Playing the house

30 May, 2023

My father once told me when I told of my plan to visit Vegas;

"Once you start a gamble, you must know that the house always wins. That's just the way of the business. Accept that and you won't be disappointed. Don't try to argue with ethics and fairness. Accept and wait for your chance. Once you make a little profit, pull out."

It is well known, even the proverb wiktioniary¹ has it included in it's definition, that "the house always wins" is often used to describe the way our current existing economic systems work. None are charities, though some may have ideologies that claim to be otherwise.

As my father said, I think it is wise to accept this sooner than later. You will just get played otherwise. I think about his tactics more often, these days. Would it be in my best interest to approach my life this way? As soon as you feel the company you are working for has distributed its profits and you got your share, to pull out and try at another opportunity?

I am sure a lot of investment guru's and work ethicists would eat me alive for pondering over this, but I am no investor and ethics can only exists if all the parties involved adhere to the same ethics. And, though I have worked for lovely companies and lovely people, I can easily say that once the numbers are going down, you are not protected by your moral principles once the rounds of layoffs begin.

So I am left with the question; is it possible to play the house we work and live in?

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