Art of the Hentai Hustle: Dealing with Corruption

Written by Otaku Apologist

Corruption is the art of dishonesty. It’s saying what people wanna hear, so they give you goodies. It’s staying silent of obvious problems in front of your eyes, and letting shit fly without stepping in. It’s how most people make their money; ass-kissing idiots.

Corruption is not a small issue. It’s the core issue keeping all human networks stagnant. From your social circles to the company and nation you work in, everything is mediocre. New ideas are sluggish to be implemented, when everyone keeps their mouths shut.

Stagnation and resentment grow when you are not able to communicate with each other in a direct manner. Manipulation and complex politics complicate communications to a degree where interactions feel exhausting. It’s like a bad marriage that drains your energy, it makes you wanna withdraw into your tiny corner of the world, where nobody can judge you.

Speaking the unfiltered truth gets you censored, cut off, and even killed. The dark path is much easier… in the short run.

The path up the social ladder is easy. You say what people wanna hear, make promises you’re not gonna keep, let people raise you into a position of authority, and sell everything off. The same shit works in business and in politics. Now, if your ambitions are more limited than that, just sucking corporate dick puts food on the table. But how do you feel?

Yes, you will make money. Yes, you will have sex. Yes, you will connect with powerful people. Embracing corruption, you will gain power and status, everything you ever dreamed of, and you will hate your shitting life. Only on surface level, it looks fucking cool.

Not everything can be for sale. Living a life without virtues, without honesty, is a path into darkness. It’s a path rife with abusive relationships, in both your business and your personal life. It’s a path to depression, disconnection, and vice.

The true nature of the dark side is boredom. Surrounding yourself with fake relationships that only service your material needs is boring. You can’t say what you really feel, because you have to minimize the risk of saying triggering things. You can’t go deep with people you’re using as stepping stones. And when you’re playing exhausting politics all day, you’re not really connecting with anyone.

Social ladder climbing Macchiavellian style is the shittiest way to spend your limited time on this planet. Behind their glittery public image, powerful people tend to be the least interesting – that’s why they want power. Because nobody likes them.

You have to be a little corrupt if you want any money. Human nature is the limiting factor here. You can never speak the unfiltered truth to people you depend on for your income. That’s risking a PR nightmare. Because everyone is a little crazy and has feelings, which are easy to piss on. Personally, I choose to burn bridges all day every day, ’cause fuck all you crazy wankers.

We all use each other for our self-gain. We all have dreams and goals, and we need other people to get to them. But if your networking strategy is void of basic ethical principles, such as honesty, you’ll get results quick and pay the price later.

It’s far easier to be corrupt, because all you have to do is stay silent. But living truthfully, you are always talking, you’re always connecting, you deal with conflict every day. It turns the grey hellscape of wasting your days in a dusty cubicle, sucking up to an asshole boss and his asshole customers into an adventure. Don’t take my advice, if you’re not cut out for the entrepreneur life. You will be fired!

Sometimes, you just have to say “no”. Sometimes, you have to say “fuck off”.

The famed Canadian author and lecturer Jordan B. Peterson has consistently said, that you should speak the truth regardless of outcome. Because the order you create when speaking the truth is good, regardless how that order manifests, he posits.

I took Peterson’s advice for a test drive last summer and spent five full months being as honest as possible, completely ignoring my fear of potential outcomes. The results were fascinating.

Practically every day, I found myself in an argument with someone. Almost every time, the argument was settled peacefully. I started getting so good at arguing my views, that my confidence grew to totally new levels. I gained relationships, lost relationships, some relations deepened, others became distant. The chaos was constant, and it was the most emotionally satisfying time of my entire life.

Then, my depression disappeared. My social circle expanded. My business started growing as well. Because from all that constant arguing, I had learned to influence people without resorting to manipulation. Talking customers into buying our services became fun. Talking to people about deep topics, like philosophy, politics, religion, my personal life, became fun. And instead of being stuck with a small number of friends who understand my complexity, I suddenly had tons of people to talk with.

Many things I said backfired massively. But, I learned something profound every time. Speaking the truth is a process, and often exhausting because of the regular arguing that results from saying the “wrong thing”. It’s still the best way to live. The only way.