Viva La Difference!

Okay, I think it is time for a short note before my main blog.

Apparently, not everyone agrees with everything I have to say.

Disappointing.

Actually, I am just kidding.  Not about the disagreeing part; but I am far from disappointed.

I welcome the differences in all of us and encourage your to offer your perspective in the comment section of my blog.

I use this blog to just "put it out there."  I know my ideas may not match yours.  I know I am as likely to be wrong as right.  That's the fun of it all.

In my job, I often am asked to offer an opinion (which I have bags full of).  Sometimes, what I think needs to be done is clear; other times, I am less sure.  One thing I always do it take the minority view if no one else is already in that seat.  If everyone is nodding and back-slapping, I will disagree, even if I don't really disagree.  There is a reason for this.

The minority position has value.  Just because most people agree, does not mean they are right.  More often than not, taking the opposing view does not change minds, but it can offer an appreciation for what the world looks like to someone wearing a different pair of shoes.

I am often asked, "What piece of advice would you give us if you could only say one thing?"

My answer is always, "Walk in the shoes of those whose lives you intend to impact before you do a thing."

So, Viva La Difference!

Agree, disagree or change your mind.  It's all good to me.


http://www.worldgratitudelist.com      Leave a list.  Read a list.  Be happy.

j

Consider the source

Every now and then, I will watch a little Glenn Beck, just to see what he is up to.

Last week, he was responding to criticism that he is stirring up hate in an attempt to (1) maintain his ratings and income and (2) well, there really isn't a second reason.

For his defense, he claimed "I am like a doctor telling America it is sick.  Don't you think that a doctor should tell you when you are sick?"

Thank God for Doctor Glenn Beck.

Wait a minute, is he really a doctor?  Certainly someone that has his own television show must have some credentials.  He appears to feel he has a better plan than the top economists, military leaders and educators in the world.  This got me to wondering, "How many degrees does he actually have?"

Well, if you count all of the honorary degrees, undergraduate degrees, post graduate degrees and post doctoral degrees, the sum total is zero.  Well, one, if you count a high school diploma.

What this means is that he is fully qualified to be what he is, an entertainer.

He is not qualified to teach kindergarten - seriously.  And yet millions turn to him for guidance on what to believe.

Okay, so maybe he is an outlier data point.  Not the norm.

I continued my in-depth investigation (aka checked Wikipedia) to see if there were any other posers - someone pretending to know what they are talking about.  I found a couple more examples.

Rush Limbaugh left high school and immediately sought out higher education.  He flunked out of Junior College never to return to the deep end of the educational pool again.

Sean Hannity attended not one, but two universities.  He dropped out of both; no degree in hand.

This is a disturbing trend.  I am not referring to the fact that these men make tons of money with resumes that peak with them making it to the second round of their 9th grade Spelling Bee.  I am not referring to the fact that they gave up on their own education, or in Glenn's case, never even tried.  I am referring to the fact that we listen to them.  By "we" I mean the societal "we" - the "we" that does not include "me."


I have to admit that I have mixed feelings about all of this.  I am glad to see these guys are so unqualified to talk about anything that I can now understand how they say what they say.  They are just making stuff up (kind of like me).  On the other hand, they have an impact, albeit a negative one.  Glenn Beck tears up and says "I just love America."  We respond with a "there, there now Glenn," not realizing that doing so simply pulls us into his Fantasy-land.

These guys are not patriots.  They are entrepreneurs.  They are out to make a buck.  Not so different from all of us.  They are good at what they do, not what they pretend to do.  They are entertainers; actors seeking to make the pretend seem real.  As such, I applaud their success.

And then change the channel.

I am a big fan of voting with my wallet and my remote control.


http://www.worldgratitudelist.com     Leave a list.  Read a list.  Be happy.

j