Arrogance, Learning & The Internet

In this newsletter I spoke the other day of how, because of the massive information exchange on the internet, you would think we would have hit an enlightened age in regards to training and how unfortunately that just ain’t the case. It’s amazing to me the level of arrogance displayed by some of the people floating around making noise on the internet.

The internet attracts and promotes that kind of arrogance and mouthiness, because of its lack of personal contact. Which means you can either be totally anonymous and say anything you want without even having to back it up because no one really knows who you are or if you are brave enough to tell who you are you can insult and disrespect people at will, because chances are you are 500 to 1,000 miles away from anyone who might take you to task on what you say.

That is probably one of the biggest reasons that most of the big dog writers or trainers only communicate with people via their own email lists or personal forums on their own websites. (And the fact that most of them are extremely busy people who just don’t have the time and have grown up past petty squabbling). But I’ll let you in on a little secret. No matter how much bravado is spouted about expertise about the people we consider the field leaders of strength training, everyone of them I have met, which actually is quite a large number, is to a man humble enough to learn.

Because everybody needs to make a living, basically everybody says that their training information is the greatest thing since sliced bread. However, most of them also collect each other’s training material, because they understand that no matter how much you know, and how much you learn, you can always learn more. You can always get better at your craft. I suspect this is the same with all the other areas of personal endeavor. Artists learn from other artists, scientists, business leaders, ministers, writers, they all learn from each other, because becoming great at something means you always learn more about what you do.

Don’t let yourself be sucked in to time wasting arguments on the internet. They never solve anything. They do nothing but waste time and they promote a weak and ineffectual manhood. My friend Pavel Tsatsouline says that in the company of real men problems like this are self-resolving. Meaning that real men don’t waste time like children bickering over candy and don’t insult each other face to face without action. Only cowards hide behind anonymity.

Another friend of mine said it’s amazing how many people are such incredible experts at tearing down people whose gym bag they aren’t strong enough to carry. I’ll give you an example or two of this. I recently saw someone say that, “Hossein Rezazadeh has sloppy technique.” If you don’t know who he is, let me fill you in. Rezazadeh is the dominant super-heavy Olympic lifter on the planet at this moment. He clean and jerks within a pea-snap (technical term) of 600lbs. Now I’m not promoting or defending him one way or the other, because of the possible drug use involved (I don’t know the man personally and I’m not looking to cast aspersions on anyone, but it’s because of the league he’s playing in that I say “possible drug use”, that’s not the point). The point is the guy who was arrogant enough to say that literally can’t do half of what Rezazadeh is doing and has the gall or idiocy or combination thereof to say his technique is sloppy.

Let me tell you something folks… you don’t get to the level that gentleman is lifting at without years of intensely scrutinized technical practice. Especially because his particular sport is very technique driven. Even if for some reason to an outsider his technique does not look like what an orthodox lift should it IS the perfect technique for him. If you have any level of deep understanding about strength you understand that individuality dictates technique. Statements like that are akin to saying Einstein was an amateur scientist or Bill Gates don’t know squat about computers or the Pope don’t know how to pick out a big hat, or Billy Graham really needs some preaching lessons.

Amazing that someone could actually come up with that! I’m not saying that you should blindly accept anything that anyone is saying or doing. I’m saying that the best people in the world in every field still learn from each other even after they’ve achieved the level of “expert.” Don’t you think you should be doing that too? And as a side point I’m saying don’t let the negative idiocy of the internet get around you and don’t waste your time with it. Be confident, but humble enough to learn and real men have respect. Choose the company of real men.