5 Keys to Understanding Your Political Opposition
September 17, 2008 by Ryan
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.
- Albert Einstein
What a crazy few months! It has been a while since I have been this involved and seen so much participation in politics!
Politically, I’ve always considered myself informed and able to articulate why I support a certain viewpoint. I give much of that credit to my very politically active father. As it always is, this election year it is important to understand these issues, the candidates and take part in the democratic process. However, as my sister-in-law pointed out:
There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin
– Linus in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Particularly with family! Politics can be a sensitive subject! Most of the time, our views extend into a very emotional space. While we should attempt to approach the issues logically, it is not realistic to say rational discussion is going to happen in every dialogue when parties both feel that the other represents the exact opposite of everything they believe.
I do not intend to set forth my views and argue why the other side is wrong (at least in this post). Instead, I want to discuss the decision-making process.
I have thought about this a lot this year, because I want to know for myself why I will be voting the way I am voting. This is not exhaustive, but here are some of the rationales I see people using to make their decision:
My Somewhat Sad Million Dollar Insight
August 4, 2008 by Ryan
Let me first say that I am not a cynical person. In fact, I usually get frustrated by cynicism in people around me. But the other day something dawned on me about some of the most successful businesses out there:
If you want to be rich, find a problem in life that is difficult to fix and sell products & information that people can buy to fool themselves that they are actually doing something!
Get rich. Get out of debt. Lose weight. Be more productive. The list could go on, but the common thread is that these goals take considerable effort to achieve. That difficulty opens the opportunity for tools, tips and programs to help the individual to achieve their lofty aspiration. (Here is where my cynicism comes in) The key here is how the act of buying these products, etc. allow the individual to fool themselves that they are making progress to their goal. Let’s be honest, how many books, products, tools have we bought to help us accomplish our goals? How often has that purchase actually delivered? How many failures were more of a personal failure, or a failure to get down and actually use the product, than an actual failure of the product? It’s a sad realization that most people don’t follow through.
We all know people that will buy every diet book under the sun. It’s easy to get into the trap where we run around picking up this tool and that tool, all while making no real progress! I mean really, how many shovels does it take to dig a hole? People think there is a magic bullet that will do the hard work for them.
Most of the time, it doesn’t matter how good the product is, results ultimately come from effort. Hard work! (Hey there’s a niche, Get People Motivated to Work…oh wait, isn’t that Tony Robbins territory?) I’m not saying more thoughtful, more effective products are just as good as low quality equivalents, but for the customer that implements neither, the quality is irrelevant. (Backhoes make short work of some holes!) Fake gurus and hacks abound and I’m not saying to add to the trash. I am more making an observation of circumstances that provide an abundance of opportunity. So, to come away with something positive from this:
Think of something that is hard to achieve and put together the best tools, products and helps that you can…and realize that you might have repeat customers still looking for the magic bullet product that will do the work for them! 
Thought Provoking Reads
June 12, 2008 by Ryan
I’ve recent run into several great, great, reads. One book. One blog. And one post in particular.
First, the book. I have to admit, when I read the title I thought it was a hokie. The 4-Hour Workweek. In my industry, I see a lot of big promises and many are barely more than complete scams. My skepticism kept me from getting the book for months, even though I had seen the author and the book in several places. What got me to break down and buy it was when I saw someone I knew had it. I don’t even think they were reading it, to be honest, but the simple fact that someone else had it made me give into my curiosity. I’m half way through and now it’s in the running to be my favorite book! I wouldn’t say that I’m ready to move to the 4-hour week, but the reading I’ve done has got me reevaluating how productive I am and how I go about my day. Once I finish the book, I’ll post a more in depth review, but I can already say, buy it!
Scouts, Soldiers & the Internet
November 19, 2007 by Ryan
The internet has opened up so many channels to explore the world and I am definitely one that is very integrated into all of it. So when I got a mass email about a Boy Scout doing his Eagle Project online I didn’t erase it within 3 seconds. Funny enough, the scout’s name is Ryan! He’s put together a site to get people to write letters to soldiers in Afghanistan. Here is the site:
To quote a line from his home page, “Regardless of personal feelings on the war or politics in general, we believe showing our support to our military is just the right thing to do.” I think it’s a great cause and a great idea. My Eagle Scout project was a great experience…different, but still a great learning experience. The cool thing I see is that he got GoDaddy to host the website for free! It reminded me of going to HomeBase to get wood donated for a food drive stand. I remember how nervous I was about asking, so bravo Ryan for getting GoDaddy on board!
Yes, I am an Eagle Scout, so here is my contribution to a fellow scout! Check out the site and send a soldier a note!
