A thought-provoking LinkedIn post by Dubai-based product leader and Substack writer Parves Shahid has gone viral after he shared a powerful story about privilege, hard work, and the unseen struggles of migrant workers.
“In Dubai, you don’t pump your own gas,” Shahid began in his post. “Yesterday, while an attendant filled my tank, I asked about his background. The man cleaning my windshield has a PhD in Electrical Engineering.”
Shahid, who refers to the attendant as “Rafik,” expressed discomfort at the stark contrast between his own circumstances and that of the highly educated worker in front of him. “This gas station job was what he could get, not what he trained for, but what pays the bills and supports family back home,” he wrote.
“Here I am, less educated, watching someone with a doctorate pump my gas. The only real difference between us was where we were born, and what we were born into,” Shahid reflected.
He criticized the narrative often pushed by so-called “grind bros” who promote the idea that success is solely the result of hard work. “They ignore what’s actually possible for different people—there are invisible advantages and disadvantages they ignore entirely,” he added.
Shahid’s post struck a chord with many online, prompting hundreds of reactions and thoughtful comments.
Hafsa Mazhar, a business coach, wrote, “Breaks my heart too to see people like this… And believe me, here are so many out with even homeless with doctorates.” She later added, “I hope we all get to make the most of our lives.”
Andrea Wade, a leadership coach, shared a similar experience: “I met so many people with amazing credentials who just didn’t have the opportunities to advance. But yet they showed up everyday, head held high, like Rafik.”
Shahid responded, “These guys work hard, it’s just that the right opportunity doesn’t come along where the hard work pays off. But it will…hopefully.”
Shailendra Asodekar, a business strategy advisor, added a philosophical layer: “The Need always wins over Philosophical aspects. Choice always works with level of satisfaction or containment.”
Goodness David, a content writer, summed up the sentiment echoed across the thread: “Geography + luck plays a big role to who we become.”
Shahid concluded his original post with a powerful call to self-reflection: “This encounter had me thinking about circumstances, privilege, and what we owe each other when we’re the lucky ones.”
