LandOfAus

Watched the call-in show about intelligent people being around un-intelligent people. I thought that Stefan did an excellent job describing the problem that goes with being an intelligent person around people who are less intelligent, however I thought there was something missing. I find myself in a similar situation, I know that I have a higher intelligence than most of my clients (which is the general public) except I am a business owner and I rely heavily on my ability to be confident in what I'm providing, and more importantly how I communicate that to my clients. The trouble I find, is that I have a very difficult time relating to people in a way that's meaningful to them. I know what I would want to hear when buying my services, but I have the hardest damn time figuring out the best way to communicate it to my clients. I guess what I found lacking in Stef's answer in the call in show is, What in the world do we do about the problem? I'm trying to figure out more practical solutions to the problem. Like in my case, do I just give up trying to educate my clients and leave it to an advertising/marketing company or are there techniques I can use to, in a sense, bring myself to their level and communicate more effectively?

I had read that this is one of the works that inspired "The Matrix" and I'm considering getting into it. Has anyone read it? Worth it? Thoughts? One thing that makes me hesitant is that I finally feel like I've got a really good grasp on an-cap, but the author who wrote this is heavily into Marx. Any time someone starts talking about Marx, my head just can't take it. They seem to speak a jargonized language that's been so chopped up and compartmentalized that it's almost impossible to understand what the author is discussing without a PhD in political philosophy.

Ok, so I want to thank those of you who responded. Especially Tyler. That one meant a lot and I printed it out. Now, in true FDR form, I'm going to try to get answers from my past here. Much of this will pertain to Tyler Durden's response to me. Why am I like this? Why are a lot of people like this? Is there any commonality? Have any of you felt similarly in a situation like this? Is it simply human instinct to want others to be responsible so you can blame them? Is it a natural defence mechanism to keep from having to own up to reality and not deal with the truth? Or is there some root to it that only happens with some people, that can be found through analysing your life?

I think you've hit it on the head here in terms of being let down. I think I treat people honourably and honestly and I expect the same from them. I feel like if I don't get what I give, why should I break my back for their business? As far as it happening before (which I assume you mean, "is this a pattern in my life") it's hard to say but something worth exploring. I know, for a fact, that I truly have a problem with people having control or authority over me....hence the anarcho-capitalism leaning. It has never settled well with me, but it has only been recently that I understood how badly I desire the freedom to create, and manage my own business. I fear this is is what I have been missing. Denial I suppose. Thank you.

Here's the story I've been a FDR watcher/listener/reader for a long time now although I don't post here much. This doesn't really pertain to typical FDR content, but this is the only place I feel comfortable airing this out because I feel like I have, at least, something in common with you all and I value your feedback. At this point I just need some fresh perspective besides mine because this problem just makes my head spin and spin and I never seem to get anywhere. After I finished professional school 4 years ago I moved myself and my family overseas (from the US to Australia). We took our 2 kids away from their grandparents for the sake of an opportunity that was, at first, very good for us. The first two years the company I work for had to sponsor me for my immigration work visa (as an employee). All was well. I was learning business from the best, making decent money, starting to pay down my monster student loan in the states....things were good. This is where the good stops. I had a very specific plan of progress when I came here, and that plan has been absolutely trounced. The general summary of what happened is that, after my first two years, my company sponsored me on a new type of VISA which gave me permanent residency. In the past, permanent residency meant that you could become an independent contractor for the company and thus get a sizeable increase in pay and the ability to write off far more than you could as an employee as well as freely direct your own retirement account. However, my company had a meeting with a lawyer and found out that being a contractor wasn't as easy as they thought it was as a permanent resident, but assured me with certainty that I could still be classified as a contractor IF I applied for a specific type of VISA. The thing is that once I applied for this VISA my company forgot that this conversation ever happened. I am now stuck as an employee because my company misled me (either maliciously or ignorantly) and they refuse to take any responsibility or compensate me in any way. The reason it's such a big deal is because one of the conditions on the VISA I am on is that I am REQUIRED to stay with the company for two years as an employee before I can become a contractor or leave the company and start my own. So, because of this mistake, I'm basically a slave to this company. If I quit or get fired for any reason during this two year period, I stand to lose my permanent residency visa and thus my ability to work in the country. This would essentially bankrupt my family and destroy my career. Since I got this visa the company has changed a great deal (new owners) and the company is just shit to work for. I don't know what to do any more. The real problem here is my head space. I'm paid on performance (I get a percentage of office collections) and my head space is, for lack of a better word, fucked. My family is so beautiful and understanding, but inside I'm consistently teetering on the threshold of depression. I have no joy at work, and my clients can sense it. I've got no enthusiasm or optimism about anything any more. The whole experience has just drained me of positivity. I feel like 60% of every dollar I collect goes to the people who manipulated me, so I just don't try. It's not good for my finances or my head, but I can't seem to get out of this rut. I've gotten to the point where I actually feel bad for people I work with who didn't know me before all of this went down. All they know is this gruff guy who doesn't want to be there. I used to be a different person and I'm afraid he's just not there. Guys, I just don't know how to recover. I've got just over a year left of this indentured servitude, my performance is dropping rapidly, and I'm really scared I won't be able to support my family soon...yet there doesn't seem to be anything I can do or think that brings me out of this mess emotionally. I need something to focus on or some perspective to get me thinking differently and I was hoping you guys could help.