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What Makes Me Such An Expert Everything?
That question is simple! Because I am Vinny,
world-renown expert on my opinions!
My viewpoints and
opinions are more often than not, hard-won beliefs. They are the
product of years of extensive research, experimentation,
observation. When I look at any aspect of life....like each of
you, I want to know how things really work. When examining any
belief system, we are left with the challenge to see if that
system of beliefs has real value. I always have to ask myself
many questions such as:
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How effective is this system of beliefs for
me as an individual, for any organization...and ultimately
for humanity?
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How many flaws are embedded within this system
of beliefs. (Almost every system has flaws whether for the
individual ascribing to this system or the organization that
you may belong to)?
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Are all of the beliefs or opinions within
the system verifiable; meaning can they be examined and put to
the test?.
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Does the system of beliefs include other
people and organizations or is it exclusive, to a rare
selected or genetically gifted few?
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Finally, are there better systems around
that would serve you or your organizations more effectively
and also humanity as a whole; or are there at least certain
aspects in your belief system that can be modified or even
thrown out?
One of the biggest
stumbling blocks for ALL of us is the tendency to hold on to our
beliefs strongly without looking for further evidence or
verification to support our theories or beliefs. In fact we
often will refuse to look at any or all evidence that shows our
beliefs to be flawed. We may even go so far as to become angry or
violent when evidence is shoved in our faces showing that our
beliefs are nothing more than a sham.
As I have gone through
life I have suffered from this dogmatism as well. Perhaps to a
lesser degree than most people but nevertheless it was still
there. Twenty years ago, a few of my former coworkers actually
cured me of the malady of reflexively holding on to cherished
unexamined beliefs.
Prior to meeting my new friends I have spent most of my life
growing up with people as dysfunctional as me. My former friends
and I did all that we could to agree with each other...and in
the instances we knew that we could not agree we would not call
each other on our mistakes. Instead, we would all just allow
each other to prattle on with our erroneous beliefs.
My new friends did not suffer remotely with regards to hurting
my feelings and by telling me I was wrong on some of my cherished
beliefs that I had verbalized to them. Both of my new friends are very educated and
very intelligent. In addition they were more verbally skilled
than me and much more verbally aggressive as they tried to
overwhelm me with their beloved ideals.
I became very angry and hurt! How dare they be so rude as to say
I was wrong?! How dare they to be so callus as to
what this overt attack on to my ideals would mean to my
feelings?! I managed a pretty good job not showing my hurt and
anger; but, it was right there and then that I realized I could
never be friends with these heartless sons-of-bitches. I
went off to pout as the hurt and anger festered within me.
Bastards, I privately railed.
The next day at work, these two no-good-bastards greeted me
with genuine eagerness to hang out and interact. I was
perplexed. Back east, what had happened the previous day would
have been grounds for a fist-fight! These two coworkers had seemed to forgotten their transgressions, or to be
accurate, they did not judge what they felt to be my flawed
beliefs to be what is essentially "Vinny".
It was apparent to me that they still valued my company, my
friendship and they even respected my advice in areas that I am
an expert in. It was then that I learned that people can just
disagree on a few issues while holding the same person up with
high regard.
As I had time to ponder all of this, I managed to question why I
had really gotten angry, and why I had felt bone deep hurt.
After much cogitating, it hit me! I was angry because I was
hurt. I was hurt, because I felt that an attack or disagreement
on my opinions and beliefs was an attack on my intelligence;
ultimately I felt that this called into question my value and
worthiness as a person. Was my place in the cosmos so
incidental?
After much soul searching, I figured that while I am not Stephen
Hawkins or Richard Feyman, I did indeed have a reasonably
intelligent brain-stem. I realized that the only time I was
wrong was when I did not have all of the relevant information to
make the best choices as to which beliefs or plans I needed to
make, if I wanted to navigate in the most effective manner
through life.
*(In the field of mathematics, I could have all relevant information, but I
would lack the education to fully appreciate various theorems,
so obviously the chance for mistakes would be likely).
So there it was for most human beings! All of us, needs ALL
relevant information to be assured that we possess the truth on
any given item.
When I first debated with my two friends, They questioned the
veracity of what I was asserting on two very controversial
subjects that we had stumbled upon. I made some bold assertions
that I felt were true. They felt that my statements were wrong
or there was not enough evidence to make such claims. The fact
of the matter was that neither side had on hand enough evidence
or documentation to prove such assertions. That however is not
the point.
What is
the point was that I was not capable of simply saying that I
respected their opinion, but at a later date we
will keep our stances until I could present them with
irrefutable evidence.
(As it
turned out, years later I was able to bring sufficient proof to
close the argument. Also, it turned out that neither of my two
friends liked to be told that they are wrong!).
Oh well,
Just being A world-renowned expert on my own
opinions is work enough: It keeps me too busy to worry
too much about other people finding the truth.
It was
from that moment that I decided to take great pains to do as much
research on any given subject that interests me. I will read
everything I can find and talk to all of the experts, and put
the harsh scrutiny of observation on the subject of my
interests, and finally, there is the process of experimentation.
Experimentation is essential to test your premise or the
premises of others. For example, it does not matter how many
PhDs' or experts say what is the gospel... if the gospel does not
work for you.
Allow me to explain further by giving you an example. I have
lifted weights for about thirty-five years. I have
always had a passion for strength in every form; endurance
strength, speed strength, absolute strength, every kind of
strength imaginable. When I first started out... there was not
near the knowledge that we have today.
I started training with a basic book from Sears & Roebuck when I
purchased their plastic coated weight set. I used
their instructions and of course I started to experiment on
various programs that I devised on my own because of imaginings
and questions as to what if... My experimentation put my training
and thereby the progression I made way ahead of my friends. I
had developed theories as to why this was the case.
Eventually, I was fortunate enough to talk to a handful of world
class strength athletes - a few of which were for years world record
holders in several weight classes. Compared to their
training protocols mine was considered eccentric at best and
outright nuts at worst. Besides being champions, a few of these
lifters had credential such as masters degrees in science or PhD
in sports or what have you. A few of them were not so kind and told
me that my training methods were hair-brained and that I would
never attain any respectable level of strength.
I actually took their advice to heart and I tossed out all of my
training ideas and slavishly followed the leading champion's
advice. When his didn't work, I tried another champion's
training regimen and eventually, I went through the entire stable of
champions. Their advice seemed to work well for them and there
was the question of steroid use. The word on the grapevine was
that they took steroids. Since I don't know that if this is true
or not, I will not even address that issue. What they did do
worked for them, but not for many people...clearly not at all
for me.
The big question was, were they using the best training program
best suited for them?
Before I ask you to consider that question, let me share with
you my performance at the age of forty.At the bodyweight of one hundred and eighty pounds I was
able to bench press 460 pounds with a pause and 480 touch and
go. I could at the end of a high volume workout finish off with
300 pounds in a behind the neck press all the way down to my
shoulders with a pause. I could do a underhand preacher curl at
the end of a workout with 180 pounds. I could do body building
squats (Upright and very deep with 425 pounds for 25 repetitions
for my first set and pyramid up to finish off with 600 pounds at
the end of a high volume workout. I was able to do 525 pounds
for 25 repetitions in the squats if I did it like Louie Simmons
power lifting style. (This style adds 100 pounds on any given
rep range). I could do dips with 225 pounds strapped to me for
25 reps and finish off with 300 pounds strapped to my body.
And if I had not suffered from unfortunate circumstance from the
federal agency that I worked and if I had not been in a car
accident, it is likely that I would have broke the world's record
for non-steroid users in my weight class and it is likely that I
would have broken the worlds record in the squat in any
event...even against steroid users.
I estimate that within another year I would have benched three
times my bodyweight without a bench shirt. and squatted eight
hundred pounds. (For those of you that are unaware, a three
times a body weight bench - without a bench shirt - is done by
only a handful of men on the planet).
Once again, I make this statement to assure all of you that I
would have attained this level of strength, not from superior
genetics... but only because of proper training. At best my
genetics are average and many people would perform at levels
much higher than me if they used many of the training methods
and protocols that I have learned.
Most people would think that I have the fireplug body of a power
lifter. I do not. While I do have optimal leverages for squats,
my leverages for strength in every other movement is less than
optimal. For instance, I have a six foot two inch wing span with
exceptionally long forearms. This is a double no-no in power
lifting, yet despite these disadvantages I have performed at
high world class level without every using steroids.
Also, it is my belief that most people, without the use of
steroids or "Superior genetics" could achieve this level of
strength by simply applying the proper scientific protocol for
their specific body's needs.
All of my claims can be verified by many reliable sources.
Now it is time to get to the nitty gritty of my point; I am not
telling you all of these statistics for the purpose of self
glorification. I am simply trying to make a point...and that is,
after thirty-five years of my eccentric style of training I have
been vindicated. Exercise physiology has made many advances in
knowledge and it as been discovered that all of my hair-brained
ideas are now considered state-of-the-art cutting edge training
protocols.
All of my theories as to what in the body was being stimulated
also turned out to be true. In fact, many of the former
champions have apologized for their error in judgment and fully
acknowledge that they would have done better if they utilized
these various training methods.
To bring my point to a close, what I knew did not come from the
gift of high intelligence. Only because I was willing to
experiment, research, observe, research some more, and then more
experimentation to see what worked and what didn't and
ultimately...what worked the best was I able to excel to a level
once thought impossible without the use of steroids.
I have learned as the great horse trainer Steve Parnell has
said, "There is good, better and best". I believe it behooves us to strive for the best. Sure go for
good in the beginning, then better, but ultimately the best is
where it is at.
I know that this principle applies to every aspect of our
lives...to every endeavor we strive in. The truth is no
different. We should always strive for the total truth, or at
least constantly and consistently seek to always achieve the
closest approximation of the truth if proof positive elude us.
We must all become world-renown experts of our own opinions,
instead of the amateurs that we so often and too easily fall
back too.
In parting you may ask..."Do you honestly strive for the truth
in every single situation in life like you have in weight
training?" Truthfully? No! A few occasions I have not, whether
it was due to laziness, or simply that I did not have the time;
and during those times I usually paid for my laziness or not
being able to take the time in a bad way.
However, I do not defend my erroneous beliefs with fist fights
if I am told and even proven that I am wrong.
Also on rare occasions at worst nothing bad may have happened,
but, I did not benefit nearly of what I would if I left no stone
unturned towards the quest for truth.
Let me know what you think?
Coming Soon: How I Will Manage To Take
My Beat Up Fifty-Plus Body & Whip Myself Back Into The Kind of
Shape That You See of Me Holding A Trophy At The Age of Forty!
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