Losers

_{This couple, both of whom came from the wealthiest families in Gelderland, became even more successful and powerful as a result of their marriage. Did that make them happy? He probably did. Thanks to her and their many children, he became even more powerful.
It’s strange how some celebrities never seem to look young, whilst others always remain young and attractive, even when they are old, overweight, violent and alcoholics.}

You’re not a loser if you don’t win first or second prize, don’t have a dazzling career, don’t have a gold medal, or if people in positions of power or influence don’t take any notice of you.
When it comes to the average person’s opinion, you’re best to steer well clear of it, as it’s rarely based on the truth. Far too many other factors come into play, including the revenue model, cronyism, corruption, the desire to belong to the in-group, and the desire to be valued oneself. This means that people rarely have a well-founded opinion of their own.

It’s certainly true that this can undermine self-confidence; on the other hand, it’s questionable whether you can really call it self-confidence if you can’t stand by what you believe in.

Those who do what they enjoy are unlikely to be swayed by negative criticism and will also be able to articulate why they have chosen this path. Let’s be honest, we can’t all be bank managers. Contrary to what many people think, art is by no means just for paupers. Huge sums of money are made from art, and in fact, artists and those involved in the art world – whether investing or collecting – rank fourth amongst the world’s richest people, and this has always been the case. Of course, that ‘helping hand’ comes in handy when it comes to being discovered in good time, but anyone who creates something solely for that reason will ultimately come off worse. We see this with the Old Masters (including female artists); most were only truly appreciated towards the end of their lives or long after their deaths.

The real loser is not the one who chooses to follow their heart, but the one trapped in a straitjacket, forced to be a slave to family and society. Ultimately, the biggest loser is the one who loses themselves in a consumer society where they can be replaced at any moment. Something that happens anyway.

The biggest loser is the one who lives in fear, the slave-driver, the one who doesn’t know how to live or what contentment looks like, the one who cannot pause for a moment, who makes no time to be with others or to meet and listen to their true self.
When it comes down to it, the average person can get by on far less than they think and lead a richer life than someone who toils day and night to be noticed and amass wealth.

‘Loser’ is a term of contempt usually used by someone who is envious, because they can see all too clearly that they are working many times harder, yet the results of their own efforts fall short of expectations. Those who work themselves to the bone certainly do not always reach the top, but are, on the whole, taken advantage of.

_{Prompt: see title
6-8-2026}