The story of America’s most pliable, pernicious, irrepressible myth.
September 30, 2014 9:00 AM Subscribe
Slate's Jonathan Swansburg has an interesting piece on the mythos and myth of the Self Made Man.
The concept of the Self Made Man is equal parts awesome and terrible. Awesome in that you can take charge of your own destiny (to some extent) in this country, you aren't obliged to work in the same job as your parent, hard work and education do provide opportunities to people who can capitalize on them.
But terrible in that sometimes greater forces are at work beyond your control, but since 'anyone can become anything' your lack of success is not a sign of bad luck or coincidence, but failure. Which under the self made man ethos is evidently your own fault. America doesn't have tragic heroes, it has losers.
Also terrible in that the Self Made Man often fails to take into account either the happenstance or the socioeconomic infrastructure that allowed for his success. These poor souls become libertarians, which is often no better than political solipsism.
posted by leotrotsky at 9:26 AM on September 30, 2014 [20 favorites]
But terrible in that sometimes greater forces are at work beyond your control, but since 'anyone can become anything' your lack of success is not a sign of bad luck or coincidence, but failure. Which under the self made man ethos is evidently your own fault. America doesn't have tragic heroes, it has losers.
Also terrible in that the Self Made Man often fails to take into account either the happenstance or the socioeconomic infrastructure that allowed for his success. These poor souls become libertarians, which is often no better than political solipsism.
posted by leotrotsky at 9:26 AM on September 30, 2014 [20 favorites]
I saw an interesting example of the dangers of a self-made man two weeks ago at Brookgreen Gardens just outside of Myrtle Beach. You'll notice he is avoiding detail work in a specific area while still giving himself a rather optimistic allowance.
posted by srboisvert at 9:36 AM on September 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 9:36 AM on September 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
Fundamentally, the myth of the self-made man is a myth about a sort of hero, but a hero whose virtue lies in luck and industry; these are both desirable in their own way but have significant shortcomings when compared to bravery, wisdom, altruism, loyalty, and other characteristics you might expect to guide such a figure. That always seemed to imply a deep sort of paradox to me.
posted by clockzero at 9:43 AM on September 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by clockzero at 9:43 AM on September 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
I had actually been thinking about this subject over the weekend, which brought me back to one of Cracked's best articles: 6 Things Rich People Need to Stop Saying (particularly number three, "If I Can Do It, So Can You!").
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 9:51 AM on September 30, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 9:51 AM on September 30, 2014 [5 favorites]
The gaddamned Horatio fucking Alger illusion. Proto-Libertarianism.
Cowboys and bootstraps
posted by edgeways at 10:12 AM on September 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Cowboys and bootstraps
posted by edgeways at 10:12 AM on September 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also terrible in that the Self Made Man often fails to take into account either the happenstance or the socioeconomic infrastructure that allowed for his success. These poor souls become libertarians, which is often no better than political solipsism.
Yup, totally agree with this -- I've encountered a number of Self Made Men who are small business owners and just unbelievably entitled (I don't actually know that I've personally met any women who fall into this category although they might well exist). These men think that they have the right to tell everyone else how to run their business/lives and HONESTLY GENUINELY BELIEVE that they have this right because if they weren't so great and smart and right about everything how would they ever have become moderately successful small business owners? They seriously don't realize that the prerequisite for their success was having a family that could support them and educate them and provide them with resources and so they yell at people in grocery stores or the McDonalds when everyone else isn't living up to the high standards they've set by being successful white men who own small businesses.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 10:19 AM on September 30, 2014 [11 favorites]
Yup, totally agree with this -- I've encountered a number of Self Made Men who are small business owners and just unbelievably entitled (I don't actually know that I've personally met any women who fall into this category although they might well exist). These men think that they have the right to tell everyone else how to run their business/lives and HONESTLY GENUINELY BELIEVE that they have this right because if they weren't so great and smart and right about everything how would they ever have become moderately successful small business owners? They seriously don't realize that the prerequisite for their success was having a family that could support them and educate them and provide them with resources and so they yell at people in grocery stores or the McDonalds when everyone else isn't living up to the high standards they've set by being successful white men who own small businesses.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 10:19 AM on September 30, 2014 [11 favorites]
Ever read any Horatio Alger?
The hero tends to marry the boss' daughter.
As a reward for hard work and clean living.
America doesn't have tragic heroes, it has losers.
Hm. In America, a start-up business failure is seen as a lot more positive than it is in, say Europe. At least you tried. The banks and money people recognize that failure has a thousand reasons, and the entrepreneur's drive and ambition are not one of them. It is not a black mark on your attempt to try again, not unless there is some real glaring evidence that you're a congenital screw-up. So - there are second chances, and third and fourth in American business. Elsewhere in the world, not so much.
posted by IndigoJones at 10:24 AM on September 30, 2014 [10 favorites]
The hero tends to marry the boss' daughter.
As a reward for hard work and clean living.
America doesn't have tragic heroes, it has losers.
Hm. In America, a start-up business failure is seen as a lot more positive than it is in, say Europe. At least you tried. The banks and money people recognize that failure has a thousand reasons, and the entrepreneur's drive and ambition are not one of them. It is not a black mark on your attempt to try again, not unless there is some real glaring evidence that you're a congenital screw-up. So - there are second chances, and third and fourth in American business. Elsewhere in the world, not so much.
posted by IndigoJones at 10:24 AM on September 30, 2014 [10 favorites]
Actually, upon reflection, I've realized that my husband and I basically use "small business owner" as shorthand for "entitled libertarian asshole" which is totally unfair because there are lots of great small business owners who work really hard and do awesome stuff but the ones who make a Big Deal out of being a Business Owner and talk about how hard they work often ARE entitled libertarian assholes who are completely blind to their own privilege.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 10:26 AM on September 30, 2014 [8 favorites]
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 10:26 AM on September 30, 2014 [8 favorites]
upon reflection
Glad you said that because I was about to take serious exception, which I rarely do to your comments.
posted by IndigoJones at 10:27 AM on September 30, 2014
Glad you said that because I was about to take serious exception, which I rarely do to your comments.
posted by IndigoJones at 10:27 AM on September 30, 2014
Ben Franklin's account of a rags-to-riches rise wasn't quite as sui generis as Swansburg suggests.
If last night's episode of Sleepy Hollow is to be believed (and I don't know why we wouldn't), Ben Franklin may not have been the first self-made man, but he was definitely the first to make a man out of spare parts all by himself.
posted by Strange Interlude at 10:28 AM on September 30, 2014 [10 favorites]
If last night's episode of Sleepy Hollow is to be believed (and I don't know why we wouldn't), Ben Franklin may not have been the first self-made man, but he was definitely the first to make a man out of spare parts all by himself.
posted by Strange Interlude at 10:28 AM on September 30, 2014 [10 favorites]
For every self made man there are hundreds if not thousands of trampled upon men.
posted by notreally at 10:37 AM on September 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by notreally at 10:37 AM on September 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
The gaddamned Horatio fucking Alger illusion. Proto-Libertarianism.
As the author points out, Horatio Alger's stories depend on a rich dude with a creeper undertone taking an interest in your willingness to labor. The "Horatio Alger myth" is actually a (cough) perversion of Alger's stories.
Fun fact-- my grandfather, a Saugus native when it was still a small town, was an acquaintance of Frank Giuffrida, original proprietor of the Hilltop steakhouse. He liked Frank, which is a testament to Frank's charisma-- Granddad, uh, didn't like many people.
posted by Mayor Curley at 10:37 AM on September 30, 2014 [3 favorites]
As the author points out, Horatio Alger's stories depend on a rich dude with a creeper undertone taking an interest in your willingness to labor. The "Horatio Alger myth" is actually a (cough) perversion of Alger's stories.
Fun fact-- my grandfather, a Saugus native when it was still a small town, was an acquaintance of Frank Giuffrida, original proprietor of the Hilltop steakhouse. He liked Frank, which is a testament to Frank's charisma-- Granddad, uh, didn't like many people.
posted by Mayor Curley at 10:37 AM on September 30, 2014 [3 favorites]
So, I am reading Little House on the Prairie to my son this week. I realized a few things while doing so:
1. This series, with its lovingly detailed descriptions of Pa's carpentry projects, is probably responsible for my love of home-improvement shows.
2. I have to leave out a lot of things she says about Indians and it's still iffy.
3. Pa says at one point he doesn't like to be beholden to anybody, but also that Mr. Edward lending him nails was "just neighborly." He also frequently rides around checking on the local settlers and helping them (telling nearby people when a family is sick, etc.) This is a pretty good example of the self-made myth. You can accept help but only if you pay it back as soon as possible. But you also help others because you are just so fucking awesome, although the implication is that they are not quite as good as you, since they needed help. You also nearly cripple your wife with your unsafe cabin-building methods and yet don't take that as any kind of sign that maybe your family would do better with a community than isolated on a prairie. Pa in general has an unbelievable amount of skill, luck and energy throughout the book, which didn't strike me as a kid but does now. The self-made man and his little family alone in the wildnerness, is incredibly fragile and vulnerable. And of course the many accounts of settlers dying or failing back that up.
posted by emjaybee at 10:38 AM on September 30, 2014 [6 favorites]
1. This series, with its lovingly detailed descriptions of Pa's carpentry projects, is probably responsible for my love of home-improvement shows.
2. I have to leave out a lot of things she says about Indians and it's still iffy.
3. Pa says at one point he doesn't like to be beholden to anybody, but also that Mr. Edward lending him nails was "just neighborly." He also frequently rides around checking on the local settlers and helping them (telling nearby people when a family is sick, etc.) This is a pretty good example of the self-made myth. You can accept help but only if you pay it back as soon as possible. But you also help others because you are just so fucking awesome, although the implication is that they are not quite as good as you, since they needed help. You also nearly cripple your wife with your unsafe cabin-building methods and yet don't take that as any kind of sign that maybe your family would do better with a community than isolated on a prairie. Pa in general has an unbelievable amount of skill, luck and energy throughout the book, which didn't strike me as a kid but does now. The self-made man and his little family alone in the wildnerness, is incredibly fragile and vulnerable. And of course the many accounts of settlers dying or failing back that up.
posted by emjaybee at 10:38 AM on September 30, 2014 [6 favorites]
Actually, upon reflection, I've realized that my husband and I basically use "small business owner" as shorthand for "entitled libertarian asshole" which is totally unfair because there are lots of great small business owners who work really hard and do awesome stuff but the ones who make a Big Deal out of being a Business Owner and talk about how hard they work often ARE entitled libertarian assholes who are completely blind to their own privilege.
These days small business owners tend to have their right to pay a low minimum wage protected by law while increases are imposed on 50+ employee businesses. If you or your business association lobby like an asshole you probably are an asshole.
posted by srboisvert at 10:46 AM on September 30, 2014
These days small business owners tend to have their right to pay a low minimum wage protected by law while increases are imposed on 50+ employee businesses. If you or your business association lobby like an asshole you probably are an asshole.
posted by srboisvert at 10:46 AM on September 30, 2014
The key to the Hilltop Steakhouse's success was that they would almost never open a new section of dining room until they already had more than enough people to fill it, and the line-up area was very close to a bar. Which is great if you want cheap steak and don't drink booze, and great if you want to make your money on high profit things like drinks. And, yeah, my family used to do the "eat steak then go buy more steak to bring home to the freezer" thing. It was really good steak in the butcher shop and fairly inexpensive for the quality.
posted by rmd1023 at 10:59 AM on September 30, 2014
posted by rmd1023 at 10:59 AM on September 30, 2014
Wait, wait, wait. So, Horatio Alger was a minister who was run out of his congregation (and the ministry altogether) because he was rumored to have practiced "evil deeds" on a young boy, allegations he did not deny. Then, he moves to New York City where he uses money and candy to lure street urchins back to his place -- which became a "veritable salon for street boys" -- but somehow lived out this part of his life in "repentant celibacy". What the what?
posted by mhum at 12:14 PM on September 30, 2014 [7 favorites]
posted by mhum at 12:14 PM on September 30, 2014 [7 favorites]
Wait, wait, wait. So, Horatio Alger was a minister who was run out of his congregation (and the ministry altogether) because he was rumored to have practiced "evil deeds" on a young boy.. moves to New York City where he uses money and candy to lure street urchins back to his place... but somehow lived out this part of his life in "repentant celibacy". What the what?
His books were still making money after he died. Kind of like how it suddenly became acceptable to play Michael Jackson's works or praise his talent after he died. For ten years, you had to whisper his name and his music was rarely heard. The scent of the molester can render a potentially profitable catalog unsalable. You have to clean that shit up before you can exploit it. For Alger, a bio that acknowledges evil stuff, yet redeems, is a pretty good tool to ward off naysayers.
posted by Mayor Curley at 12:27 PM on September 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
His books were still making money after he died. Kind of like how it suddenly became acceptable to play Michael Jackson's works or praise his talent after he died. For ten years, you had to whisper his name and his music was rarely heard. The scent of the molester can render a potentially profitable catalog unsalable. You have to clean that shit up before you can exploit it. For Alger, a bio that acknowledges evil stuff, yet redeems, is a pretty good tool to ward off naysayers.
posted by Mayor Curley at 12:27 PM on September 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
emjaybee:So, I am reading Little House on the Prairie to my son this week.
Little Libertarians on the prairie,Christine Woodside, The Boston Globe, 09 August 2013 (Previously)
posted by ob1quixote at 1:24 PM on September 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
Today I learned that Carnagie was a lying liar pants on fire. Though I somehow knew this already.
posted by daq at 2:11 PM on September 30, 2014
posted by daq at 2:11 PM on September 30, 2014
Metafilter: often no better than political solipsism
posted by bartonlong at 4:59 PM on September 30, 2014
posted by bartonlong at 4:59 PM on September 30, 2014
onanism, not solipsism.
posted by jenkinsEar at 5:42 PM on September 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jenkinsEar at 5:42 PM on September 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
IndigoJones: I've noticed that those extra chances are distributed to the privileged. The worst case for most of the people talking casually about failure is that they get a regular job or borrow from their parents until theyre ready to try a bold new social eating startup. A lot of other people are learning the hard way that many companies won't take a chance hiring you if you've been unemployed too long or missed enough bills to show up on a credit report.
posted by adamsc at 7:55 PM on September 30, 2014
posted by adamsc at 7:55 PM on September 30, 2014
It's a fine thing to be able to say, "I worked hard and I was successful."
But it's so hard to resist that little unwarranted step from facts to mythology: "I worked hard, and that's the reason why I was successful."
posted by straight at 9:26 PM on September 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
But it's so hard to resist that little unwarranted step from facts to mythology: "I worked hard, and that's the reason why I was successful."
posted by straight at 9:26 PM on September 30, 2014 [4 favorites]
straight: the one a lot of people miss is “… and nothing seriously impeded me”. It's easy to ignore things which never affected you personally so that's particularly common for white male libertarians (hi, younger-me) to miss until they get more exposure to how the world works for many people
posted by adamsc at 9:03 AM on October 1, 2014
posted by adamsc at 9:03 AM on October 1, 2014
The thing is - even if Franklin received help from strangers, I'm not sure how that makes him not a self made man - he received help through personal connections that he made with other individuals, personal connections made on the basis of his charm. It's the same as the Alger tales - the boys do acquire wealthy patrons, but through their charm or their character. These are random happenstances, but not ones devoid of agency.
Many of the 'rags to riches' stories - as do the memoirs of businessmen - involve a series of capitalizing on chance occurrences. So the self-made man, in essence, is someone who has the ability and willingness to be ready for those chance occurrences and to attempt them. It's the same with the Carnegie tale - he saw an opportunity, accepted it, and made sure to make the most of it - tailoring his presentation and accent in order to appeal best.
posted by corb at 10:44 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
Many of the 'rags to riches' stories - as do the memoirs of businessmen - involve a series of capitalizing on chance occurrences. So the self-made man, in essence, is someone who has the ability and willingness to be ready for those chance occurrences and to attempt them. It's the same with the Carnegie tale - he saw an opportunity, accepted it, and made sure to make the most of it - tailoring his presentation and accent in order to appeal best.
“Upon such trifles do the most momentous consequences hang,” wrote Carnegie of that checkers game, with typical humility. “A word, a look, an accent, may affect the destiny not only of individuals, but of nationsThe author talks about dismantling the myth of the self made man by noting that most people weren't able to take advantage of it - "it had a tendency to exclude as many congregants as it welcomed." but the myth never promised that most would be able to benefit from it. In fact, the "myth" of the self made man is only possible because he is lifting himself ahead of his fellow men. By its very nature it shows that it is only designed for the best few, not for the masses.
posted by corb at 10:44 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
straight: the one a lot of people miss is “… and nothing seriously impeded me”.
I think an even bigger problem is that there are lots of people who work hard and don't succeed and plenty of people who don't work very hard yet are successful. Maybe hard work is necessary and/or sufficient sometimes, but it clearly isn't the determining factor all the time, so I think you're going to have a hard time knowing whether, in your individual case, hard work was the determining factor in your success.
Science is a lot harder than mythology.
posted by straight at 12:06 PM on October 1, 2014 [3 favorites]
I think an even bigger problem is that there are lots of people who work hard and don't succeed and plenty of people who don't work very hard yet are successful. Maybe hard work is necessary and/or sufficient sometimes, but it clearly isn't the determining factor all the time, so I think you're going to have a hard time knowing whether, in your individual case, hard work was the determining factor in your success.
Science is a lot harder than mythology.
posted by straight at 12:06 PM on October 1, 2014 [3 favorites]
If everybody was happy, healthy, well fed and entertained, working in a productive role and valued by society... there would still be people who wanted more. There would still be people happy to take advantage of others for their own advancement.
I think these people are a cancer to society; monopolising more and more of the state resources until the host is creaking under their bloated self interest.
That we idolise these people is the real travesty.
posted by trif at 7:10 AM on October 3, 2014
I think these people are a cancer to society; monopolising more and more of the state resources until the host is creaking under their bloated self interest.
That we idolise these people is the real travesty.
posted by trif at 7:10 AM on October 3, 2014
If it is random happenstance (even with a touch of agency) it is not a system that favors the best few, it favors randomness. Lot of a lot of people with bags of charm and fantastic interpersonal skills and hardest workers work at Walmart and McDonalds.
The myth is 'if you work hard you will/may be successful'. the reality is, you may be successful if you work hard, you may be successful if you get lucky while not working at all. You may be a failure even if you work hard. There is a very large % of being lucky involved in being financially successful, it is a lottery and doesn't necessarily favor the most charming, deserving, or hardest working.
There is a show out there, forget the name, something like Undercover Boss or some-such, where the premise is these CEOs of large companies go undercover and work a week on the front line, nominally to get first hand experience of what is happening in their company. I watched a few episodes our of curiosity, and ... I think it's generally not a bad idea, but not as a TV show, because invariably at the end the boss has a big reveal to his week long coworkers, spouts some platitudes and tends to give them some token something or another and it's all just "one big happy learning experience".
I think the worst was White Castle, CEO inherited the position, is obviously living the large life driving around in expensive fast cars the whole 1% experience. And they go through the week of being a peon, and you can see his desperation to get back to the caviar and cigars.
I know the intention of the show is to humanize the 1%, and like any population there are those that seem to kinda actually get it, but there are those whose entitled assholishness shine through no matter how much they edit it to make them look good.
posted by edgeways at 10:01 AM on October 3, 2014
The myth is 'if you work hard you will/may be successful'. the reality is, you may be successful if you work hard, you may be successful if you get lucky while not working at all. You may be a failure even if you work hard. There is a very large % of being lucky involved in being financially successful, it is a lottery and doesn't necessarily favor the most charming, deserving, or hardest working.
There is a show out there, forget the name, something like Undercover Boss or some-such, where the premise is these CEOs of large companies go undercover and work a week on the front line, nominally to get first hand experience of what is happening in their company. I watched a few episodes our of curiosity, and ... I think it's generally not a bad idea, but not as a TV show, because invariably at the end the boss has a big reveal to his week long coworkers, spouts some platitudes and tends to give them some token something or another and it's all just "one big happy learning experience".
I think the worst was White Castle, CEO inherited the position, is obviously living the large life driving around in expensive fast cars the whole 1% experience. And they go through the week of being a peon, and you can see his desperation to get back to the caviar and cigars.
I know the intention of the show is to humanize the 1%, and like any population there are those that seem to kinda actually get it, but there are those whose entitled assholishness shine through no matter how much they edit it to make them look good.
posted by edgeways at 10:01 AM on October 3, 2014
Science is a lot harder than mythology.
That's what I've always thought, but too many of us think the fruits of science are self-evident just because we find them so. Human life, and the media are made out of stories. If there isn't a story there, we'll make one up. One of the reasons mythology is so powerful is that
"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." --M. Twain
posted by sneebler at 4:43 PM on October 3, 2014
That's what I've always thought, but too many of us think the fruits of science are self-evident just because we find them so. Human life, and the media are made out of stories. If there isn't a story there, we'll make one up. One of the reasons mythology is so powerful is that
"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." --M. Twain
posted by sneebler at 4:43 PM on October 3, 2014
>I've noticed....
Employers have a buyers market in general. Too bad, but there it is. That having been said, however, if you can fill in your time of long-term unemployment with a legitimate attempt at a (failed) business start-up, it's going to go better for you in applying for a new job than had you done nothing.
YMMV.
(Distributed is an odd word. There isn't a finite number of second chances, after which the shop window closes.)
posted by IndigoJones at 4:54 PM on October 12, 2014
Employers have a buyers market in general. Too bad, but there it is. That having been said, however, if you can fill in your time of long-term unemployment with a legitimate attempt at a (failed) business start-up, it's going to go better for you in applying for a new job than had you done nothing.
YMMV.
(Distributed is an odd word. There isn't a finite number of second chances, after which the shop window closes.)
posted by IndigoJones at 4:54 PM on October 12, 2014
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posted by yoink at 9:16 AM on September 30, 2014