to be more like the rich dad. The book is geared towards teaching investment and handling of finances, but it totally reads like a “get rich now”-scam. He overembelishes himself and look down at “wage slaves”. He thinks that you do something wrong if you work for others and that you should work for yourself. This book has a heavy survivor bias in the way it’s written. He pretty much says “think and do as I do and you will be rich and successful”.

My lesson to you as a potential reader of such a book is simple: don’t.

I believe that the one important thing to remember is that the people that already think and act like this do not need to read a book in the subjectmatter. They will, however, probably write one. And if you are a person who thinks you need this book to be a success, you are not the right person to do this anyway and you will fail.

It’s biological, not psychical. The person who thinks like this and looks down on other that “are losers and failures” sort under a very specific geometrical shape… Ladies, and gentlemen, I give you:

There are other books, that tell you this in more clear ways:

I have read this book as well. It talks about success through being a total arse. But I’m not sure the author is so much recommending it as just there to observe the behavior of the corporate world. It reads like a modern version the “the prince”. So this might be the one to get, actually. It is advisable not to fall for the rosy dream of acting the way the “successful” people do to get what you want. Remember what I said: if you can play this game, you don’t need this book. If you can’t play the game, the book will not help. You will hurt yourself that way. And worse, you may end up hurting others.

Be happy you’re not wired up biologically as a dark tetra! It’s not a good thing. They tend to yield short term success, while totally failing in the long run. If you are like me, you value small victories and a long-term comittment to live in accordance to your values. It can be a good life, but don’t expect “getting all the babes and bitches” and the “bling”. It’s not for you and not for me.

There are so much dreams sold to you that makes being a “dark tetra” (psychopath, sociopath, narcissist, machiavelian or sadist) look like a power move, that you will look at your meager life and think “I want to succeed”. But what do you want? Love? Money? Achievements? Fame? All those are fleeting values. Nature only cares that you procreate and then you are disposable. But we humans seek other values in life like friends, lovers, a comfortable life, doing what you believe in or maybe simply piece of mind.

I have so much more I want to write in this article, but I feel I got the message out and that’s enough for now. See you later. Then I will probably have something insightful to say about broadcast audio compression or Commodore retro computer.