One of the things that Amway leaders use to attract new IBOs is to talk about the dreams that these folks have. They may talk about how having a job will wear you out and dreams that you once had as a child or young adult gets suppressed and/or completely forgotten. They try to revive some of these dreams in the hopes that they can convince prospects that Amway is the only way, or the easiest or best way to accomplish these dreams. They also try to instill the notion that people can choose to succeed in Amway. Being that success in Amway has so many variables out of the direct control of an IBO, nobody can simply choose to make it big in Amway anymore than they can choose to win the lottery. And by the way, the chances of going diamond and maintaining it is about as remote as winning a lottery.
What is somewhat cruel is reviving dreams that for many, will never come to fruition, no matter how much work is done, and no matter how many tools are consumed. There are many instances where no matter how big the dream, it will never come to pass because of physical and financial limitations. For example, as a child, many of us had dreams of playing professional football, hockey or basketball, and living in the glory of winning. However, no matter how many hours you put in and no matter how hard you work, the vast majority of people will never be pro athletes. And even out of the ones who become pro athletes, very few are considered "elite".
Yet the Amway promoters will have people believe that just buying a few products and selling a few products and 2-5 years of "hard" work, people will join the financially elite in the world. As if home care and beauty and nutritional products moved from person to person is going to make you achieve your dreams. That you will quit your jobs and walk the beaches of the world while the cash rolls in by the barrel full. Sadly, many young people become attracted to a propostion that allows them a shortcut to retirement instead of working until age 62 or whatever the standard retirement age is. They are basically promoting false hopes and promises to the vast majority of people who get involved. I believe those who are deemed as "dream stealers" might be doing their family and friends a favor by "stealing their dream", which will not come to pass anyway.
With about 1 out of 240 IBOs reaching platinum (the alleged break even point) and about 1 in 20,000 IBOs reaching diamond, the dream is a stretch indeed. Even for the select few who can overcome major challenges and hurdles, maintaining their status often becomes impossible and and not worthwhile (many diamonds have quit). Also, if you do make it, you will leave behind a trail of people who could not or did not come close to that level of success. It means that in many cases, your success will come at the expense of those you sponsor. It is why many claim that Amway is a legal pyramid.
Having dreams and goals is a good thing. But do you want to accomplish your ultimate dream by hurting (financially) those who trusted you and agreed to be your downline? Is it your dream to go diamond and have 500 to 1000 or more downline IBOs losing money? Is it your dream to be wealthy by exploiting people who trust you and believe that they can achieve the same level of success, when the opposite is true?
What is your dream? Are you willing to hurt others to achieve it? Your answer to this will say a lot.
All of this can be traced back to those various motivational texts: Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" or Peale's "The Power of Positive Thinking" or Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People." These are all hucksters' manuals.
ReplyDeleteThey all say that you can use mind over matter. Just think and obsess and fixate yourself on a "dream," and the dream will inevitably come true. If you fail, they will say, it's because "you didn't dream big enough or hard enough." How many times have you heard that kind of crap from Amway freaks when someone resigns or quits?
Of course this kind of thinking is basically insane. I've called it "Tinkerbelle thinking," from the notion that we can all save Peter Pan's little fairy friend Tinkerbelle from death if we all just wish hard enough. Come on, kids! Save poor widdle Tinkerbelle! Wish harder and harder!
The scary idea behind Tinkerbelle thinking is the belief that everyone is PERSONALLY responsible for the objective reality of his or her life. It's a totally bizarre notion. Millions of people world-wide cannot change their objective situation in life. Millions are trapped by circumstances that dictate the manner of their existence. And yet the flaming idiots like Hill and Peale and Carnegie preach (as incontrovertible doctrine) that if you really wish and dream hard enough, you can change your life.
That is absolute, fucking bullshit.
It's like the notion that someone can "choose" to succeed in Amway. I have also heard that so and so made the decision to go diamond. That's all BS, nobody can choose to go diamond.
DeleteAnd yeah, while the books might have some value, some of what is said is taken out of context and used to promote the Amway systems and dangerous thinking.
I think an important question to ask any level upline is: so are you now living your original dreams? Or have your dreams changed since being in this business?
ReplyDeleteIn my experience; my ex had different dreams and goals before getting into amway, but now her dreams are to "help people" in this business by doing who knows what. How quickly their minds change and get brainwashed. It's so sad and unfortunate.
-A
I remember the diamonds saying how awful it was to leave your wife and kids to go to a job. We could argue that a diamond's job isn't that hard. Showing the plan, speaking to audiences and holding night owls to teach the group.
DeleteSo turning this around, was it a diamond's dream to leave his wife and kids while he's out showing the plan ever night, and staying out until 3:00 in the morning holding night owl teaching sessions?
I applaud what you do here, Joe, but sometimes I think Amway and its motivational organizations are traps set to ensnare the unethical, unscrupulous members of our society who are willing to knowingly decieve others and don't mind all the unethical red flags they encountered when they first signed up with their sponsor. They soon discover they were mislead about it really being Amway and that the products and tools are overpriced, and they have the chance to quit and get refunds in the first 2 months, yet they overlook that they themselves were decieved, and turn around and do the same to others because they are blinded by their selfish unscrupulous greed. So they get what they deserve in the end. If you join a bunch of con artists and start being a con artist with them, guess what, those experienced con artists are gonna fuck you in the ass and milk you dry. I have no sympathy for those who sign up and stay beyond a month and sign up others with the same deception used on them. Fuck them!
ReplyDeleteIt took me about 6 months to really understand the magnitude of the scam. It was hard because I was sponsored by a trusted old friend. So I bit when they said nobody got paid from the tools, but I started doing the math in my head and realized that the diamonds were likely making bank from the tools and functions. I started asking questions but got few or BS answers.
DeleteI eventually quit and a number of years later I began participating on discussion forums and eventually started a blog to warn others about what I discovered.
I believe it's a worthwhile endeavor even if I don't earn a cent for it. I used to have amazon ads here but I never earned enough to qualify for any payment.
People who join Amway for the purpose of deceiving or conning others deserve whatever fucking they get. If they lose their shirts, it's a just punishment.
ReplyDeleteThe people I feel sorry for are those naive and trusting types who really believe that Amway will help them financially. They are the real victims. What's enraging about Amway is the manner in which those who don't succeed in the fake business are called "losers" or "quitters" by the up-line scum who have exploited them.
And when these experienced people milk you dry like a desert then you will feel the pain of betrayal and what's worse is that the people you trust will eventually leave you until you turn around and realize what you have done.
ReplyDeleteIt's very inevitable.
DeleteYour blog, is helpful to those people who feels that their lives are dry.....
ReplyDeleteHopefully this blog helps give people the real information they need about Amway to make an informed decision one way or another.
DeleteI'm sorry, I didn't mean you, Joe. I am very grateful for what you do here. I'm sure you save at least 1 person every day, if not more. I guess I was just angry after reading 'Merchants of Deception' with how someone could accept to deceive other people for 10 years and then expect sympathy. I guess I can sympathize with some ex-members, but I wish they would just come clean about how they were greedy and selfish and didn't give a damn about deceiving other people and hiding key information from them until after they joined.
ReplyDeleteNo offense taken
DeleteWell, I suppose that not everyone who remains in Amway for an extended period is evil or greedy. Some might just be naive and trusting types. Others might not be bright enough to see that they are being ripped off.
ReplyDeleteThe really evil ones (the diamonds and other big pins) are the ones who rise to the top. Like scum on a pond.
The loyal followers might be suffering from cognitive disonance. They truly believe in what they are doing and saying despite the contrary facts all around them.
DeleteAnd they have the same pattern as with other cult followers. That is why the nature of this mlm is more of a cult than a business nature.
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