There’s a fine line between fuck you and fuck me

Success doesn’t have a line. 

It’s not about fairness, it’s not about merit and it’s not about talent. 

It’s about timing. It isn’t everything, it’s the only thing. 

And so, it’s no surprise that we feel a little twinge of envy when somebody’s dream gets more attention than ours. We infuriatingly wonder to ourselves, wow, has anyone gotten so far on so little? 

This is a perfectly normal reaction. But before we start resenting other people’s achievements, we might dig deeper and consider the fact that maybe we are the idiots. Maybe we are the ones doing it all wrong. Maybe the people whom we detest are actually geniuses who have it all figured out, mediocrity notwithstanding. 

Burton’s movie about the fine art world comes to mind. The snob smirks and groans his competitor’s crowded gallery, making the following observation to his coworker:

Why are we starving while he prints money? This guy sells paintings, then he sells pictures of the paintings, then he sells postcards of pictures of the paintings. I bet I could bang one out in ten minutes. It wouldn’t have the dopey sincerity, but customers wouldn’t even notice. 

A perfect personification of my theory:

There’s a fine line between fuck you and fuck me. 

Crossing that line requires deep empathy and humility, but it’s worth it. 

And so, before we spiral into a paralyzing state of bitterness about other people’s success, we might consider channeling our spiteful energy into something more productive. 

Like pulling a page from somebody else’s playbook. Just to see how it feels. Because they’re obviously doing something right. 

Obiwan’s words of jedi wisdom come to mind:

Who is the bigger fool? The fool or the fool who follows him? 

Except in this case, the bigger fool is the one who doesn’t follow him. The bigger fool is the one who stubbornly adheres to his supposed integrity to a fault while success passes him by. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Where do you wish you were able to settle for less?

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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