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This seems to be the toxic end result of “hustle porn”. The promise that you “Yes even you!” Can start the next unicorn, or even just bootstrap to ramen profit
by ineedasername 4y ago
This seems to be the toxic end result of “hustle porn”.
The promise that you “Yes even you!” Can start the next unicorn, or even just bootstrap to ramen profitable & gain the attention of some VC money, maybe find a lucrative graceful exit if your runway runs out.
It’s a subtle lie, because it directly or indirectly says “everyone could be…” when in reality it’s “anyone might be…” in the sense of “anyone might be the next lottery winner!”
Anyone might, but not everyone can, and a significant amount of the outcome (sure, much more on the lottery) is determined by luck.
Only with hustle porn the themes pervading it all, unlike the lottery, is that if you fail, it’s because you did something wrong. You didn’t work hard enough. You didn’t network in the right places, that fundamental something is wrong with you
Most who have studied the progression of Christian religion throughout the history of colonizing the North American continent may recognize here the trappings of the Prosperity Gospel, itself a pernicious offshoot & watered down version of Predestination as found in some Protestant sects, that boils down to the belief that the unsuccessful, the sick, the poor, are all that way because it’s their own fault, because they have failed to achieve some vague notion of god’s grace.
Predestination is a complex topic with multiple interpretations, but the strong Calvinist version basically says that god not only knows who is predestined to heaven and hell, but that we might see that destiny here on earth in the trappings of a person’s life. The successful and healthy must surely have god’s blessing while the sick and the poor are clearly among the damned. As you might imagine, theological explanations and biblical references supporting this are complex, but that’s the nutshell.
You can see it’s roots in the concept of the American Dream among other attitudes that seem have been popular in the US— a sometimes, among some people, disdain for the poor who surely are there by some form of choice.
That is hustle porn. Modern repackaging of and stitching together of bits & pieces of the worst pieces of theology found in early (and some recent) groups of protestants. (See Joel Osteen for recent incarnations)
- JanisErdmanis 4y agoI have always been curious on the mindset christians have regarding sick and poor. Can you recommend any books which supports your take?
- ineedasername 4y ago“Christians” is too wide a net to ask for a single mindset on any topic. Relevant here is that the US was settled initially in some areas by Puritanical Calvinists, which is a large twig off the branch of Protestant Christianity. As for my take, a few quick searches about what Puritans thought of the poor will give ample sources for reading. I don’t have a (remembered) source directly for my own knowledge— it was just part of what I learned throughout a rigorous high school and college curriculum, various sources etc. I do remember having to read a sermon by a famous Puritanical Protestant: Sinner In the Hands of an Angry God. It was somewhat of a trend setter in terms of 1700’s fire & brimstone preaching.