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Measure Me Not
Posted February 25, 2007 · Idiare Atimomo
One of our claims to superiority over the apes is the ability to gauge and measure the most sublime differences in the phenomena that intrigues us. What a giant leap forward it was to discover the thermometer to measure temperature and the ruler to correctly gauge the length and breadth of an object universally!
To be of any good, measuring tools must be specific to defined phenomena. They must be used for the purpose of their creation. Would it not be clumsy to measure your height with a thermometer? Or test the temperature of water with a ruler? Each phenomenon must be gauged with its appropriate tools.
Consider then how we tend not to examine the reliability and validity of the source of our counsel in times of trouble and decision making. I have seen people make enquiries on which companies to invest in from people who have never bought the shares of any company before. I have seen people who are going through crises in their relationships (marriage, business, and friendships) seek counsel from people who have no better track records than themselves.
Theoretically, it might make sense to listen to someone who has failed in a certain area of life so that they can guide you on what to avoid and what to embrace. From my observation it appears this might be one of the riskiest moves you can ever make. This is because a lot of people do not deduce the right lessons from their experiences. They tend to be bitter and vindictive, taking a shot term view of what happened in the past. Their inexperience of success ultimately limits the quality of their counsel.
This necessarily implies that most of what you will get from them as advice is nothing more than what they would have done so as not to have been hurt by someone rather than what they should have done to be fair to all concerned. Counsel from those who have succeeded or are succeeding in our areas of concern seems to be a surer bet.
An acceptance of this fact of life has some further implications. When you choose to limit your sources of counsel more to those who have succeeded, you must be prepared for the misunderstanding this may breed with people around you.
You may be perceived as secretive, pompous or just plain stubborn when you refuse to take counsel from those whom rational thought has revealed to you the likely unreliability and invalidity of their counsel. As long as your rejection does not stem from pride but enlightened self interest, a thick skin will protect you from their scorn and venom. The lily livered will be easily battered to accept wrong counsel.
What are you doing to thicken your skin?
That some people can be relevant counsel in one area of life and be totally irrelevant in another is a point missed by many. A multi-billionaire may offer good counsel when it comes to guiding you towards wealth creation but may be totally inept to counsel you on relationships when careful observation reveals to you that she has no close friends and has been married five times.
Beware of the all rounder! Don’t take advice without comparing the competence of its source with the area of life that it must be applied to. We only have very few competent all rounders when it comes to advice. Apply this advice to yourself too. When you are way out of your league, have the grace to say ‘no thanks’. Direct people to the place where you think they can get the best help.
Look above when you need the most critical advice, God sees more clearly than any other person and He still speaks to men. Don’t substitute input from His point of view with that of the wisest man on earth.
All thermometers are equal, though some are more equal than others. God’s thermometer will definitely give the most accurate reading.of all. Running a temperature anyone?
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