Feb
24
Roger Clemens: Proof that Honesty Really Is the Best Policy
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For all you non sports fans, there is currently a massive hullabaloo (which is a technical term, incidentally), regarding steroid use in baseball. Senator George Mitchell completed a massive, largely uninteresting pile of data regarding who, when, how much, how often, you get the idea. One of the more interesting features of this report was the inclusion of the names of numerous alleged steroid users. This list included Cy Young winners, All-Stars, MVPs, and one future Hall of Famer, Roger Clemens.
Clemens is without question one of baseball’s all-time greats. With his legacy at stake, he has adamantly denied any involvement in steroid and human growth hormone usage. This is in direct contradiction to testimony given under oath by his trainer, and is further confused by the admission of illicit substance use by his longtime friend and training partner, Andy Pettitte. In addition, Clemens has repeatedly made an ass of himself in attempting to clear his name. He has been easily angered, defiant, and generally acted like a huge jerk throughout the entire ordeal.
There are two interesting aspects to this story (actually more than two, but from the standpoint of everyday ethics, its really just two). First, most of the evidence against Clemens is circumstantial, yet he has been declared guilty based upon the manner in which he has chosen to defend himself. This leads us to lesson number one: Don’t be a jerk. If you’re guilty, you really should just own your mistakes and take some responsibility. That’s what Andy Pettitte and others have done, and although I don’t condone their actions, I understand and I respect their honesty. Clemens, much like Marion Jones and Barry Bonds (who we have complained about in previous articles) has chosen the “holier than thou, how dare you” road that simply never works. Simply put, innocent people don’t get mad when you accuse them of things that they really didn’t do. Defensiveness makes no sense when you’re innocent. So if you question the ethics of a friend, coworker, or loved one, and they get mad, chances are it’s because they are guilty.
Lesson number two is much simpler: The best way to avoid having to lie is to not get into these situations in the first place. People who do the right thing don’t have to lie about doing the wrong thing. If Clemens had never done steroids, he wouldn’t have to lie about having done them. It pays to follow the rules for a lot of reasons, and not having to cover your tail with dishonesty is a big perk.
Obviously, we all know that not lying is generally a good idea. But Clemens and the steroid debacle has shown us two additional aspects of honesty and ethical behavior that are not as ingrained in our common sense moral notions. So next time you are thinking about giving in to temptation, remember that honesty really is the best policy and ask yourself if what you are doing will lead to a shameless pack of lies and force you to be defiant and surly in your own defense. If that seems likely, you already know what you ought to do.
Feb
22
I remember the first time I came across The Law of Attraction. And I also remember when the big wave hit after Oprah featured The Secret on her wildly popular show. For several months at least, this fundamental personal growth paradigm was at the center of my life. I quickly began recognizing important synchronicities and profound connections throughout many areas of my life. My most important goals even seemed to be manifesting faster than ever before. Life was good.
And then it all sort of faded away…
Of course, good things are definitely still happening. I just don’t quite feel that same “zing” I once felt. And, appropriately enough, the world around me stopped showing its interest. (Yes, very interesting indeed.)
In the last few days, I have started turning my attention back to the this wonderful energy source. I am a firm believer that the attraction principle really is a matter of intention and self creation.
For example, simply by writing and then posting this article here at Mindful Source, I’ll begin to see reflections very soon. Perhaps you, dear reader, have even missed The Law of Attraction lately. And, so… here you are.
I do believe that some of the personal growth process is about gradual integration – eventually, something learned should become somewhat automatic and less conscious. Still, a review of the basics is always in order.
Perhaps a useful analogy here would be learning a new academic subject - Math or English for example. You may be adept at applying the concepts learned during the actual learning period (a school semester) but the ideas will likely slip away at some point without review and renewal. Personal growth is no different. Unfortunately many of the systems, books, seminars, and other materials available in this genre often encourage short-sighted approaches to self improvement. Would you expect a teacher or coach to ever suggest that your growth and change process is going to be easy??? That’s the real Secret.