One of the biggest Polish YouTubers, Patec, recently shared that he climbed Mount Everest. Of course, he didn't just do it but reported the whole adventure - from preparations to the final climb, on his channel and social media. Also, he partnered with charity foundations and raised almost one million zł ($250k) for children with cancer.
The YouTuber received enormous applause for this achievement—hundreds of thousands of likes per post, millions of likes in total, and lots of new followers. Of course, most Polish portals wrote about him. Great story.
I could end this article with congratulations for his great achievement and big heart, but there's a drama around it. Well, people and drama - nothing new. However, this one is interesting and has a somewhat valid point.
There are many comments that we can sum up like this: "With this kind of resources—money, team, equipment, and professional training, everybody could do this. Nothing special. I don't know why you all praise him so much."
Most such comments are from old and bitter idiots, but the point is quite valid - it's indeed mostly about resources.
Everest has always been a trophy, but now that almost 4,000 people have reached its summit, some more than once, the feat means less than it did a half century ago. Today, roughly 90 percent of the climbers on Everest are guided clients, many without basic climbing skills. Having paid $30,000 to $120,000 to be on the mountain, too many callowly expect to reach the summit. A significant number do, but under appalling conditions.
Oh, dear capitalism. Climbing Mount Everest 50 years ago, and especially before all the social media nonsense we've created, was something. Imagine training for years and risking your life just to achieve something without the ability to share it and build content and a career around it. Not even mention how much easier it is now due to the development of technology - if you have access to it.
All you have to do to skyrocket your chances of climbing the mountain is hire the best professionals—from trainers to guides with their whole team of people—buy their highly recommended, extremely expensive equipment, and you're ready to go.
Of course, I'm not writing about idiots who try to devalue his achievement, sitting on the couch with a bag of chips and hating everyone who dares to leave the house.
But for people who really are into hiking, well fit, and like such adventures, the only real thing that separates them from achieving this goal is not having the resources. After all, as difficult and dangerous as it is, it's also an extremely fun experience for people who enjoy such activities. For sure, it's better than sitting in a meaningless 9-5 job.
And it's the same with any other area in this cute late capitalism. People just start to realize it and have a valid point.
Like, what's the problem with achieving a perfect physique with the best dietitians, trainers, equipment, and supplements in this world? No problem. You can even create a visualization of your look with a 100% guarantee of achieving it, which is a different kind of motivation. The only question is whether you have time and money to do it.
After all, life is a comedy for the rich. Whether it's climbing Mount Everest, achieving a perfect physique, or learning a new skill, with resources, you're flying on a magical cloud that amplifies your chances or even gives you a 100% guarantee of success. It's like playing a game using cheat codes.
Historically, money has always been an advantage, but in late-stage capitalism, it can work wonders because literally everything has a price tag.
By any means, I'm not trying to write that this YouTuber did something wrong or that the hate is justified. No, I'm glad to see such content, and I congratulate him with all my heart. Also, it's definitely better content for young people than watching silly pranks or other idiotic ideas of influencers.
My point is that capitalism takes the fun from doing anything because, with the help of the best professionals, you can buy anything, from health and beauty to skills and careers. Therefore, everything can be devalued to just having resources - not just money, but also time and energy, resulting from general freedom in life (which usually results from privileges).
This YouTuber is just an example of what money can give you when you also have some ambitions and willingness to work - you can be a superhero, doing the most crazy stuff you want. After all, isn't Bruce Wayne, the Batman, answered "I'm rich" to Barry Allen, the Flash's question, "And, what's your superpower?"
Therefore, I presume that some of the commentators aren't really full of hate but simply sincerely unimpressed. For this guy, the whole saga of Mount Everest was content - his business, his very, very, very well-paid full-time job. And, obviously, he doesn't have kids or anything like that. He had to wake up every day and follow the instructions of hired professionals to prepare for the adventure, creating content around it.
And it's all in the same world, where many working people, particularly Gen Z and Millenials, consider buying groceries a splurge. Yes, we live in a world where buying a few avocados on top of other mandatory expenses is a serious financial decision for many, again, working people - not lazy people. And no wonder, as we can find in the famous article in the Guardian:
The world’s five richest men have more than doubled their fortunes to $869bn (£681.5bn) since 2020, while the world’s poorest 60% – almost 5 billion people – have lost money.
As the pie left for ordinary people gets smaller and smaller, while the world revolves around money, we can devalue everything people do into just having resources and privileges. And that's a valid point.
Hate aside. Is it really that impressive to see an influencer sponsored by corporations that exploit working-class people spend the equivalent of a house on the best training, equipment, and team to buy a magical cloud and achieve whatever he wants while selling it to ordinary people as entertainment to consume?
Meanwhile, for normal people, there is often no point in even trying anything if they don't have the appropriate resources because then they are practically doomed to failure. In the case of claiming Mount Everest, it's even dangerous, literally life-threatening, to attempt it on a budget.
This is how the vast majority of the human population lies in bed after work with their phone, daydreaming and watching the lucky few fly on a magical cloud, knowing that the only thing that truly separates them from these people is a lack of resources and privilege.
I don't see any social or systemic solution how to change that - the world is what it is. Life has never been fair and as long as it is based on ego, it never will be. The only solution I have found to get out of this problem is to get back to the absolute basics of life - living simply, doing what we can, where we are, and ignoring this capitalist nonsense. Only then can life be life again, not a game, not a race, not a competition - just a fun phenomenon.
