If there is one thing that moves people, it’s the ideology that is shaped by beliefs.

I just watched two documentaries on vastly different subject, interconnected by the same theme: how people spend most of their daily time. One is on billionaires, how they exist, what are they, what they do. The other is on the dairy farms, small-time farmers, geopolitics impacting on their livelihoods and changing culture that affects their lives.

Two different worlds, two different topics. Yet, both are happening at the same time, same place, same country. It’s both confusing and fascinating. And ultimately, the thing that sets them apart is how they see the world and what did they do with it.

Ideology

At the end, it boils down to what their ideologies are. It is not something that is said out loud, but something that is being whispered between the lines. Your beliefs shape how you think. How you think shapes how you behave. And your behaviour shapes your life and destiny. It differentiates you from being a dairy farmer or billionaire.

With billionaires, they believe in building something big, adding value to the world and having a long-term macro view of the general landscape. They adapt to the changing environment.

With the dairy farmers, they are stuck in their beliefs they grew up with. They want to world to mould to their beliefs and live the life they always have.

I’m not saying the latter is bad and that is the reason for their situation. This is just an observation I’ve noted in my many years of researching about success. The documentaries just hit my head with this observation. There is no “better” ideology, because ideologies just highlights the life you are living. There is also no right “better life”. Some could say a penthouse at 55 and Lex, or one overlooking Central Park. But if you are not happy and seriously depressed, does all these material goods mean a better life?

Billionaires

I’ve always been fascinated with successful people. They may be billionaires, millionaires or just any other honest person. But the foundation they’re built on is the most fascinating aspect, to me. I always wondered what sets billionaires apart from the rest of the world.

You become rich by being an honest hard worker.
You become a millionaire by owning a label.
You become a billionaire by owning capital.

Something so simple really changes the way people think, behave and act. Money makes money. Owning capital creates wealth. Money is being made even when you’re asleep.

They think and act strategically. Dreaming big yet acting (pretty) honestly. Going through the grind and allowing money to help them to make more money. They focus on capital income, not just labour income. We are only limited by 24h a day. Labour income has a limit. But it is not the same for capital income.

Ideology: Ultimately, understand the situation and adapt to the situation. Take responsibility of the situation. Then leverage resources to make things work for you.

They take full responsibility for who they are, where they are, and everything that happens to them. Ultimately, they own the situation and use it to their advantage.

Workers

On the other hand, (honest) workers think differently. They don’t dream as big. They dream honestly, I can’t deny. Working hard every day, doing their best in everything and do good. That is great work ethics, I support that.

Yet at the same time, the world is changing. The world keeps getting more complicated at a faster rate than we humans, can adapt to. We are so used to massive revolutions once every few hundred years (check colonisation, industrialisation).We could have the luxury of time and generations to adapt to that. Today, the technology change is so rapid, we have to catch up. Much faster.

That means seeing where the world is going. Upgrading personal skillsets. Mould oneself to the world, instead of asking the world to adapt to oneself.

Of course, this is just a short observation from selected samples. There are outliers there. But ultimately, our ideologies shape who we are, what we think and how we act. I don’t think there is necessarily a “right ideology”, just whatever makes you happy as you go to sleep. The diary farmers are happy, and so are the billionaires.

I hope you find the ideology that works for you. Remember to update it, as the world continues to change around us.

Love,
L