Self-Evident Truth

World champions of any activity very seldom have Ph.D.s in the field in which they are the best at; neither do their trainers and coaches -- yet when they get to that level, they are undoubtedly the best at what they do. So where are the Ph.D.s in all this? Usually preaching to those who don’t know any better and aren’t very knowledgeable at what they are doing -- because that segment of the population has no way of verifying that such experts really know what they are talking about. It is enough for them that they have Ph.D.s, certificates, fancy titles -- that are impressive to the masses who don’t know any better, including and especially those who report on these things in the mass media, and are the “fitness” or “living” expert for their organization.

The reason they are the experts for their organization is that they’ve tried everything, and know for a fact that nothing works -- and they are living proof of that. And since they are the most skeptical, most hardened and embittered by false promises, they should be sent out to disprove and discredit the validity of what they are reporting on -- so only that overwhelming cynicism about everything comes through, rather than any kind of depth of understanding that would require a commitment to understanding and really finding out the truth of the matter -- rather than just seeing what the latest gimmick and come-ons are.

Even on the sports-talk shows, there are seldom Ph.D.s on the program to dull the discussion for everybody else with information that is irrelevant and largely meaningless to most people -- but the handful they are used to having to impress in their academic hierarchies. So while they have exalted status among their “colleagues,” they have very little credibility that is self-evident to those not so indoctrinated in those small circles. Thus, they become increasingly reluctant to expose themselves to those who are not so inclined to grant them their field of expertise -- as a given, with no further self-evident demonstration of the alleged expertise.

It is not that the world of physical proficiency disrespects the world of academic achievements and thought -- but that it demands verification of that knowledge in the truth of that moment, with what is, and not of the past, a claim in the future, or the many hypotheticals people can imagine. The actuality is the only reality.

Undoubtedly, the sanest people in society now are probably the athletes because they have to confront the reality of their performances regularly -- and are a lot less prone to the delusions and illusions of those who live entirely in the world of thought and fabrication -- in which whole groups of people can be misled and mesmerized.

In recent weeks, as a candidate for public office, I had frequent opportunities to witness other people and study them, wondering what was the totality of their message -- what they said consciously, subconsciously, in their appearance and in their body language. People are very impressive when they look like they’re at the top of their game, and not to be so, betrays and undermines them.