“If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.”
About 1 in 13 American adults have participated in MLM, or multilevel marketing, contributing to an estimated $40 billion industry.
MLMs feed into the idea that “if you work hard, try hard, you’ll get rewarded,” says Jane Marie, the host of a podcast series called The Dream and the author of a new book, Selling the Dream, both of which investigate the intersection of MLMs and pyramid schemes and the broader “wellness” industry. “There’s an ‘us versus them’ mentality and it feeds on the idea that there’s a shortcut and a cheat code to financial prosperity, to achieving the American Dream.”
“Envy can lead people to want to bring others down as a way of trying to elevate themselves. When someone feels envious of another person’s success or happiness, they may try to undermine that person in order to feel better about themselves. This behavior can stem from feelings of insecurity, low self-esteem, or a lack of fulfillment in their own lives. Additionally, societal or cultural pressures can also influence individuals to engage in this kind of behavior. It’s important to remember that the actions of envious individuals are a reflection of their own internal struggles and should not be taken personally.”
When people ask Sara Wilson about her former position at Facebook (now Meta), which began in 2013, she includes a caveat: “I worked with influencers, but now ‘influencer’ is a dirty word, so we call them ‘creators.’
“Art for the most part, is about concentration, solitude and determination. It’s really not about other people’s needs and assumptions. I’m not interested in the notion that art serves something. Art is useless, not useful.”
