23 August 2012
09 August 2012
Word to the wise
Maybe you're one of those people who think of themselves as helpful. Or maybe you just like to prove you know things. Or maybe you just straight up like to make yourself feel good.
But know this: If you are in the gym, and you see someone with less-than-perfect form on the treadmill or weights or heavy bag or whatever, unless they ask you for advice, don't try to help them.
They are in the gym, aren't they? They're doing better than most of America. They're probably feeling pretty good about themselves.
So when you approach this stranger (without taking off your earbuds so you can't hear how loudly you are actually speaking) and offer unsolicited advice on what they're doing wrong, there's a very good chance they will react poorly.
Maybe at first they'll see that you are correct and acknowledge it with something along the lines of, "Yes, I know. I'm working on it." Maybe they'll even smile.
But when you keep talking, in your earbud voice, about what they're doing wrong and the effect it could have, things change. You are no longer being helpful. You are just being a dbag.
That person will likely leave the gym having lost all that good-feeling mojo they had. And while you probably didn't ruin their whole day, you did ruin that gym experience for them. The kicker: A lot (most?) people have to fight the urge to stay on the couch or in bed in order to make themselves even get to the gym in the first place. You've probably tempted them to skip the next workout. And we all know what a slippery slope that can be, especially to a person who doesn't really like being there in the first place. Hopefully, for their sake, your smug attitude will be a distant memory for them when it comes time to crawl out of bed and go to the gym again.
Don't worry. When your alleged expertise is actually required, I'm sure you will be the first to know.
But know this: If you are in the gym, and you see someone with less-than-perfect form on the treadmill or weights or heavy bag or whatever, unless they ask you for advice, don't try to help them.
They are in the gym, aren't they? They're doing better than most of America. They're probably feeling pretty good about themselves.
So when you approach this stranger (without taking off your earbuds so you can't hear how loudly you are actually speaking) and offer unsolicited advice on what they're doing wrong, there's a very good chance they will react poorly.
Maybe at first they'll see that you are correct and acknowledge it with something along the lines of, "Yes, I know. I'm working on it." Maybe they'll even smile.
But when you keep talking, in your earbud voice, about what they're doing wrong and the effect it could have, things change. You are no longer being helpful. You are just being a dbag.
That person will likely leave the gym having lost all that good-feeling mojo they had. And while you probably didn't ruin their whole day, you did ruin that gym experience for them. The kicker: A lot (most?) people have to fight the urge to stay on the couch or in bed in order to make themselves even get to the gym in the first place. You've probably tempted them to skip the next workout. And we all know what a slippery slope that can be, especially to a person who doesn't really like being there in the first place. Hopefully, for their sake, your smug attitude will be a distant memory for them when it comes time to crawl out of bed and go to the gym again.
Don't worry. When your alleged expertise is actually required, I'm sure you will be the first to know.
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