SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 – My friend Steve repeatedly cites several aphorisms that help explain humanity. Here I describe three. Continually I encounter evidence supporting their validity.
FIRST: “NO ONE IS AN A-STUDENT AT EVERYTHING.” By this Steve means that limits exist to the range of everyone’s competencies. Your plumber might be brilliant at installing a hot water heater, but ask her about the blight that’s raging across your tomato plants, and she hasn’t a clue. Or the orthopedist who’s an expert at knee replacements doesn’t know a thing about allergies—or fixing a lawnmower.
In making critical judgments about people, Steve’s First Aphorism is itself critical. For example, in considering a candidate for CEO of a large manufacturing company, you might not want to assume that the CFO would be the best for the job simply because she’s a wizard at cash management. And just because a dad among the parents in your daughter’s summer soccer league was an all-star athlete in high school doesn’t mean he’s the best choice to serve as president of the soccer league organization.
A classic case of “No one is an A-student at everything” is revealed when a celebrity testifies before at some Congressional hearing. Just because he’s won an Oscar doesn’t mean he’s an expert at addressing climate change.
SECOND: “EVERYONE’S THINKIN’ ‘BOUT SOMETHIN’.” What this means is that each of us lives a complex life wherein we accumulate “baggage” and burdens—and diversions. Consequently, each of us goes about our day focused on one thing or another, big, small and in between—issues at work, relationships with other people, the challenges of illness or injury; matters of religion, politics, finance, weather, FB feeds, the latest cat videos, fantasy football leagues, managing that dinner party that started out with four guests and has now burgeoned to eight.
What this means, in turn, is that few of us are on exactly—exactly—the same page at the same time; except, I suppose, when we’re all watching the same movie (if it’s intense enough), attending the same concert (if the music is loud enough), the same basketball game (if the score is close enough late in the game), or the same political rally (if the red meat is red enough). Most of the time when you’re trying to sell something—an object, a service, an idea—to someone, you’re going to have to overcome the fact that your audience is thinkin’ ‘bout somethin’ other than what you’re thinkin’ about.
THIRD: “MANY PEOPLE THINK THE EARTH IS ONLY 6,000 YEARS OLD.” According to Steve, if you just can’t figure out why hordes think crazy stuff in a given arena (politics, would be one small example), just remember that in other arenas, many people think even crazier stuff. To his point, before you get too carried away in thinking other people are thinking crazy thoughts, pull over and keep your hands on the wheel where they can be seen. You yourself might be harboring some might crazy ideas!
© 2019 Eric Nilsson
