comment: >
  
  
  You really think "LOL well just try" is somehow too hard for people to grasp and they need you to come along with your obvious wisdom or it would just never occur to them?
  
  Actually, yeah.  Yeah I do think this.
  I've worked with and met many people in my day and I think this because so many people prove it to be true over and over.
context: I agree that people should be in a mindset to be persistent, but I think “God helps those who help themselves” or “fortune favors the bold” may be more applicable. 
  Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps is literally impossible, and that phrase used to mean that very thing. From Wikipedia (I know, I know):
  In original use, often used to refer to pulling oneself over a fence, and implying that someone is attempting or has claimed some ludicrously far-fetched or impossible task. >
  
  This is going make people pop a forehead vein. >
  
  Agreed. It's a stupid saying to begin with seeing as the original context was talking about literally trying to lift yourself by pulling your bootstraps is impossible, but the meaning behind the phrase can be good advice. The world sucks a lot and it's sadly common to find yourself in tough situations, but no matter how much help you can get, self discipline and working hard can go a long way. >
  
  It's just that it's really pointless 'advice'. It's like telling a heroin addict to 'just not use heroin anymore', or a fat person to 'just lose some weight'. Like, no shit sherlock, they didn't need you to tell them that. If they knew how, they would have already done it. Not to mention it's usually said by priviledged people who have no idea what these struggles are like. >
  
  On its own, it is useless. “Hard work” doesn’t get you anywhere without knowing where to work/what to work on. >
  
  Working hard and persisting aren't the only things we need to do in order to improve our circumstances.  
  We also need to reach out for help and build strong support systems with other people. 
  Basically we can't pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We need to lift eachother up together instead. >
  
  "Don't tell people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps! Just tell them to work hard. I'm sure that thought has never occurred to them." >
  
  Many if not most work hard. They just work hard at the wrong things. Or they work hard now but didn’t when they were 15-23 years old. Working hard to learn in-demand skills is critical when you are at the age where you actually have the opportunity. >
  
  This is way more true than a lot of people realize. Unfortunately, it usually becomes harder as you get older to learn those thing. Especially if you have children >
  
  First off, no, it won't necessarily result in a more secure and stable life. It might raise your chances, but it's no guarantee. And second, if it's not helping people stuck in tough situations then stop saying it to people stuck in tough situations. People aren't disagreeing with the idea that you should work hard, they're disagreeing with blaming people for their own poverty when they already work hard. >
  
  We're not rolling our eyes at the idea of persistence or hard work.
  We're rolling our eyes at the fact that you think this is a novel or brilliant idea, at least enough to bother sharing.
  It communicates a level of out-of-touch self-aggrandizement that is laughable. >
  
  In my experience hard work means being used by people. Sure that you can do the job. But don't go out of your way for your employer. Don't give up free time. And if they ask you for a favor you get something in return. There is exceptions to this however. But for the most part put yourself first. >
  
  The thing is what is this advice supposed to do?
  You really think "LOL well just try" is somehow too hard for people to grasp and they need you to come along with your obvious wisdom or it would just never occur to them?
  I know people like to think that the person sitting there with their hand on the hot stove, waiting for someone to come along and go "Just take your hand off the stove" is everyone with any problem ever, but most people aren't idiots and if they are asking they have already tried the obvious shit and it didn't work.
  Most people by the time they are asking you for advice have already tried "just taking their hand off the hot stove."  Give them the courtesy of assuming they are incompetent dullards.
  It's the worst kind of advice.  Useless to 99% of people and 1% of people who need are too stupid to listen.  It exists just for pompous, talking down pretending to be advice.