Anti-Self Help Crusade

Off Topic
80

[quote]ZEB wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

ZEB: You wrote thank god for the people who write these books. It’s fine you feel that way. What do you say about all the destructive and fairytale shit they write, as I’ve explained here?

More shit that comes to mind…

Brian Tracy says:

  1. Work 60+ hours per week.
  2. Exercise three or more times per week.
  3. Spend CONSISTENT amounts of time with your spouse and kids (very doable with some things on this list).
  4. Read one to two hour per day, preferably in the morning.
  5. Write down your goals everyday.
  6. Plan your day in the morning.
  7. Plan your next day in the evening.
  8. Listen to self-help CDs on your way to work.
  9. Eat healthy.

I really can see how 2 to 9 can be done while working over 60 hours per week, considering travel time to work and all the pesky errands and chores and things for hygeine we must do on a daily basis. [/quote]

Wow, better find the guy and punch him out huh? Can you imagine this man advising you to workout three times per week, plan your day, eat healthy etc. How dare he?

Come on tell me you’re kidding, come on say it.

[/quote]

I’m also asking you if YOU’RE KIDDING by insinuating that I have a problem with adequate nutrition and exercise rather than this guy telling us to make 20 AWAKE hours for ourselves?

81

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

And it’s not all about laziness or taking a stab at something. Some people just don’t have the resources or intelligence or environment to be great at something (IQ, upbringing, socioeconomic class born into, etc.).

By the way, what’s wrong with ordinariness, considering 99 percent of the population IS ordinary![/quote]

Its not about having the resources, intelligence, or environment. Its about creating the resources, gaining the intelligence, and creating the environment because you realize it isnt going to be handed to you.

Whats wrong with ordinary? Not to be mean, but you may be one of those people who have never been excellent at anything. Im not saying you need to be excellent at everything, or be the best at one thing. But once you achieve excellence in one area of your life, its hard to settle for being ordinary with anything else. You may not achieve excellence in everything else, but youll try.

This may sound cliche, but settling for less than your best is just you short changing yourself.

82

I’m also proud of LSU-JOCKGRABBER for making false assumptions and preparing a nutritious meal tonight, as I have once already and will do twice more (5th and 6th meals to finish, showing how UNSUCCESSFUL I am in my own nutrition protocols).

Am I frustrated or do I think that self-help is a crock of shit for most people? I’m the LATTER.

NO ONE can tell if someone else is frustrated unless they announce it. You have no idea what emotion I’m experiencing while typing here.

83

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
By the way, what’s wrong with ordinariness, considering 99 percent of the population IS ordinary![/quote]

Nothing, if you are striving to be like 99% of our population. I am not.

84

[quote]smithers584 wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

And it’s not all about laziness or taking a stab at something. Some people just don’t have the resources or intelligence or environment to be great at something (IQ, upbringing, socioeconomic class born into, etc.).

By the way, what’s wrong with ordinariness, considering 99 percent of the population IS ordinary![/quote]

Its not about having the resources, intelligence, or environment. Its about creating the resources, gaining the intelligence, and creating the environment because you realize it isnt going to be handed to you.

Whats wrong with ordinary? Not to be mean, but you may be one of those people who have never been excellent at anything. Im not saying you need to be excellent at everything, or be the best at one thing. But once you achieve excellence in one area of your life, its hard to settle for being ordinary with anything else. You may not achieve excellence in everything else, but youll try.[/quote]

Uh, actually I’m pretty damn good in my hobby, was in school, and my job. Maybe you’ve seen my posts in the nutrition and training threads, maybe you haven’t.

And what qualifies excellence? “Not to be mean” (cute term you got there), but if you talk of physical or intellectual excellence - that you achieved either - there are people who are FAR MORE “excellent” than you and I. They’re called household names, like people in the history books.

Name any area of physical activity. Bodybuilding? You’re nowhere near Dorian Yates. Science? You’re not Stephen Hawkings. Powerlifting? You’re not Ed Coan.

Does this mean that I recommend NOT trying to make more money, further education, or work out harder? Absolutely NOT! I try hard everyday. I’ve benched 350 and squatted and deadlifted 500. Are these astronomical weights? No, but they’re pretty damn good, and I’m sure they could have been higher had I kept the goals of getting as big and strong as possible, considering I know a great deal about nutrition and exercise.

Do I not further my education? I’m finishing an MS in nutrition and exercise and I take 75 CEUS every 5 years to maintain my RD credential.

After I’m done with the MS, I plan on building a website and business.

Do I sound like someone that isn’t trying to do stuff or doesn’t want perhaps a decent and MAYBE interesting life?

85

Brick, I think your getting far too worked up lately with things that shouldn’t bother you.

Be like a river and just flooooow baby…Lol!

86

[quote]smithers584 wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
By the way, what’s wrong with ordinariness, considering 99 percent of the population IS ordinary![/quote]

Nothing, if you are striving to be like 99% of our population. I am not.[/quote]

YOU… and most people on this board… are closer to ordinary than extraordinary.

Who’s extraordinary? Quite a few people, but still a tiny minority.

You know:

Carl Lewis
Michael Johnson
Michael Phelps
Christopher Columbus
Jacque Cousteau (spelling?)
Stephen Hawkings
Tesla
Thomas Edison
Herman Oberth
Robert Goddard
Ben Johnson
Ronnie Coleman
Ed Coan
Tiger Woods
Tom Brady
Stephen King

I really don’t have time to mention people who have talent that most people lack and what makes them extraordinary.

Yeah, they’re extraordinary. Where does that put everyone else?

87

[quote]smithers584 wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
By the way, what’s wrong with ordinariness, considering 99 percent of the population IS ordinary![/quote]

Nothing, if you are striving to be like 99% of our population. I am not.[/quote]

Please explain to us how you’re so extraordinary.

88

SMITHEREENS wrote: “This may sound cliche, but settling for less than your best is just you short changing yourself.”

No shit! This doesn’t mean you’ll come close to the greats of humankind though!

89

Fuck, youre right. If I cant be the absolute best at something, I should just shoot for the middle of the road. Im sure all these people just found at a very young age that they were just awesome at one thing and ran with it, not a single person had to strive to be the best or work hard at it.

And you dont know me, so you cant say how “ordinary” I am. Maybe I am ordinary in the bodybuilding/powerlifting sector, thats all I really post about on this site. But I havent been training long, so I guess I should just settle for this? No sense in giving it my all?

These people are extraordinary because they have committed themselves 100% to their respected work. This is something most people will never do.

And when I said “not to be mean”, I was just clarifying this shouldnt be taken as personal, because I dont know you.

90

No need to explain myself to anyone.

Why are all your post so negative? Why are you trying to bring down everyone?

You have seriously lost it with this thread. Its apparent now why this thread was started.

91

[quote]smithers584 wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

And it’s not all about laziness or taking a stab at something. Some people just don’t have the resources or intelligence or environment to be great at something (IQ, upbringing, socioeconomic class born into, etc.).

By the way, what’s wrong with ordinariness, considering 99 percent of the population IS ordinary![/quote]

Its not about having the resources, intelligence, or environment. Its about creating the resources, gaining the intelligence, and creating the environment because you realize it isnt going to be handed to you.

Whats wrong with ordinary? Not to be mean, but you may be one of those people who have never been excellent at anything. Im not saying you need to be excellent at everything, or be the best at one thing. But once you achieve excellence in one area of your life, its hard to settle for being ordinary with anything else. You may not achieve excellence in everything else, but youll try.

This may sound cliche, but settling for less than your best is just you short changing yourself.[/quote]

And yeah, I agree with you. Sometimes you must CREATE opportunity where there seems to be none, or as Sugar Ray Leonard said (I think it was him), “You gotta take a chance to get a chance!”

NOTHING wrong with this thinking, and I’m all for it!

You can seek information, but I DON’T believe you can change INHERENT intellectual capacity. Is someone going to go from 75 IQ (near retarded) to 130, provided the right environment? NO!

Does someone raised in an environment for sports (right coaches, right private school) not have an edge on someone who’s not? You bet! Example: You don’t become an elite sprinter after realizing it might be a cool thing to do at age 35 (like people do with bodybuilding). Same goes for many other sports.

I have a friend who’s worth about $750,000 at 29 years old. This is very unique. Why is he worth so much? Because his dad is a multi-millionaire who set him up with a business at a very young age. Are you seriously going to tell me his upbringing had nothing to do with his monetary success? That his dad literally putting all the cards in place have nothing to do with his success? My friend’s also pretty bright. Are you telling me this brightness is not a bit hereditary?

92

[quote]smithers584 wrote:
No need to explain myself to anyone.

Why are all your post so negative? Why are you trying to bring down everyone?

You have seriously lost it with this thread. Its apparent now why this thread was started.[/quote]

Of course it’s apparent why this thread was started, for the reasons I propose here that the Self Help Movement is a sham!

I have NO intentions of bringing anyone else down, and if you read my posts IN FULL - that is, PAY ATTENTION to EVERY SENTENCE of them - you’ll see that I ENCOURAGE people to do their best, all while ignoring the hucksterism of the destructive movement.

93

[quote]smithers584 wrote:
Fuck, youre right. If I cant be the absolute best at something, I should just shoot for the middle of the road. Im sure all these people just found at a very young age that they were just awesome at one thing and ran with it, not a single person had to strive to be the best or work hard at it.

And you dont know me, so you cant say how “ordinary” I am. Maybe I am ordinary in the bodybuilding/powerlifting sector, thats all I really post about on this site. But I havent been training long, so I guess I should just settle for this? No sense in giving it my all?

These people are extraordinary because they have committed themselves 100% to their respected work. This is something most people will never do.

And when I said “not to be mean”, I was just clarifying this shouldnt be taken as personal, because I dont know you.[/quote]

Where did I say you shouldn’t try to be the best you can, physically and career-wise, or better yet, as a GOOD PERSON?

Do you honestly think because I don’t like self-help that I’m some grim misanthropist behind a keyboard wishing destruction to humankind?

94

I din’t read all of this thread, but “self help” is one of the branches that has spawned off of philosophy.

“The most comprehensive statement of Plato’s mature philosophical views appears in Politeia (The Republic), an extended treatment of the most fundamental principles for the conduct of human life. Using the character “Socrates” as a fictional spokesman, Plato considers the nature and value of justice and the other virtues as they appear both in the structure of society as a whole and in the personality of an individual human being. This naturally leads to discussions of human nature, the achievement of knowledge, the distinction between appearance and reality, the components of an effective education, and the foundations of morality.”

Virtue, justice, self control, moderation, etc… are all part of the search for human nature. Although self-help is new age, thousands of years and the greatest minds have thought of this for a lot longer then you. Its roots reach throughout history and that is why we are so intrigued by it.

95

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
Do you honestly think because I don’t like self-help that I’m some grim misanthropist behind a keyboard wishing destruction to humankind? [/quote]

Honestly, if you look at your posts here, it kind of seems like that. Seems like you are stressed out about something or things arent going as you would like them to.

If I have assumed an incorrect disposition from you, then I apologize.

But if you read all your post in this thread, most have a fairly “seemingly” negative approach.

97

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

OR do I have a problem with a guy telling us to stay awake for 20 hours per day with non-stop stimulation and OVER-THINKING and OVER-PLANNING?[/quote]

I thought he said to work 60 hours a week, right? I did that all through the 90’s rarely had a Saturday off built a successful business and also stayed in shape and got 6-8 hours of sleep per night. I just don’t see the problem with his advice. I think his basic message is, if you want more out of life you have to do more. Of course certain people are partial to certain authors and maybe he’s not your cup of tea.

98

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

You know:

Carl Lewis
Michael Johnson
Michael Phelps
Christopher Columbus
Jacque Cousteau (spelling?)
Stephen Hawkings
Tesla
Thomas Edison
Herman Oberth
Robert Goddard
Ben Johnson
Ronnie Coleman
Ed Coan
Tiger Woods
Tom Brady
Stephen King

I really don’t have time to mention people who have talent that most people lack and what makes them extraordinary.

Yeah, they’re extraordinary. Where does that put everyone else? [/quote]

Not sure if I’m understanding you correctly, but from the statement above it sounds like your saying there’s only 2 categories. Either you are rich and famous or the absolute best in the world at what you do, or you’re an average Joe. Where do you draw the line between ordinary and extraordinary? The CIO at my last company made $250,000 a year and was one of the smartest computer guys I’ve ever worked with. He’s not the least bit famous. Would you consider him ordinary?

99

[quote]sam_sneed wrote:

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

You know:

Carl Lewis
Michael Johnson
Michael Phelps
Christopher Columbus
Jacque Cousteau (spelling?)
Stephen Hawkings
Tesla
Thomas Edison
Herman Oberth
Robert Goddard
Ben Johnson
Ronnie Coleman
Ed Coan
Tiger Woods
Tom Brady
Stephen King

I really don’t have time to mention people who have talent that most people lack and what makes them extraordinary.

Yeah, they’re extraordinary. Where does that put everyone else? [/quote]

Not sure if I’m understanding you correctly, but from the statement above it sounds like your saying there’s only 2 categories. Either you are rich and famous or the absolute best in the world at what you do, or you’re an average Joe. Where do you draw the line between ordinary and extraordinary? The CIO at my last company made $250,000 a year and was one of the smartest computer guys I’ve ever worked with. He’s not the least bit famous. Would you consider him ordinary?
[/quote]

Exaclty what I was wondering. How about some of the most amazing people who are in our military, doing extraordinary things everyday, that you never hear about?

100

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:

Tiger Woods
[/quote]

Ummmm…