This post was inspired after listening Tai Lopez talk about how most people are delusional or over-confident, what he calls the American-Idol syndome. The problem of course is that when people are over-confident they don’t listen, don’t learn. He names Michael Jordans coach Dean Smith who said that he never met somebody more teachable than Michael Jordan. But Michael Jordan also was very confident, but that confidence did not sabotage his ability to LISTEN.
Michael became one of the best basketball players not because he was talented – he wasn’t, he actually got kicked out of his college basketball team – but because he was confident in the hard work he put in. He was confident in that if he’d put in the work, and listen to his coach, he could become one of the best.
Tai’s mentor Allan Nation said “Ignore 99% of people but if you find that one that truly knows what they’re talking about, listen to them!” I found this to be so true for me. I’ve read many books of people but it wasn’t until I found truly wise people like Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett, that I started absorbing everything, every book, every interview I could find about them.
So I’m sorry if I offend people who think they can just sit on their ass all day thinking that they can magically attract good outcomes, you will have to place that faith on the work you put in to achieve your goal, whether that is becoming happier, wealthier or whatever else. At least that’s the only reliable way I’ve learned so far through experience, observation and reading many books.