Is it possible to "pull yourself up by your bootstraps"?
And what if we gave everyone the "bootstraps" they need to succeed?
You’ve heard it before: “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” But did you know that phrase was originally a joke about something impossible to do?
The phrase originated in the 19th century as a humorous, impossible task like lifting yourself over a fence by your shoelaces. By the 1920s, it had lost its irony, becoming a serious piece of advice that suggests anyone can achieve success through willpower and hard work alone.1
This modern interpretation ignores systemic barriers like inequality and poverty, and instead blames individuals for problems they can’t control and attempts to absolve us of our collective responsibility to help one another.2
The phrase blames individuals for systemic problems. The original meaning was a sarcastic jab at the idea of succeeding without any help at all. Somewhere along the way, it became a demeaning piece of advice used to blame people for not being able to overcome massive systemic barriers.
But what if we redefined it?
What if we gave everyone the security to truly lift themselves up?
Could Universal Basic Income (UBI) be a foundational “bootstrap” that allows people to take risks, return to school, or simply find peace of mind?
Bootstraps, a docuseries
We’re on a journey to explore this very idea.
Our docuseries follows 11 diverse households from across the United States participating in a groundbreaking universal basic income experiment.
With the help of a basic income, they are redefining what it means to build a better future on their own terms. Release date TBA.
What do you think about the phrase? What opportunities do you think a basic income could unlock for you?
Pull yourself by your bootstraps (BookBrowse)
I literally wrote a book called Strapped about this.