500-WORD RANT PART #11
Why Do We Listen to Salesmen and Ignore Scientists?
A rant about values, or the lack thereof.
Today’s rant is more of a question.
I intend to write a long-form article about the difference between goals and dreams, and how they are used in sports psychology and peak performance training compared to the mental masturbation usually conducted on this site.
For now, consider the following fun fact:
If you search for “goals” on Medium, you will find that the top 39 articles have accumulated over 415,000 claps from over 70,000 fans.
You will be told to: hide your goals, not hide your goals, act as if you’ve already accomplished your goals, not set goals, crush your goals, never give up on your goals, beat self-doubt and reach your goals, stay calm while chasing big goals, stop setting goals but establish small habits, create an enemy to achieve goals, how to get closer to goals, set sustainable goals, what three things stand in the way of goals, figure out the goals you actually want, think in systems (not goals), reprogram your brain to achieve more focus on goals, give up on things that don’t support your goals, your lack of clarity inhibits your progress towards your goals, it’s easier to stay in bed than face your goals, become obsessed with your goals and demolish excuses, forget about setting goals, don’t broadcast your goals, upgrade your goals and achieve 1000x the results, stick to your goals without motivation, you are not your goals, feed your roots to reach your goals, why setting big goals can make you miserable, do a 20-minute writing exercise to focus on your life goals, 7 reasons why you give up on goals too early, the 6-letter word that is the secret to achieving your goals, 7 principles to stay motivated on goals, how Google set goals, stop procrastinating on goals for too long, stop immediately, how to achieve goals in a fraction of the usual time, how to fully commit to goals, try systems (again), set unrealistic goals, stick to your goals, morning habits standing between you and your goals, stay ridiculously focused on your goals, the power of anti-goals, how to gamify your life to accomplish big goals, you don’t need goals but a theme, write your journal to achieve goals, learn how to set goals, goals that hold you back, and get others financially and emotionally invested in your goals.
In that long and winding road of motivational speechifying, you won’t find one quote or mention of Einstein.
Why is that?
I think I’ll listen to the greatest genius of the 20th century over Zig Zeigler, Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, and all the salesmen and other self-help gurus posing as arbiters of wisdom on Medium.
“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” — Albert Einstein
Just a thought for a Tuesday.
Please feel free to give your answers in the comments below.
