You Are All Being Misled by Promises of Easy Riches
The scam of 'How To Make Money' Articles
I have written about this exact topic previously: https://bestdealspot.top/writers/the-scam-of-how-to-earn-money-as-a-writer-articles%3C/p%3E%3Cstyle data-emotion-css="14azzlx-P">.css-14azzlx-P{font-family:Droid Serif,Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:1.1875rem;-webkit-letter-spacing:0.01em;-moz-letter-spacing:0.01em;-ms-letter-spacing:0.01em;letter-spacing:0.01em;line-height:1.6;color:#1A1A1A;margin-top:32px;}
The bottom line is that EVERYONE is out to make a buck.
I know this is quite a generalization, but it is a life truth that serves a far greater benefit [to you all] in being accepted, rather than rejected.
Humans want to feel important.
They want to feel valued.
That is why we attach our identity (and, subsequently, large swaths of our self-esteem) to the profession we choose: Our work indicates our value to others.
After all, not many people are content with working jobs without some kind of monetary compensation.
Why would they?
A "thank you" and a "pat on the back" don't put food on your table!
It won't pay your rent.
It definitely won't cover that ridiculously high monthly car payment on your Honda Accord that the dealer told you was a "good deal."
No, human actions typically revolve around two prospects: the acquisition of money or the acquisition of love.
Plain and simple.
It is a rare, rare, rare human who places more importance on being a guiding light to others than on earning a paycheck.
Which brings me back to the original point of this article: Writers are scamming writers to earn a living.
How so?
In a myriad of ways.
Let's explore one example of this scammery: The emphasis on creating PDFs or short courses.
Is there a market for this type of product?
Absolutely.
People tend not to be happy with certain aspects of their physical existence on this planet.
Thus, they are always looking for "cures" to what ails them physically, emotionally, psychologically, etc.
Offering a PDF or a course to help others be better isn't evil at all.
The problem is that THOUSANDS of other people have thought of the same idea!
Thus, like everything in life, you are competing in a bottomless internet abyss with similar products (or services), desperately fighting to achieve something that is becoming emphatically more difficult to obtain each passing year: a person's attention!
Getting people to "pay attention" to your product so they want to purchase it is becoming a far greater challenge than even CREATING the item itself.
After all, AI does all the heavy lifting for you, right?
All you have to do is type a few commands into a dialogue box, and BOOM! AI creates these profound, life-changing writing periodicals that you can hawk at desperate, insecure people for money.
You barely have to lift a muscle in two of your fingers, and AI will create your very own value proposition [i.e., product] that YOU can shamelessly hawk onto others for personal profit.
Which brings me back to a previous point: many, many people have already thought of this!
Many, many, MANY people are doing whatever "brilliant" idea you have thought of (writing-wise).
So, how exactly are you supposed to rise above the 'herd,' and have your product or service be recognized as valuable, and thus, purchased by the public!
Ahhhh, see these so-called "helpful" writers here on sites like this, don't explain that.
They will show you screenshots of their GumRoad account and say, "Hey, look how much money I have made off this product!"
What they don't tell you is that to even make a sale, off a site like GumRoad, you need to have a hefty email subscriber list of people that you can hawk your AI-generated crap to.
After all, how will people know that you have something to sell when they don't know that you have something to sell?!
This is the big dark secret that all these "helpful writers" keep omitting: Their ideas ARE NOT new, and that you are going to have a hell of a time selling your products, without a strong internet following.
Simple.
Just like in high school, if you don't have some sort of popularity (on the internet), then people won't want to follow you.
They won't buy from you.
You'll just be another voice, drowned in the deep chasm of the internet.
Why can't writers just say the difficult part out loud? Selling 'stuff' online is becoming increasingly difficult over time.
Why can't writers just admit: A thousand other people are trying to do the SAME EXACT thing that you are attempting right now!
Simple.
Then they won't make money off you.
The sad but necessary truth is that humanity treats one another most often through a transactional lens.
In other words, they organically view others by how much they can "gain" from them.
This usually involves financial gain, but it can be other 'gains' as well: Popularity, sexual, career, you name it!
Humans are always "looking" to gain something from other humans.
Every day, when I log onto this website and see that the only articles that people care about are the ones that "claim" to have cracked "The Matrix" code, in terms of finding a way to make money 'writing' online, I cringe a little bit further.
In life, there really is no such thing as a free lunch.
There is also no such thing as an "easy" way to make money.
Especially on the internet.
Except if you are an influencer, of course! *barf*
When people don't know you, they don't want to buy from you.
Frankly, they ain't buying what you're selling!
Perhaps it's time for people to realize that.
Maybe that cold, hard fact will inspire others to focus on creating value rather than profit.
Oh, and don't forget the cute picture of the cute, cuddly cat or puppy as the main picture of your article when trying to hawk half-hearted, nearly useless advice to others, in order to make a buck!
Trust me, it works every time! ;)
About the Creator
Jonathan Mandel
I have a ceaseless yearning for intelligence and insight into the inner workings that encompass this mysterious creation known as life. I desire to be an uplifting source of knowledge to others. https://buymeacoffee.com/jonmandel
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The Dark Side of Success No One Talks About
We grow up believing success is the ultimate destination. As children, we are asked, “What do you want to become?” Not, “Who do you want to be?” From school classrooms to family gatherings, success is described as a shining trophy waiting at the end of hard work. Good grades. A respected job. A stable income. Recognition. Applause. We are trained to chase it. And so we run. We sacrifice sleep during exams. We say no to outings. We push through exhaustion. We ignore our emotions. Because one day, we imagine, it will all be worth it. But here’s what no one prepares us for: Success has a shadow. When you finally achieve something meaningful — a promotion, a scholarship, a growing audience, financial stability — the world claps. Messages come in. People congratulate you. Your name is spoken with admiration. It feels good. For a moment. Then something changes. Instead of relief, you feel pressure. Suddenly, you are no longer just a person chasing a dream. You are a person expected to maintain it. And maintaining success is often harder than achieving it. There’s a quiet fear that begins to whisper inside your mind: “What if this was just luck?” “What if I can’t repeat this?” “What if I disappoint everyone?” That fear doesn’t disappear. It grows. The higher you rise, the more visible you become. And visibility invites judgment. When you were struggling, mistakes were private. Now they are public. When you fail, people notice. When you slow down, people question. Success turns effort into expectation. And expectations are heavy. Another side that few discuss is loneliness. When you are building your dream from the ground up, you usually have companions. Friends who are also struggling. Family who supports you during hard times. Conversations filled with shared ambitions. But as you move ahead, your path may separate from others. Some people celebrate your growth genuinely. Others begin to compare. You may notice subtle changes. Conversations feel different. Some friends become distant. Some relatives become critical. You begin to shrink your achievements in front of certain people just to maintain comfort. You hesitate before sharing good news. You tell yourself, “It’s better not to say too much.” And slowly, success isolates you. Not because you want it to. But because growth sometimes creates distance. Then there is the addiction of achievement. The first success feels incredible. So you chase the next one. Then the next. Then the next. Without realizing it, you tie your self-worth to productivity. If you are achieving, you feel valuable. If you are resting, you feel guilty. You wake up thinking about goals. You sleep thinking about targets. You measure your days by output. Rest begins to feel like weakness. But the human mind and body are not machines. Burnout doesn’t knock loudly at the door. It enters quietly. You feel tired, but you ignore it. You feel overwhelmed, but you push through. You feel emotionally drained, but you smile anyway. Because successful people are not supposed to complain. That’s the unspoken rule. Social media makes it even harder. We scroll through pictures of luxury cars, exotic vacations, business milestones, awards, and perfect lifestyles. We see captions about “grinding harder” and “never stopping.” But we rarely see therapy sessions. We rarely see anxiety attacks. We rarely see moments of doubt. Success online is polished. Real success is messy. Many high achievers experience something called imposter syndrome. Even after reaching remarkable milestones, they secretly feel like frauds. They think: “Someone else deserves this more.” “I’m not as talented as they believe.” “One day they will realize I’m not that good.” Imagine standing on a stage receiving applause while inside you feel uncertain. That contradiction is exhausting. There is also the pressure of identity. When you become known for something — being smart, talented, successful, reliable — it becomes your label. And labels are difficult to escape. If you are “the successful one” in your family, you feel responsible for always being strong. If you are “the achiever” among friends, you feel you must always lead. But what if you have a bad day? What if you feel lost? What if you want to change direction? Success sometimes traps you in an image you created. And breaking that image feels dangerous. Yet here is the deeper truth: Success itself is not the enemy. An unhealthy definition of success is. If success only means money, status, or external validation, it will never fully satisfy you. Because those things depend on outside forces — markets, trends, opinions, comparisons. Real success must include internal stability. Peace of mind. Meaningful relationships. Time for health. Emotional honesty. Without these, achievement feels hollow. There are countless stories of individuals who reached incredible heights but felt empty inside. Not because they failed — but because they forgot to ask why they were chasing in the first place. Ambition is powerful. It pushes us forward. It builds civilizations. It transforms lives. But ambition without balance becomes obsession. And obsession without self-awareness becomes self-destruction. We need to normalize conversations about the cost of achievement. We need to allow successful people to say: “I am proud of what I’ve built, but I am also tired.” We need to stop assuming that visible success equals invisible happiness. Because it doesn’t. The real goal should not just be reaching the top. It should be reaching the top while still recognizing yourself in the mirror. It should be building something meaningful without sacrificing your mental health. Growing financially without shrinking emotionally. Winning publicly without losing privately. Maybe the dark side of success exists to remind us of something important: We are human first. Titles can change. Income can fluctuate. Popularity can fade. But your well-being, your character, and your inner peace — those are foundations. If you achieve everything but lose yourself, was it truly success? Perhaps the strongest form of success is this: Being able to pause. Being able to breathe. Being able to say no. Being able to rest without guilt. Being able to grow without fear. The world will continue celebrating the visible victories. But the real victory is invisible. It is balance. And that is the side of success we should talk about more often.
By Shahid Zaman5 days ago in Motivation
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