Developing Intellectual Honesty

Scenario # 4

David recently lost his job as a local football and baseball coach, due to cutbacks at his school.  With few options, he went to work at a local gas station working as a night clerk.  The job paid less than he was used to, but at least it ensured that his family would be fed!  Over the next few years, David showed up to work consistently and was dependable.  Resulting in his standing out from his coworkers.  Last week, David was promoted to the position of manager, and now he makes more money than he ever has before in his life.

John lives just down the road from David.  John considers himself to be a highly talented salesman.  For the past 20 years he has moved through a series of get rich quick schemes, and sales positions that promised big commissions but that really never panned out.  Along the way, John has passed up numerous entry level job opportunities which he considered to be beneath himself.  John is now only a few years from retirement age, and has no savings and no plan for how he will support himself.

David is filled with gratitude to the gas station chain that gave him a job when he was in need, and that subsequently gave him the opportunity to grow into a management position.  David is happy and his family has plenty of money.  John is bitter and resents those around him who are more successful than he is.  He blames everyone but himself for the position he now finds himself in.  He has become convinced that he has been taken advantage of by a long series of employers, and that he is a helpless victim who never had the opportunity to succeed in life.

Which of the following conclusions might an intellectually honest person draw, and why?

1. David got lucky, and doesn’t deserve his success.  John is correct in asserting that the people who he has worked for took advantage of him.  They promised him that he would get rich and then never delivered.  John is right to blame them for where his life ended up.

2.  David deserves his success.  He was willing to take an entry level job and then work his way up.  While it may be true that John was taken advantage of by dishonest scammers, ultimately John is responsible for the course of his own life.  He should have realized that he was being taken advantage of and stopped seeking out get rich quick schemes.  If John had sought out an entry level job 30 years ago, or even 10 years ago, by now he could be making really good money and have something set aside for his retirement.

Remember that our goal is to face reality as it really exists, and not to lie to ourselves in order to spare our own feelings.  Yes, it is unfortunate that John ended up with nothing, but this is a result of his own choices.  It would be wrong for John to resent those of his neighbors who are more successful than he is.  They bear none of the blame!  Thus, number 3 would be intellectually honest positions to take.

Our goal must be to judge all situations by the same standards, even when this means admitting that we made mistakes!