Darkover
Angelic
- Jul 29, 2021
- 4,626
Why Life is a Scam
In many ways, life can feel like a carefully orchestrated scam—a system designed to exploit and manipulate individuals into serving purposes they did not choose, all while promising a vague notion of happiness that remains largely unattainable for the majority. While the concept of a scam typically involves deception and a loss of value, life itself can seem to embody these characteristics. From the moment we are born into a world we didn't ask to enter, we are met with a series of expectations, societal pressures, and inevitable hardships that lead to a profound sense of disillusionment. This essay explores why life might be considered a scam, examining procreation, societal exploitation, and the false promises of fulfillment.The Illusion of Choice
One fundamental aspect of a scam is the illusion of choice. In life, the greatest scam of all might be that we are born into it without consent. No one chooses to exist, yet once we do, we are immediately subject to the rules of a world that demands conformity, productivity, and survival. From the moment of birth, we are set on a path dictated by circumstances beyond our control—our family, socioeconomic status, geography, and the prevailing systems of power. Despite this lack of choice, we are told we have "free will," but often this is constrained by economic, social, and political factors.The false sense of control in life is central to the feeling of being scammed. We are sold the narrative that hard work leads to success, happiness, and fulfillment, yet for many, this never materializes. Instead, life becomes a cycle of struggle, often resulting in disappointment as the promises of a better future are continually pushed just out of reach.
Procreation as a Mechanism of Exploitation
One of the most poignant examples of life's scam-like nature is procreation. Bringing a new life into the world is often seen as an act of love and hope, but upon closer inspection, it can also be viewed as a tool of societal exploitation. The continuation of the species is framed as a moral and natural imperative, yet the burdens of this process fall primarily on individuals and families, not the societal structures that benefit from it. Parents are tasked with raising and supporting the next generation of workers, soldiers, and consumers, while the elite class benefits from an endless supply of labor without contributing meaningfully to the costs of upbringing.In this sense, life itself is structured as a system where the few at the top profit from the labor and sacrifices of the many below. The "proud parents" often foot the bill for raising children, only for those children to enter a system that exploits them. Education, healthcare, housing, and other basic necessities are increasingly commodified, making survival a costly endeavor while the wealth generated by labor disproportionately flows to a small fraction of society.
The Exploitation of the Many for the Few
For those who aren't in the top 1%, life often feels like a continuous grind of exploitation. In capitalist societies, individuals are valued primarily for their ability to work and produce profit. Employers, politicians, and corporations often exploit this need for survival by offering just enough to keep workers functioning but never enough to break free from the cycle of dependency. This creates a grotesque system where people spend the majority of their lives laboring for others, with little to show for it.In many ways, life mirrors the structure of a Ponzi scheme: those at the top reap the rewards, while those at the bottom work endlessly with the hope of one day improving their situation. However, this improvement rarely materializes in any meaningful way. The wealthy and powerful create systems that are difficult to escape, reinforcing the narrative that success is possible if only one works hard enough—despite the fact that systemic barriers often make this success unattainable for the vast majority.
The Promise of Happiness: A Deceptive Carrot
Another element that makes life feel like a scam is the promise of happiness. Society offers a set of conditions that are supposed to lead to contentment: financial stability, family, career success, and social status. Yet these are often hollow achievements, as the pursuit of happiness becomes a never-ending chase for more—more money, more status, more possessions. The capitalist structure thrives on this endless pursuit, as people are constantly encouraged to consume more, achieve more, and be more, even though true contentment remains elusive.The scam lies in the way society dangles the idea of happiness as something we can purchase or achieve through external means. Instead of fulfillment, people often find themselves stuck in a cycle of dissatisfaction, always needing the next promotion, the next purchase, or the next relationship to fill a void that can never truly be satisfied. This deception is the hallmark of a scam—what is promised is never fully delivered.
Conclusion: The Scammed Life
In the end, life's scam-like nature becomes apparent when we recognize the disconnect between what we are told to expect and what we actually experience. We are born into a world without choice, forced into systems of exploitation that benefit a select few while the majority struggle to make ends meet. Procreation becomes a mechanism for perpetuating this system, and the promise of happiness is nothing more than a deceptive carrot on a stick, always just out of reach.While some might find meaning or solace in personal growth, relationships, or creativity, this doesn't negate the fact that life, for many, feels deeply unfair and exploitative. In that sense, life can indeed feel like a scam—an intricate system of false promises designed to extract as much as possible from individuals without delivering the fulfillment and freedom that is so often promised.
