Against easy money
True freedom is born of pain, boredom, and discipline
Ilya Viktorovich Pinyagin

Cover design Илья Викторович Пинягин

© Ilya Viktorovich Pinyagin, 2025

ISBN 978-5-0068-3814-7

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Introduction: The truth they won’t sell you. A manifesto against sweet lies

Let’s be honest. You’re not here because it’s easy. You’re here because, like me, you’re tired of fairy tales. Tales about how you can get everything quickly, effortlessly, painlessly, and without boredom. About “easy money.” About “instant success.” About “the dream life” in three days. Enough. We both know it’s a lie. And that lie is already lodged in our hearts like a splinter that festers and won’t go away. It poisons our minds, forcing us to believe in mirages and turn away from reality, from the harsh but honest reality in which we all exist.

Enemy 1. Merchants of Illusion and the Cult of Success

I’ve seen it hundreds of times. Eyes full of hope that then fade away. People who invest their last money in yet another “magic pill” and end up with empty pockets and an even greater emptiness inside. I’ve been through it myself. Not once or twice. And every time I hear another story about how someone “rose from nothing in a month,” I don’t feel envy. I feel anger. Anger at those who sell this illusion, and at myself for once believing it. Anger at the system that turned human weakness into a business model. Anger at myself for allowing myself to be deceived, for looking for easy ways where there were none and could never be any. I was angry. At them, at myself, at everyone.

It’s not just a mistake, it’s a betrayal of yourself, your strengths, and your potential. It’s giving up your own will in favor of someone else’s promises. Why are we so susceptible to this? Why are we willing to give up everything every time we’re promised quick results? It’s not weakness. It’s not stupidity. It’s biology, damn it. Our brain is a lazy bastard. It is tuned for survival, and survival means saving energy. If there is a shortcut to a reward, it will choose it. Always. It’s dopamine, the hormone of pleasure and motivation. It screams, “Here it is! Quick! Easy! Take it!” And we take it. We are programmed to do so. It’s not our fault. But it is our responsibility to understand how it works and to stop being puppets in someone else’s game. To stop being those who are easily bought with promises that will never come true. To understand that this internal mechanism, which once helped our ancestors survive, has now become our enemy if we do not learn to control it. We must realize that evolution did not prepare us for a world where an abundance of information and opportunities can be as dangerous as their absence.

The modern world, this machine of consumption, knows perfectly well about our biological vulnerability. It doesn’t just know – it exploits it. It has created an entire industry that thrives on selling this illusion of ease. Influencers, coaches, gurus who have created nothing themselves, but sell you “secrets to success.” They show you a picture: expensive cars, villas, travel, stacks of cash. And they say, “Look, it’s easy. Just buy my course, and you’ll be the same.” They’re not selling you knowledge. They’re selling you a dopamine rush. A short-lived feeling that you’re on the right track, that you’re almost there, just a little bit more, and everything will change. But nothing changes. Because they’re not selling you a path, they’re selling you a mirage. A mirage that dissolves as soon as you reach for it, leaving you with even more thirst and disappointment. It’s a vicious circle that becomes more and more difficult to escape with each new “sweet poison” of promises.

It’s not just deception. It’s a system. A system that sucks your energy, time, and money out of you, leaving you with nothing but guilt and feelings of inadequacy. You start to think that there’s something wrong with you, since others are succeeding and you’re not. But the problem isn’t you. The problem is that you are being sold a fake map to a non-existent treasure. You are told that you must be constantly happy, constantly motivated, constantly “positive.” And if you are not like that, then you are a failure. This is false. It’s a big, fat lie that prevents you from seeing reality. It makes you doubt yourself, your strengths, and your ability to do real work. It replaces values, placing external trappings above inner strength. This marketable hope is a virus that infects your self-awareness, making you feel inadequate if you don’t meet the imposed standards of “success.”

And this falsehood is not limited to money. It permeates all areas of life. You are promised easy relationships, easy weight loss, easy language learning, easy happiness. Wherever there is effort, you are offered a shortcut. And every time you choose that shortcut, not only do you fail to achieve your goal, but you also lose something more important – faith in your own strength, the ability to overcome difficulties, the taste of real victory that comes only after a long and persistent struggle. You lose yourself, dissolving into other people’s scenarios and other people’s promises. You become a consumer, not a creator of your own life. You trade your potential for instant but empty satisfaction. This book will not be another dose of motivational fluff. I’m not going to tell you that “you can do anything” if you “believe in yourself.” That’s nonsense. You are already alive. You are already breathing. You are already enduring this world that tries to break you every day. And that means you can endure more than you think. Much more. This is your inner strength that no one can take away. It is already within you. She is your foundation. And these are not just words. It’s a fact. You are here, you are reading this, which means you have already been through a lot and are capable of even more.

This book is not about how to become happy. It is about how to become real. About how to stop chasing other people’s images and start building your own reality. A reality that will not be easy.

But it will be yours. And it will have meaning. Meaning that you will create yourself, with your own hands, your own sweat, and your own will. It will be your fortress, built on a foundation of honesty and hard work, not on the sand of illusions. It will be your freedom, won in an honest struggle with yourself and with the world.

I don’t promise you quick results. I don’t promise it will be easy. On the contrary. It will be difficult. It will be painful. It will be boring. You will want to give up. It will seem like you are going nowhere. There will be moments of despair when you doubt everything. But I promise you the truth. The truth about how this world works and how to survive in it without losing yourself. The truth that real success is not the absence of problems, but the ability to solve them. Not the absence of effort, but the ability to make it. Not the absence of pain, but the ability to endure it and grow through it. This is not romanticism, it is survival. It is a choice. The choice to be alive, not to exist in illusions. The choice to be the master of your own life, not a slave to the promises of others. The choice to be free, not comfortable.

We will talk about why the brain resists effort, how resilience is formed, and why pain and boredom are not enemies, but tools. We will analyze how the honest system of “skill → stability→ freedom” actually works, and how not to lose your humanity in this race. We will learn to live without illusions but with hope, understanding that freedom is born not from promises but from conscious labor. We will dig deep, to the very roots, to understand why we are the way we are and how to use this knowledge for our benefit, not our detriment. We will figure out how to overcome internal resistance, how to turn routine into ritual, and fear into fuel for moving forward. We will understand that every step taken against internal resistance makes us stronger, and every difficulty overcome makes us wiser.

We will talk about how society shapes our expectations, how social media creates false ideals, and how the dopamine loop keeps us constantly chasing something unattainable. We will explore why real work is not about inspiration, but about discipline. About doing what needs to be done every day, even when you don’t feel like it. We’ll talk about how to find meaning in routine and how to turn monotony into the foundation for mastery. It won’t be easy. But it will be honest. And it will work. We’ll see that true strength isn’t about avoiding difficulties, but about going through them, becoming stronger and wiser. We will understand that every scar is not a sign of defeat, but proof that you fought and survived. And that these scars are your real story, not a polished picture from Instagram (Prohibited organization in the Russian Federation)

.

Enemy 2. The Internal Saboteur. The Biology of Lying Down

External deception is powerful, but it only works because it relies on your biological weakness. Your brain is a machine programmed for survival and energy conservation. It doesn’t want pain, it doesn’t want boredom, it doesn’t want a marathon. It wants a short dopamine path to quick rewards. It is this ancient, animal instinct that makes you the perfect victim for merchants of illusion. They are not selling you money, they are selling you permission to do nothing. They are selling you a refusal to fight, covered up with a pretty picture.

Remember one truth that will set you free: There is no such thing as easy money. There is only deferred payment. You always pay. The question is only what for and when. You can pay now with hard work, discipline, and boredom, and get growth. Or you can pay later with disappointment, wasted time, low self-esteem, and the realization that you’ve been deceived. The choice between sweet falsehood and bitter truth is a choice between momentary comfort and long- term freedom.

This book is not for those looking for another dose of dopamine. It is for those who are tired of deception. For those who are ready to face the truth, no matter how bitter it may be. For those who are ready to work. Not for the praise of others, but for themselves. For their own lives. For the sake of their freedom. If you are one of them, then let’s go. If not, close this book. It is not for you. Go find your easy way. But don’t say later that you weren’t warned. Because the warning has already been given. And it was as direct as a punch to the gut. This is not a threat, it is a statement of fact. The choice is yours. A choice between sweet falsehood and bitter truth that will make you stronger. A choice between the illusion of control and real power over your life. A choice between fleeting pleasure and deep, long-term meaning. Your choice. Your life. Your responsibility.

What are you willing to give up for the truth? And are you even willing to hear it if it doesn’t promise you an easy life? Are you willing to give up sweet lies for bitter but real freedom? Think about it. This is not a rhetorical question. It is a question that will determine where you go next. A question that requires an honest answer before you take the next step. Are you ready for that step? Are you ready for the path to be long and thorny, but ultimately your own? If so, let’s start with the deception that has become the norm. With the illusion of ease.

Chapter 1: The Illusion of Lightness

You are here because, like me, you are tired of fairy tales. Tales about how quickly, effortlessly, painlessly, and without boredom you can get everything. About “easy money.” About “successful success.” About “the life of your dreams” in three days. Enough. We both know it’s a lie. And this lie is already stuck in our guts like a splinter that festers and won’t go away. It poisons our minds, forcing us to believe in mirages and turn away from reality, from the harsh but honest reality in which we all exist.

They sell you a picture. Bright, glossy, unattainable. A man on a yacht, with a glass of champagne, smiles at the camera. “I made a million in a month without leaving home!” screams the headline. And you believe it. Because you want to believe it. You want it to be easy. You want someone to show you the magic button. But there is no magic button. There is only a “Reset” button that brings you back to reality, if you are ready to press it. This picture is not just a deception. It’s a virus that infects your mind, forcing you to compare your gray reality with someone else’s polished, fake one. And you lose in this comparison before you even start playing.

The illusion of lightness

It is the most dangerous drug. It promises you a quick dopamine rush, but it takes your life away. It promises you freedom, but it only gives you a golden cage. It promises you happiness, but it only brings fleeting pleasure, followed by even greater emptiness. It is not just a deception. It is a system. A system that sucks your energy, time, and money out of you, leaving you with only feelings of guilt and inadequacy. You start to think that there is something wrong with you, since others are successful, but you are not. But the problem is not with you. The problem is that you are being sold a fake map to a treasure that does not exist. They tell you that you have to be happy all the time, motivated all the time, positive all the time. And if you’re not like that, then you’re a loser. It’s a lie. A big, fat lie that prevents you from seeing reality. It makes you doubt yourself, your strengths, your ability to do real work. It replaces values, placing external tinsel above inner strength. This marketable hope is a virus that affects your self-awareness, making you feel inadequate if you do not meet the imposed standards of “success.”

Why are we so addicted to it? It’s not weakness. It’s not stupidity. It’s biology, damn it. Our brain is a lazy bastard. It’s wired for survival, and survival means conserving energy. If there’s a shortcut to a reward, it will take it. Always. It’s dopamine, the hormone of pleasure and motivation. It screams, “Here it is! Quick! Easy! Take it!” And we take it. We are programmed to do so. It’s not our fault. But it is our responsibility to understand how it works and to stop being puppets in someone else’s game. To stop being those who are easily bought with promises that will never come true. To understand that this internal mechanism, which once helped our ancestors survive, has now become our enemy if we do not learn to control it. We must realize that evolution did not prepare us for a world where an abundance of information and opportunities can be as dangerous as their absence. The modern world, this machine of consumption, knows perfectly well about our biological vulnerability. It doesn’t just know – it exploits it. It has created an entire industry that thrives on selling this illusion of ease. Influencers, coaches, gurus who have created nothing themselves, but sell you “secrets to success.” They show you a picture: expensive cars, villas, travel, stacks of cash. And they say, “Look, it’s easy. Just buy my course, and you’ll be the same.” They’re not selling you knowledge. They’re selling you a dopamine rush. A short-lived feeling that you’re on the right track, that you’re almost there, just a little bit more, and everything will change. But nothing changes. Because they’re not selling you a path, they’re selling you a mirage. A mirage that dissolves as soon as you reach for it, leaving you with even more thirst and disappointment. It’s a vicious circle that becomes more and more difficult to escape with each new “sweet poison” of promises.