WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME (WIFM)!?
Inscribed by Preye V Tambou
19th August, 2025
Every demand carries a price tag. Every vision seeks blood. Every movement whispers sacrifice. Every generation is summoned by visions, causes, and promises. Nations rise on slogans, organisations breathe on missions, and leaders speak of sacrifice yet beneath the echo of speeches and the rhythm of movements, a single question insists on being heard: what’s in it for me?
This question is not shallow. It is not greed wrapped in words. It is the marrow of worth. It is the law of exchange. It is the anthem of those who refuse to be drained into nothingness. It is the most honest inquiry of the human spirit; the silent negotiation every soul makes before giving its strength away.
Humans are not a vessel to be emptied. They are not a resource to be mined until dust. Every individual is a force, measured, valuable, dangerous in silence, and unstoppable when fueled. If you want their time, show them the throne it builds. If you want their sweat, unveil the gold it melts. If you want their loyalty, carve their name in the inheritance.
For the farmer does not scatter seed merely to decorate the soil; he plants with the expectation of a harvest. The builder does not raise beams only to admire symmetry; he builds to dwell, rest, and protect. Even the leader does not step forward only for applause; he leads for legacy, meaning, and reward.
So why should anyone be asked to pour effort into emptiness? Why should sweat be demanded with no promise of water? Why should loyalty be harvested where no fruit of benefit is seen?
WIFM is the compass of clarity. It separates persuasion from deception, purpose from noise, and conviction from manipulation. It burns away illusions, melts false leaders, reveals the substance of every vision. It asks: if I invest my time, what do I receive in return? If I give my talent, what recognition and reward anchors it? If I commit to your vision, what proof assures me that I have a stake in the future? If it cannot answer, it cannot endure. If it cannot give, it does not deserve to take.
Too often, leaders fear this question. They dismiss it as selfishness. They label it as weakness but in truth, it is the very foundation of sustainable commitment because where benefit is invisible, belief soon erodes. Where gain is denied, loyalty dissolves into silence.
The wisdom of WIFM is balance when what I stand to gain is clear, what I give flows without resistance. When my reward is certain, my energy becomes inexhaustible. When my personal why is satisfied, my collective loyalty becomes unshakable. For no one plants seeds only to admire the soil; no one pours rivers of effort just to be left thirsty. Life is a transaction; value for value, energy for outcome, and belief for benefit.
Consider the movements of history: the most enduring revolutions were not powered only by vision, but by promises made and benefits delivered. The labourer was told his sacrifice would secure dignity. The soldier was told his courage would purchase honour. The citizen was told their vote would secure opportunity and when those promises were kept, nations flourished but when those promises were broken, faith collapsed and movements died.
Therefore, WIFM is not a selfish cry but covenantal demand. It insists that no vision is worthy unless it rewards its builders. It insists that no leader is credible unless followers see their share of the harvest. It insists that no mission can endure unless it answers the needs of the very people it calls upon.
So let the question be asked without fear. Let every promise face its light. Let every vision declare its dividends. For only when my me is honoured does our we gain strength.
This is the truth most movements forget: it is not collective progress that sustains the individual but individual gain that secures collective progress because when each “me” is satisfied, the “we” becomes unstoppable. When every participant sees their benefit, no force can weaken their bond. However, when the “me” is ignored, no dream, however lofty, can endure.
So to leaders, visionaries, dreamers, and organizers: answer the question. Do not fear it. Do not bury it beneath slogans. State it with courage, deliver it with proof, and protect it with integrity.
To every individual: never apologise for asking it. Never feel guilt for demanding it. Your time is precious, talent is costly, and energy is priceless. Before you give them away, demand to know: what’s in it for me?
In the end, when your gain is secured, your contribution will be limitless. When your need is met, your loyalty will be eternal, and when your “me” is fulfilled, the collective “we” will finally rise to greatness.