The Most Important Virtue of the Capitalist: Laziness

The worker makes money from his labor. This revenue is non-recurring. Work once, get paid once.

The capitalist makes money from his money. This revenue is recurring. Save (”invest”) once, get paid forever.

If you work for clients, you’re making money from your labor, not your money. Working with clients is not a bad thing. It’s fun to talk to people. Working on new types of Web sites expands your knowledge and sharpens your skillset. Working with new people allows you to hear new perspectives and opinions. And clients pay you NOW — rather than a year or two from now.

The problem is, they pay you once.

Want to know something about me? I’m really, really, really lazy. I’ve told this to people before, and they’ve replied something to the effect of, “Yeah right! You work fulltime and run several businesses on the side! Hardly lazy.”

Well, in a way they’re right. I rarely, if ever, work a 40 hour week (60 might be par).

However — know this — I love being lazy. I love the feeling of not lifting a finger, and getting a check in the mail (Adsense, dividend, CJ, whatever).

What is it with the Protestant work ethic in this country? Why do we have to work all the time? Yes, some people have to work hard, and all the time, just to make ends meet (talking basic needs here: food and shelter) — I’m not referring to them. OK, aside from them, yes, you can get pleasure from hard work. There is honor in providing for your family. There is satisfaction in challenging work. Maybe all your friends are from work (but then, maybe that isn’t very balanced, eh?)

But what’s the best kind of work?

It’s the kind you do because you love doing it. You don’t have to do it. You like doing it. You can take a break whenever you want. I don’t mean an hour. I mean a month or a year. It isn’t a financial necessity that you work; it’s a financial bonus.

The freedom to work like that is a privelege. Most people in the world do not enjoy this privelege. That doesn’t mean you should feel guilty if the idea sounds good to you — or that you shouldn’t try to achieve this lifestyle.

So I guess I’m not truly-uly lazy at this moment. But one of my primary professional goals is the ability to be lazy if and when I want. Where I want.

I want to be a capitalist!

I’m not the biggest Steve Pavlina fan — far from it — but his article 10 Reasons You Should Never Get a Job is an awesome read, and really changed the way I think about work.

Getting a job and trading your time for money may seem like a good idea. There’s only one problem with it. It’s stupid! It’s the stupidest way you can possibly generate income! This is truly income for dummies.

Why is getting a job so dumb? Because you only get paid when you’re working. Don’t you see a problem with that, or have you been so thoroughly brainwashed into thinking it’s reasonable and intelligent to only earn income when you’re working? Have you never considered that it might be better to be paid even when you’re not working?

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