I have a friend who is a physician. A Doc. When he isn't feeling right he goes to the doctor. When he feels like he needs a checkup, he goes in and has one.
HOWCOME?
I mean he's a doc right? He lives in his own body. He knows more about symptoms he is or isn't feeling than anyone.
But, he goes to a Doctor.
I submit he is wise. We most often can't ask the right questions when we aren't as we should be. We most often are blinded by the situations and the gradual decline in our health. We are most often not able to hear or see what others can.
So, Doctors go see the Doc.
I have a good friend who is part of an organization called the Church Doctor. Churches who need corrective measures hire him to come ask hard questions and make hard recommendations. Wise people those churches.
I have come to the conclusion that people who get stuck in life are those who never really ask, learn, hear or are open to what others say. They can't imagine anyone other than them can understand the situation. Even if they were dying of cancer (Like Colon Cancer) they believe the lack of any real symptoms are indicators that nothing is really wrong. Then they die.
I am a fount of observation. I have made a life of observing, commenting and making recommendations. It has served me and others pretty well. People have paid me big money to do so for them as a Sr Executive of major international firms. I have honed this skill of observation and solution-finding pretty well. I do consulting on an ad hoc basis now. Have done so several times in the last year. I charge $75 per hour travel time and $200 per hour active consulting. It's not enough. I'm going to raise my rates.
On the other hand, when I offer my services for free to people they don't value it. I need to learn that lesson. If they came to me thru my referral service TASA and they had to pay the going rate they might value what I say.
Oh, it's OK. I offer my views anyway. People will sometimes ignore them. Then, they later appropriate them as their own. I'm sort of amused, but sometimes irritated.
It's like the essay the little girl gave on Socrates. "Socrates was a man who went around giving other people advice; They poisoned him".
I will take heed.
On the other hand when you see a person, a church, a state (North Dakota) and even a company you do business with speeding headlong toward a cliff don't I have a responsibility to say, "STOP". Or am I better to keep peace, not ruffle any feathers, and let the whole thing fall off the edge of the earth. Someone might later say, why didn't you say something? I could have, but I didn't.
They need to be like that Doctor and ask the Doctor what they think could be wrong. Instead they refuse to listen. Unteachable, without the ability to take direction. So they suffer. Doctors are smart according to the Caveman in the Geico commercial. Isn't it stupid to ignore advice because you didn't come up with it? I think it is.
I think I'll keep speaking up and not drink anything anyone give me.
12 comments:
I once knew a man, professed to be a church Doctor. He did not recognize the terminal symptoms in his own church, yet claimed to help others. Very wise you are Prophet.
you were right about everything except the jewelry as it is still my biggest seller and my highest profit margin and people who buy earrings for themselves as a trinket to remember the weekend often come back later for a larger gift or art for thier wall. and even tho you gave the advice for free, i valued it and put it into play immediately. i wrote it up and still refer to it. but you CAN be kinda insufferably full of yourself sometimes.
Any one who consults with an idiot would have to have a screw loose whether or not you pay him. Telling everyone you are smart does not work when you turn around and prove how little you know with your less than rational comments. Singularity never regrets the inevitable but a man full of himself can be blown away in a light wind. You my friend could not stand up on a still day.
Guess Who,
Glad it worked out.
My "Full of Myselfness" is just me. The post had more to do with the value most folks don't put on "Free Advice". Otherwise, I'll continue to be just me.
And "Cliff"
As if anyone pays you for anything you know. I'll just keep cashing those checks. But don't tell my repeat consulting customers that I'm an idiot. They might quit using me if they believed you. They wouldn't.
Wait:
you turn around and prove how little you know with your less than rational comments.
You are becoming a very bitter shallow old man.
You have my pity.
i understood your point and perhaps too subtly, was trying to say it is not the free-ness or the cost of the advice but rather whether it was asked for. it is helpful to give advice, whether free or at great expense, when it is asked for. it is arrogant to assume advice is needed and insulting to give it when it is not asked for. sometimes what we see as not there yet, others see as accomplishment so far and to offer advice is to disrespect their efforts.
Amen brother Gene, I have seen the light. The little guy got it wrong. Those who most need advice seldom are open to it and so some times you have to force it into their face and pile it high and deep. You seem to have the structure down and now you need to perfect the approach but hang on to that poll as it is a foul wind that blows no good.
Aw, Papa, I was proud that you had prodded and provoked the pretend prophet into a prepubescent pissing match and now you go soft on him? Your collapse of consistancy is a conundrum.
Jesus gave "advice" to Pharisees and Sadducees, though they didn't ask for it. We need to give people the "Jesus' advice" even though they don't ask for it. Discernment of an individual's spiritual condition should prompt us to give the advice, not our own, but from the Law and Gospel inthe word of God...... H.
"an individual's spiritual condition"
An individual's spiritual condition is none of your business. If you don't preach to me, I won't point out the holes in your religion or the contradictions in your 'holy book'.
As I said before, unasked for advice, including that on things spiritual, is the product of arrogance.
You need to earn the right to speak into someone's life...you need their permission. Unsolicited advice is never welcome. Eespecially when you are answering questions that no one is asking. (GHB)
Aw much to do about nothing. I am a Republican so I did not want to have children to pollute the Gene pool so the young man claiming to be my son is into wishful thinking as he is neither my son, my confident or my muse.
ah but cliff, surely you could appreciate my fine alliterations!?
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