Winston Churchill is one of my heroes. I've read several
biographies and one of my goals is to visit his home at
Chartwell and tour the underground bunkers where he led
England through WW II. One of Churchill's many famous
quotes is an insult he directed at a Member of Parliament:
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I
admire."
I love that! One of my mother's less-appreciated
admonitions when I was a mischievous boy was, "Behave
yourself!" If I was feeling particularly cantankerous, I'd
reply, "I am behaving myself. Just not the way you'd
prefer!"
We've all learned to "behave ourselves." As adults we learn
to "go along to get along." We learn to be polite, pay our
taxes, work hard, be responsible, and to "play well with
others." We learn "the way things are done" and to be
sociable. There's nothing wrong with that. Except when
there is.
Sometimes, going along with convention and being "normal"
stifles our creativity and deprives us of our
individuality, and our greatness.
I love eccentrics. Eccentricities are simply another way of
describing our individuality. Eccentrics have made all--or
certainly most--of the great advances in history. It's
weird and eccentric to question reality, to doubt
convention, and insist there has to be a better way.
Of all the crazy ideas, the Wright brothers were obsessed
with flying! Edison and Tesla were obsessed with
electricity, and changed our world. Einstein was obsessed
with light and images of trains, and changed our
understanding of the universe. In the 1930's, a guy named
Werner von Braun thought it might be fun to go to the moon.
Madame Currie played with things that glow in the dark, and
an abused little kid named Oprah Winfrey thought she could
make the world a better place.
Eccentrics and their ideas are our heroes!
Our eccentricities and, yes, even our vices make us who we
are. They make us unique and when they are deployed in
useful ways, they make us rich while making the world a
better place for everyone.
Clearly there are vices and eccentricities that are neither
noble nor useful. Swearing and cursing, having a bad temper
or being intolerant adds little to the quality of life.
Addictions or being obnoxious are rarely good things. We
can all think of vices that rob us of our freedom, shorten
life or deprive it of richness. These are not good things
and are not worth defending.
But we all have vices that do enrich our lives, that make
us who we are, and that allow us to stand tall and speak
our truth. We have passions for things that drive others
crazy or cause them to doubt our sanity at times. We love
golf, or choose a vegan lifestyle. We crave knowledge or
obsess over art, music, poetry or nature. We are committed
to politics or to our spirituality. We are "crazy" for good
food, good health, for collecting little figurines or for
our favorite sports team.
To achieve the ultimate success in life, value your vices.
Follow them wherever they lead you. Cling to them, cherish
them and immerse yourself in them. Boldly go through
whatever doors they open for you. Few will follow and some
will criticize, and that's alright. Visionaries have always
been misunderstood.
Choose your vices wisely, then value them highly.
biographies and one of my goals is to visit his home at
Chartwell and tour the underground bunkers where he led
England through WW II. One of Churchill's many famous
quotes is an insult he directed at a Member of Parliament:
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I
admire."
I love that! One of my mother's less-appreciated
admonitions when I was a mischievous boy was, "Behave
yourself!" If I was feeling particularly cantankerous, I'd
reply, "I am behaving myself. Just not the way you'd
prefer!"
We've all learned to "behave ourselves." As adults we learn
to "go along to get along." We learn to be polite, pay our
taxes, work hard, be responsible, and to "play well with
others." We learn "the way things are done" and to be
sociable. There's nothing wrong with that. Except when
there is.
Sometimes, going along with convention and being "normal"
stifles our creativity and deprives us of our
individuality, and our greatness.
I love eccentrics. Eccentricities are simply another way of
describing our individuality. Eccentrics have made all--or
certainly most--of the great advances in history. It's
weird and eccentric to question reality, to doubt
convention, and insist there has to be a better way.
Of all the crazy ideas, the Wright brothers were obsessed
with flying! Edison and Tesla were obsessed with
electricity, and changed our world. Einstein was obsessed
with light and images of trains, and changed our
understanding of the universe. In the 1930's, a guy named
Werner von Braun thought it might be fun to go to the moon.
Madame Currie played with things that glow in the dark, and
an abused little kid named Oprah Winfrey thought she could
make the world a better place.
Eccentrics and their ideas are our heroes!
Our eccentricities and, yes, even our vices make us who we
are. They make us unique and when they are deployed in
useful ways, they make us rich while making the world a
better place for everyone.
Clearly there are vices and eccentricities that are neither
noble nor useful. Swearing and cursing, having a bad temper
or being intolerant adds little to the quality of life.
Addictions or being obnoxious are rarely good things. We
can all think of vices that rob us of our freedom, shorten
life or deprive it of richness. These are not good things
and are not worth defending.
But we all have vices that do enrich our lives, that make
us who we are, and that allow us to stand tall and speak
our truth. We have passions for things that drive others
crazy or cause them to doubt our sanity at times. We love
golf, or choose a vegan lifestyle. We crave knowledge or
obsess over art, music, poetry or nature. We are committed
to politics or to our spirituality. We are "crazy" for good
food, good health, for collecting little figurines or for
our favorite sports team.
To achieve the ultimate success in life, value your vices.
Follow them wherever they lead you. Cling to them, cherish
them and immerse yourself in them. Boldly go through
whatever doors they open for you. Few will follow and some
will criticize, and that's alright. Visionaries have always
been misunderstood.
Choose your vices wisely, then value them highly.
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