Recently, I received an unusual source of inspiration. I compared Amway to the city of Las Vegas. Amway defenders will fly in and declare that Amway is not a gaming establishment and that the comparison is thus invalid. Despite this, I continue to refer to Amway as "Las Vegas on steroids." The diamonds parade around the stage, trying to give the impression that they are successful and that "anyone" can get the same results. Anyone can put a few dollars into the mega bucks slot machine and win a large sum of money, I contend.
While diamonds represent a fantasy lifestyle, Las Vegas represents a real-life fantasy as well. The strip hotels are magnificent and lavish in their amenities. Even a simple stroll around some of the more recent hotels might leave you in awe. And all of this is available to you for a reasonable price. The city of Las Vegas is a place where you can obtain practically whatever you desire if you have enough money. Amway is a business where you can receive nearly anything you desire if you can con enough people into believing in you and following your lead, allowing them to join someplace in your downline.
The casinos in Las Vegas may be notorious for their glitz and glamour, but they are also full with people who are prepared to risk their hard-earned money in the hopes of striking it rich in the process. The same is true in Amway, with the exception that most tourists to Las Vegas are aware that the odds are stacked against them and that winning would be fantastic, but not necessarily expected. It is common knowledge in Amway that the downline will all make it big and appear on stage as emeralds and diamonds. This is not true. Because of this insidious aspect of Amway, the hotels and resorts can be magnificent and sumptuous, while the streets of Begas are strewn with homeless people and the casinos are packed with people who are losing money on a daily basis.
It was not built on winners, and it is not built on winners that Las Vegas and the Amway diamonds are constructed. Amway's business model is based on millions of individuals leaving and churning. They hope or believe that they will someday "make it" in Amway while they are there. In the meanwhile, they spend money on items and training that they would not have purchased otherwise, and this is before accounting for the time they have lost. At the very least, even if you lose money in Las Vegas, you will almost certainly have had a fantastic time and received a few gratis meals or goodies. Amway, on the other hand, is a different storey.
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