Amway/WWDB: Part 2 :Analogies

This is Part 2 of the Dealbreaker for our relationship. You can read Part 1 here.

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Why do I feel like Amway/WWDB limits someone’s future?

Let me give you another analogy.


Imagine a baby bird, let’s name him Robby, trying to fly for the very first time, but falls from a tree and breaks his wing. Someone comes along, rescues Robby, places him into a beautiful but tiny cage, and heals his wing. After Robby’s life was saved by the rescuer, he falls in love with his tiny home. He hasn’t actually flown before, and this beautiful cage is all he knows, so Robby decides to make “saving” other birds and putting them into tiny cages his mission in life. However, the other birds, who know the freedom of flying unrestricted in the world, see the cage and do not want to be trapped. They try to tell Robby that he doesn’t have to stay in his cage. Robby refuses. Robby believes that staying in his cage is the best decision for himself. Perhaps he wants to stay in his cage to make his rescuer happy, and that’s great. However, Robby is capable of reaching much greater heights in life. In saving and healing Robby, his rescuer also gave him the ability to fly high. Robby definitely owes his rescuers a lot, but it is also apparent the cage is limiting his potential.

Yes, you’re represented by Robby in this story. Yes, I'm trying to describe your mentors as your rescuers. Yes, I view Amway/WWDB as a cage that limits your potential. And yes, I see prospecting/duplication as trying to put other people in cages as well. Let me go more into that:

When someone is addicted to the belief that Amway/WWDB can bring them to their dreams, I feel like they are letting go of “flying high” to stay in a cage. They put time, energy, and money into an investment with low (or negative) return (see Econ section [in Part 4]) when they can be building something that provides true freedom and value, and that maximizes their potential (see Conclusion section [in Part 5]). I agree that the mentorship gives you the tools and skills to fly; however, in my perspective, those tools and skills can be used for so much more than being in a cage.

Because of their addiction to this belief, they aren’t able to exit their cage and truly stretch their wings. They aren’t able to let go of Amway/WWDB because they keep thinking success is right around the corner if they keep pushing. As a result, other alternatives lose appeal and they may lose sight of how they can build something tangible for society, which I feel limits their future. For example, they may not seek meaningful jobs, education, or their place of contribution in society because they are stuck chasing an imaginary pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. They are stuck believing a job is “trading time for money” and that Amway will be their path to freedom. In extreme cases, they lose interest or even resent their current job, and work in dead-end “business building jobs” that don’t give themselves or society much value. Why live like that when one can be building their best life right here right now? (I know this is not your case currently, but it’s something I’ve encountered in my Amway/WWDB research and it really disturbs me)

I know “trading time for money” is contingent on what someone defines as a job. However, the typical definition of a job is “a paid position of regular employment”. For example, one of the jobs I applied for is to build a social sustainability measure for Capital Region Housing to help guide their anti-homelessness initiatives. With that job in mind, I can’t help but feel deeply insulted when someone tells me a job is trading time for money. To me, a job is an opportunity to apply my skills and knowledge to help solve a problem or to build a better society. I know we’ve discussed this before and our definitions of jobs are different, and that you don’t see how the Boardplan Meetings portray jobs/education in a negative light. What I see is that Amway/WWDB portrays jobs as a waste of time where people can’t really contribute to society, and the only reason to work is for a paycheque. I hate that so much. I truly feel like Amway/WWDB demonizes jobs regardless of the definition*, and it makes me sick.

* It could be directly (ex: “bought at wholesale, sold at retail”, “employment is trading your life for money”) or indirectly; for example, smashing alarm clocks, waking up whenever I want.

To further clarify, there’s nothing wrong with wanting time and financial freedom. What I have issue with is the attitude towards jobs that is cultivated by Amway/WWDB (and I have many other issues with Amway/WWDB, discussed in the following posts). I know what is said in the talks may not be how you think. And I know what you feel the talks portray is different than what I feel. But the examples I gave above are things I heard with my own ears at the talks, and these are statements that directly oppose my values. And even if you don’t necessarily agree with everything at the talks, one part of your business is built on bringing new people into these talks. Which brings me to my next point...


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Thanks for reading! For Part 3, please stay tuned for next week's post :)