"Comparison is the thief of joy." (an old line — and these days, it drives a BMW.)
Lately the internet can't stop talking: a young creator bought a shiny new BMW. A viral reel asked the question that's now stuck in a lot of heads:
"Are all influencers rich? Is studying a waste?"
First, the honest bit: good for them. No hate. The car isn't the problem. The problem is the quick maths your brain does the moment you see it:
"I studied for 16 years and worry about EMIs. They post reels and drive a BMW. Was it all pointless?"
Take a breath. That feeling is real — but the comparison is unfair to you. Here's why, in plain words and a few simple charts. 🎟️
That sinking feeling isn't a flaw in you. It's just what happens when you compare a steady paycheck to someone's best day on camera. Different game. Different luck.
We only ever see the winners
Most people who try to "get rich from posting" never make it. We just don't see them. Nobody posts a video called "Day 1,247: still 11 views." So it never shows up on your feed.
Picture 100,000 people who start posting:
For every 1 fancy car you see, thousands quietly gave up — and you never saw them. That's the trick: you only see the winners, never the people who didn't make it.
There's a famous old story about this. In the war, planes came back with bullet holes on the wings, and the army wanted to add armor there. A smart numbers guy said: "No — add it where there are NO holes. The planes hit there never came back." Same idea. We only ever count the survivors. 🛩️
Two different kinds of money
This is the part most people miss. You're not really comparing "influencer vs engineer." You're comparing two very different ways money shows up:
- Influencers: a few win big, almost everyone earns little. Like a lottery. 🎟️
- Salary job: most people land in a steady middle. Boring, but reliable. 🪑
When you stare at one BMW, you're looking at the one lottery winner — and comparing your whole life to them. Of course it feels unfair. It is unfair.
A BMW in someone's reel is not a bill in your name. Stop paying for it in your head. 😄
The money nobody shows off
Here's what breaks the "studying is a waste" idea: the best-paid engineers and managers often out-earn the influencer. They just never post about it. There's no reel for a salary slip.
So a normal engineer earns a steady ₹6–18 lakh a year early on. But the top few quietly earn ₹1–5 crore a year — often more than the person with the BMW. The difference? One films it. The other is asleep by 11pm while their pay quietly grows. 😴
The hidden part works both ways. Your feed hides the thousands of creators who didn't make it — and the quiet engineer earning crores in a hoodie at home. You're comparing your life to a feed that hides both ends of the truth.
No hate to either side
- Top creators work really hard. That car often sits on years of unpaid grind. Respect. 🙌
- Steady jobs are underrated. A fixed salary, weekends, and sleeping without checking your views is a flex nobody posts. 😴
- Studying was never a "get rich quick" plan — and it never claimed to be. Posting isn't pure luck either. We just don't see the boring 95%.
There's no "smart path" and "dumb path." There's a steady path and a gamble path. Pick the one you can sleep with. 💤
The real point: don't copy a 15-second clip
The reel's real warning isn't "studying is a waste." It's the opposite:
Don't lose your spark, your interest, or your plan because of one short video made to grab you.
The danger isn't the car. It's a thousand students seeing it and thinking "why even study, why even try my own idea" — and quietly giving up on the thing they cared about.
The grass is greener where you water it — not where the camera light is best.
Find what YOU want to build — then go do that. Ask the one question that beats the trick: "What would I happily work on even if no one clapped, no one liked it, and no one saw the car?" Go after that.
A few lines to save (instead of the BMW) 📌
Run your own race. The feed is not your coach.
Don't compare your behind-the-scenes to someone's highlight.
A salary is a slow car. A viral hit is a fast risk. Neither one is your worth.
You don't need a different life. You need a different feed. 🔕
Quick version
- One BMW doesn't prove studying is a waste. We just only see the winners.
- Influencer money is like a lottery (a few win big). A salary is a steady middle. You keep comparing yourself to the lottery winner.
- A normal engineer earns a steady ₹6–18 lakh; the quiet top few earn ₹1–5 crore — they just don't post it.
- No hate either way: pick the path you can sleep with.
- The real win: find what you want to do — and do it. 🏁
The numbers and charts here are rough — just enough to show the idea, not exact figures. Now close this tab and go water your own grass. 🌱