American Self-Reliance is a Toxic Myth with Adam Chandler

Factually! with Adam Conover

Headgum

Comedy

4.4 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 22 January 2025

⏱️ 76 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The phrase "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" actually started as a joke—because, let’s face it, it’s physically impossible. So how did this absurd notion become one of the most unshakable ideas in American culture? The truth is, the ideals of self-reliance and hustle have always been more myth than reality. This week, Adam sits down with Adam Chandler, author of 99% Perspiration, to explore how the myth of hard work and hustle culture has been weaponized to keep the rich richer, while the rest of us are left struggling in a system rigged against us. Find Adam's book at at factuallypod.com/books

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is a headgum podcast.
0:05.0	I don't know the truth.
0:08.3	I don't know the way.
0:10.9	I don't know what to think.
0:13.6	I don't know what to say.
0:16.6	Yeah, but that's all right.
0:19.4	That's okay.
0:21.6	I don't know anything.
0:25.6	Hey there, welcome to Factually. I'm Adam Conover.
0:27.6	Thanks for joining me on the show again.
0:29.6	You know, a deep down American value is our belief in hard work.
0:33.6	We are told as children that if you just work hard enough, if you make the right
0:39.7	moves at the job, you can improve your lot in life and be anything you want to be. But in recent
0:46.0	years, a lot of us have started to realize that that is simply put, a fucking lie. The machinery
0:52.5	of social mobility has broken down in America, because more American workers
0:58.3	are more productive than ever.
1:00.7	But most of the gains in our economy for the last 40 years have gone only to those at the
1:06.3	top, while wages for regular workers, the people working our asses off every single day
1:10.9	have not kept pace.
1:13.0	You know, it can be hard to imagine
1:14.8	making a better life for your family
1:16.6	when the top 10% of households in this country
	...

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