Invention and Re-invention of ‘Rat Race’
We all know about rat race. Why you ask. Because all of us are in it. It doesn’t matter either you are a clerk or a business owner we all are on the same race. And if someone is not in it, they are most likely working hard to get into it.
Much has been said about rat race, it’s lure, functioning, origins and ways to get out of it.
If you have read Rich Dad, Poor Dad or almost any entrepreneurial book, chances are you know about it and are probably thinking of ways to get out of it. The only problem is we really can’t get out of it.
Let’s talk about the most common supposed way of getting out of one — starting your own business. People believe, and if they don’t then they are made to believe, that starting your own business is the way out.
It means getting out of the cycle of frustration and aimless working for something which you don’t care. It means working for yourself, doing what you love, following your passion, et-cetera et cetera.
All this is very alluring. The only problem is idea. You need to have one if you want to start a business. Once you get an idea worth investing your time and someone else’s money on, you are all set.
If all this goes well and you are willing to put in the hours, you are out of the rat race or so you would think.
Now comes the real bummer. You are still in a rat race, just a different one. This one you have invented fresh, for yourself. Why and how is this possible?
For this let us understand what is rat race. It is endlessly working to achieve a goal which keeps shifting every-time you reach it.
It is the same for people who love their job or the ones who don’t. The only issue is who defines the goal. In case of an employee there is only a few things you can achieve in a lifetime. But for a business owner the aim is endless.
An entrepreneur starts his own rat race that is his ambition. He works years trying to make his dream come true. The journey is enjoyable but it’s a race all right. Once he reaches the 1st milestone, he never stops, he wants to do more. Just like Rockefeller who wanted to control the whole oil industry until the point that he had to face an anti trust law suit.
“The trouble with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.”
-Lily Tomlin
Just like every novelist creates a new world of his own, every entrepreneur creates a new business and with it a new rat race for him/herself and employees.
Only a few people really escape the race, the ones who become content from what they have achieved. They are the real winners.
So what is the way out of this. We are all bound by the system we have created for ourselves. It all started with the invention of money. We invented it and now we are all paying for it. Sure we got quality of life, but we lost our leisure and freedom for it.
The only way is to do what we love and know it’s good to be content and satisfied. It’s not worth spending your whole life just to earn money. We need to know why are we earning the money and where are we going to spend it on. Once you have that clear, you will find a way.
It doesn’t mean we should stop doing everything and just follow the hedonistic path or the path of separation from the world. We all need to find meaning in our lives, something to look forward to, something which fulfills our dreams and desires. The only caution we should be aware of is we don’t forget everything else in the process.
Rat race is an all pervasive phenomenon in human life and we can’t escape it. All we can do is make the race worth our while.
“It’s a rare moment when we take a break from the tribulations of the daily rat race to reflect on assumptions and values that we casually accept as gospel.”
- Greydon Carter
