The Only Thing That Counts
There are too many rules to live by. Too many principles to memorize, clues to follow, and lies to swallow. Too many ideals to discard and too much junk in our yard. The moment has come to simplify.
Every few years, we read about research performed on twin brothers. This was particularly popular in the seventies, when researchers checked twins' moods, ask them what they ate, and watched them go on dates. Later they recorded how some twins took courses, found jobs, and travelled around the globe.
At the end of each study, facts are typed, tabulated, and debated. Results are never what scientists expected. Why are some subjects doing great while brothers live in a sorry state? How come that often one twin thrives while the other barely survives?
From time to time, more money is poured into such studies and researchers talk again to every twin and his brother. To everyone's surprise, old data is usually not just confirmed, but magnified. Subjects who are successful feel not at all resentful, while apparently, to those who wail and cry, every chance in life has been denied.
Although the outcome of studies show clear differences between subjects, scientists continue to be clueless about the cause. How is it possible that each twin fares a way that cannot be compared? If not family and background, what makes some people mess around and others rebound?
* Are there so many factors involved that no conclusion can be drawn?
* Is every man nothing but destiny's pawn?
* What is the secret that turns ugly ducklings into swans?
In my view, such investigations have never been able to teach us much because they are based on faulty premises. Undoubtedly, family and origin play a certain role, but so do educational opportunities, an individual's health, the state of the economy, luck, and many other factors.
Complexity in the method cannot overcome imperfection in the system. Even when computers are fed overwhelming streams of data, they remain unable to grasp what human intuition can instantly deduct by means of fuzzy short-cuts.
In life, action is the only thing that counts. It is what makes your days valuable or sells them at discount. It does not matter whether two men are twins or not. Neither origin, background, or talking can equal the impact of a man walking.
Statistics won't reveal the clue. They can determine neither when nor who. From the many rules to live by, most are not even true. Action is the key, a habit that we must daily renew. Decide what you want to construe, take action, and follow through.
JOHN VESPASIAN writes about rational living. He has resided in New York, Madrid, Paris, and Munich. His stories reflect the values of entrepreneurship, tolerance, and self-reliance. See John Vespasian's blog about rational living.
http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com/
Every few years, we read about research performed on twin brothers. This was particularly popular in the seventies, when researchers checked twins' moods, ask them what they ate, and watched them go on dates. Later they recorded how some twins took courses, found jobs, and travelled around the globe.
At the end of each study, facts are typed, tabulated, and debated. Results are never what scientists expected. Why are some subjects doing great while brothers live in a sorry state? How come that often one twin thrives while the other barely survives?
From time to time, more money is poured into such studies and researchers talk again to every twin and his brother. To everyone's surprise, old data is usually not just confirmed, but magnified. Subjects who are successful feel not at all resentful, while apparently, to those who wail and cry, every chance in life has been denied.
Although the outcome of studies show clear differences between subjects, scientists continue to be clueless about the cause. How is it possible that each twin fares a way that cannot be compared? If not family and background, what makes some people mess around and others rebound?
* Are there so many factors involved that no conclusion can be drawn?
* Is every man nothing but destiny's pawn?
* What is the secret that turns ugly ducklings into swans?
In my view, such investigations have never been able to teach us much because they are based on faulty premises. Undoubtedly, family and origin play a certain role, but so do educational opportunities, an individual's health, the state of the economy, luck, and many other factors.
Complexity in the method cannot overcome imperfection in the system. Even when computers are fed overwhelming streams of data, they remain unable to grasp what human intuition can instantly deduct by means of fuzzy short-cuts.
In life, action is the only thing that counts. It is what makes your days valuable or sells them at discount. It does not matter whether two men are twins or not. Neither origin, background, or talking can equal the impact of a man walking.
Statistics won't reveal the clue. They can determine neither when nor who. From the many rules to live by, most are not even true. Action is the key, a habit that we must daily renew. Decide what you want to construe, take action, and follow through.
JOHN VESPASIAN writes about rational living. He has resided in New York, Madrid, Paris, and Munich. His stories reflect the values of entrepreneurship, tolerance, and self-reliance. See John Vespasian's blog about rational living.
http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com/
