Is Skill/Mastery Beyond Stage Orange?

[emind]

Hi guys.

I hope you're doing great.

I'm in a bit of a dilemma right now, and would really appreciate your input.

Background

I was fortunate enough to have grown up in really affluent circles. 

The people I went to school with were pretty much the richest people of my country (think politicians, large business owners, etc).

With the passing of time, I outgrew many of the beliefs and people I was raised with and have been paving my way for a few years now.

Recently, however, I ran into some of those people again, and experienced some cognitive dissonance.

A bit more Background

As I said, the environment/culture I grew up in was one where people cared about practicality, money, and profit.

There was very little talk of what you were aiming to do in life, higher purpose,mastery, etc.

I recognize these things are not inherently bad.

In fact, I have been going through a massive immersion into stage orange myself for the past year or so. 

I've been increasing my income, been competitive in what I do, been strategizing for business etc. 

However, everything I've done has always been in the spirit of mastering my craft (technology industry).

Money is crucial, but secondary to higher purpose.

The Cognitive Dissonance

So here I run into these people, and there they are, discussing business, talking about ways to make money, wanting to do business with me, etc.

This is great (I do it myself all the time), but what really turned me off was the angle with which they approached it.

Everything they said had an exploitative intention behind it, and there was no talk about mastery, or appreciation of people as such, but rather what they could do for you.

It was shameless networking and self promotion, coupled with a lot of bragging and status games.

These people seem to appreciate me (or so I think), and are eager to hang out again, include me into their world, etc.

But frankly, the mere thought of doing so makes me sick.

One part of me says that not getting together with them is a lost opportunity to make money and could be the source of a limiting belief.

But another tells me it goes against my principles.

I feel disgusted and feel like I'm being looked at as a mere tool, and am really turned off by their obsessive materialism (money-wise, not ontological).

 

Am I limiting myself? Or should I follow my intuition?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[Thought Art]

@emind do you need more money? 
would focusing on building money and wealth help you to eventually play a higher more meaningful role?

[njuufa]

Skills and mastery itself can be pursued in different ways. Like in orange way, green way and beyond. 

Orange person would do it in a exploitive way. Orange takes in no consideration of how anyone feels. People are things for them. And things are God to them. 

You could say that Your friends have never been taught anything beyond orange. So You understand why they act so. If I would want to keep them I would try to lead them.

Edited November 3, 2022 by njuufa

[aurum]

8 hours ago, emind said:

One part of me says that not getting together with them is a lost opportunity to make money and could be the source of a limiting belief.

But another tells me it goes against my principles.

I feel disgusted and feel like I'm being looked at as a mere tool, and am really turned off by their obsessive materialism (money-wise, not ontological).

 

Am I limiting myself? Or should I follow my intuition?

What are your larger goals?

The reality is that if you need to make money, every person you do business with or interact with won't be a saint. People are just not at that level of consciousness.

If you're just starting out your career, you may just have to bit the bullet on this one. You do need to pay bills and survive like everyone else.

At the same time, if it goes against your principles, then start making a long-term strategic plan to get out of that situation. Focus on working in an industry that isn't just about money. If you choose a shady industry, you're going to do business with shady people. So think about where you really want to be and what you want to do.

If you don't need money right now, then maybe you can afford to pass on some of this. But either way you need a strategy for what better-thing you are going to be doing.

It's one thing to say such-and-such business goes against my principles. It's another to actually put a plan in place to where you can afford to do something different. And then actually succeed.

There is nothing that says you are entitled or guaranteed a higher consciousness business or a principled life. The system / environment you are in is not set up for that. So If you want that, you will have to work your ass off to build it.