How to Get Rich: Learn to Schmooze

One of the big lies in the Republican version of capitalism is that it's all about hard work. Sure, they'll say, there are people who are rich and get richer. *BUT* what about all the guys who *weren't* rich and ended up rich. And hey, even Mitt Romney started with little and built up. And yeah, lazy people are NOT going to get ahead in the world, and there are many tales of rich lazy people who squandered their fortune.

But what's the key to getting ahead in the world? Who you know. Period. You can't make it without at least a little elbow grease and usually a lot. But who you know is far more important. And there's nothing particularly corrupt about that, either. That's why the OWS crowd doesn't quite have it right. It's not rigged against the Have Nots per se; it's just that the Have Nots don't know the right people. All they know is other Have Nots, and that ain't gonna do you much good when you're looking for investors.

It's not necessarily that we have a corrupt system, though there's surely some of that. It's just that personal connections are more important than hard work or money. And you know that to be true yourself, as you're far more likely to help a friend than a stranger. And so if you want to get ahead in the world and retire young, learn how to meet the right people and how to convince them that they want to give you their money. Rich people *want* to give money to the right people, but they can't do that unless you know them.

And if you just don't have those skills, that'd help explain why you're not getting ahead. The ability to schmooze rich people is a skill like any other. Some people have it. Some don't.  And I say that as someone who doesn't have that skill, but am certainly willing to learn.