There's a subtle war going on against success & it’s hidden within the kindness & empathy messages that are being proliferated across social media.

Sounds preposterous?

Let me explain...

In case you haven’t noticed, the ‘eek’ factor associated with success & wealth is dramatically on the rise. Thanks to the new breed of visible 'influencers' who are over-advocating the qualities of “kindness” & “empathy” but completely downplaying the qualities required for success & achievement.

The kindness and empathy message gets popularity votes. It appeals to our hidden instincts. Why? It makes us feel good about ourselves without the need to make a high level of sacrifice or without committing to high standards of performance.

I suppose one of the other reasons the kindness & empathy message is popular is because it is very widely appealing. After all, anyone can claim to possess these qualities in droves, unlike achievement & wealth, which require a demonstrable evidence of measurable results.

Not to mention, the kindness & empathy message carries an undetectable & sneaky double standard. It is definitely NOT kind to those who achieve massive success, or those who have amassed financial wealth. It carries an underlying assumption that people who seek success & wealth are sleazy. It also feels perfectly justified and righteous about demeaning people who it perceives as unkind. And it sneakily disparages those who are self-focused, whilst it glorifies those who are not self-responsible.

Still don’t believe me? Ever noticed that in movies and television shows, the bad guy is always someone who is wealthy and wants money? And the good guy...is always kind and ...financially irresponsible?

From childhood, we are being conditioned to be repelled by wealthy and successful people, unless they come from the world of sport or entertainment.

There is virtually no value or respect placed on uncommon achievement in business, money or politics. And the social media influencers know this. That’s why they jump on this bandwagon. After all, what’s popular, & what appeals to people's feelings, will sell and attract followers, right?

Ever noticed the righteous language used by the people who are supposed to be 'kindness' advocates? It is not always kind towards the people who value achievement. Does no one sees the irony?

The kindness and empathy movement celebrates a subjective & abstract concept designed to make people feel good in the now, and bound to make people feel terrible in the future.

In his book, “Against Empathy” Paul Bloom even makes a strong case against empathy, and how it is being used to drive bad decision-making, and leaves people open to manipulation. He explains how empathy is selectively biased and how it makes us blind to long-term consequences.

Last time I checked, the economic system rewarded ingenuity, creativity, innovation, improvements and problem-solving. It rewards measurable performance.

What will people do when they get to retirement & run out of savings, because they were too busy denying the value of achievement, & financial success? Will kindness pay for medical care & a secure home? Have people forgotten that financial security is a by-product of performance & a superior skillset & work ethic?

Even though many feel perfectly entitled to attack capitalism and capitalists today, I wonder how many have conveniently overlooked the higher standards of living & longevity, that have enabled the masses to live better lifestyles than at any other time in history.

Be careful, the kindness message is very seductive. I suspect it is more about making people feel better about accepting their mediocrity. I suspect it is a sneaky attempt on the part of influencers to win popularity votes. It's secondary intent seems to be to subliminally and inadvertently undermine the importance of achievement, performance & financial responsibility because those measures are hard to achieve, & make people feel uncomfortable.

It is based on the fantasy of what “ought to be”, instead of what “is”. A very dangerous notion in its potential to mislead many.

Now, please don’t get me wrong. My message is definitely not about undermining the importance of the wonderful qualities of kindness and empathy. My message is about the dangers of downplaying the importance of wonderful attributes like high-performance, achievement & financial success, which people forget, require tremendous resourcefulness, sacrifice & commitment.

Don’t be seduced. Remain objective & vigilant on what’s being preached.

The kindest thing you can actually do is to create, innovate & solve problems. There is a reason industry & markets reward that because, ultimately, it is the only thing that makes people's lives better in the long run.

And paradoxically, true kindness actually requires performance, achievement as well as self-responsibility. Not just preachy “feel good” words.

Ron Malhotra

Ready to 'Magnify' your achievements in life, career & business? Visit www.ronmalhotra.com