Lesson From a 25-Year-Old Rookie in Business: Loyalty Doesn’t Pay The Bills
It hasn’t been long since I joined the workforce, but one lesson hit me hard and fast…
In the world of business, everything revolves around one thing; money. Every other value, mission, or promise is just a tool to bring it in.
Remember this, especially when people shower you with praise or act overly friendly after knowing you for mere hours or days.
Let’s be real, they don’t actually think you’re kind, respectful, or sharp.
It’s just a cheap tactic to butter you up and gain your approval for something that benefits them. The only question you should be asking is: “Will this benefit me too?”
I’ve fallen for those cheap flattery tactics before. Why? Because it stroked my ego. Because among all those ultra-confident veterans with years of experience, it felt good to think I had something unique to offer.
And slowly, I got emotionally attached, like it wasn’t just work anymore. I started treating them like friends or family. I poured my energy into making them proud, driven by loyalty.
No, they didn’t offer me anything beyond what others had, of course. Maybe except for the feeling that I was unique. Which was obviously not the case.
Now I know what you’re thinking. How could I say that?
Because they fired me as quickly as I was hired.
All the promises and kind words turned out to be hollow. They thought they could profit off me, and when reality didn’t meet their expectations, they simply discarded me.
What I believed to be new partners in crime — people I could trust — suddenly collapsed, leaving me to face the harsh truth alone.
“It’s not personal, it’s business…” Is the sentence you’ll hear when you’re fired right after being told you’re more than just a colleague and a valuable asset to the company.
The business world operates in its own cold, calculated space, detached from personal ties. There’s a distinction, and until you truly grasp this divide, moments like these will keep delivering harsh reality checks.
You are a number. A single line on their income statement.
So, play the same game. Be as disinterested as they are. Analyze where your interests lie. And only accept their proposals if they serve your self-interest.
No loyalty. No emotion. Just strategy.
