Off Topic: The resonating lie that is Tim Ferris’s book

When most people read the Four Hour Week, they tell themselves a lie. A very resonating lie. It is not a mean spirited lie, more of a lie in a fish story category. One made in the context of what Seth Godin speaks of in his book “All Marketers Are Liars”. When we read Tim’s book we all buy into the lie, the lie that you can make a living working only four hours a week from anywhere. We all share a hope that the lie is true. What is implied and spoken too only in brief passages by Tim himself is that he works like a mad man possessed when he is “income generating”. He alludes that he “tries to take one month of intensive learning for every two months of income generation” (I paraphrase). During his month or more of intensive learning he works only works a 4 hours work week (at income creation). What Tim does not provide in his book is definitive numbers of how hard he works when he is income generating. People who have personal experiences with Tim speak of how hard he works.

Why this lie became so infectious, a virus, to use another Seth term, “an idea virus” is it is because the idea is something we all hope for and those who have jobs that force them to put in 50ty plus hour work week’s it truly is a dream worth dreaming of.

When I first read the book, I bought into the principles taught by Tim. Through embracing these principles I was able to evolve a work life that went from the 70ty hour work weeks two years ago to around 35 hour work weeks today. So there is some truth in Tim’s writings. If you read the book carefully Tim does not lie to us, but he does let us lie to ourselves… but it is a resonating lie.