Three Ways to Get Paid (2018)
Core aphorism & interpretations
- Thread centers on the 3-part rule:
- Lie to people who want lies → get rich.
- Tell truth to people who want truth → make a living.
- Tell truth to people who want lies → go broke.
- Several note a tension between “make a living” and “go broke” in the phrasing.
- Multiple users extend it to a 2×2 matrix (you/they: truth vs lies); missing cell “lying to those who want truth” is placed as scams, fraud, even jail.
- Many treat the rule as an aphorism, not a literal taxonomy of all possible jobs.
Truth, lies, and money
- Repeated theme: significant wealth often comes from lying or overpromising (sales, consulting, market research, influencers, some executives).
- Some express regret that having scruples limited their earnings; others reject this as defeatist and insist you can earn well while being honest.
- View that lying to people who want lies creates a self-reinforcing, harmful dynamic.
- Debate over whether externalities and systemic harm are compatible with personal honesty.
Workplace dynamics & saying “no”
- Stories of candidates negotiating pay being criticized, and employees punished for stating “we’re here for the money,” highlighting corporate self-deception.
- Many describe pressure to “fake it until you make it,” promise unrealistic features, or pad credentials; some see this as necessary kayfabe, others as unethical.
- Practical advice: don’t say a hard “no”; instead reframe as options, trade-offs, or alternative approaches.
- Counterpoint: good clients and leaders value honest constraints and clear refusals.
Meta: article brevity, paywall, and format
- Some complain HN submissions are getting very short and paywalled; the “read the rest” link here was broken for several browsers.
- Others defend concise writing with depth, preferring it over long, fluff-padded pieces (including LLM-expanded articles).
Broader reflections
- References to religious and philosophical formulations of the “golden rule” and people seeking teachers who confirm their desires.
- Several argue modern society runs on collective lies and incentive-driven self-deception; others call the entire framing “sociopathic” or overly cynical.