Posted on July 10, 2014 by Robert Ringer
Perception is a topic that has always fascinated me. When a person is revered, the reverence quickly disappears if something happens that changes the public’s perception of that individual. If, for example, the person on the receiving end of the adulation is exposed as a fraud or falls into disgrace, admiration soon turns to contempt. […]
Posted on July 8, 2014 by Robert Ringer
Billionaire J. Paul Getty was once asked to write a magazine article about how he became so rich, to which he responded, “Some people find oil. Others don’t.” Talk about playing into the hands of randomness advocates. I acknowledge that there’s a lot of luck involved in the way life turns out. But luck isn’t […]
Posted on July 3, 2014 by Robert Ringer
As I watch the daily news, I am constantly reminded that an oversized ego can be the biggest obstacle to long-term success. Of course, everyone has an ego, so it’s pointless to delude yourself into believing that you’re an exception. It’s far better to acknowledge the existence of your ego and work on trying to […]
Posted on July 1, 2014 by Robert Ringer
I often use the phrase “the crux of the issue,” and when I do I’m referring to the point or points upon which success or failure rests. It’s important to resist the temptation to get sidetracked by peripheral issues that cannot yield a payoff no matter what their outcome. For example, I believe that the […]
Posted on June 24, 2014 by Robert Ringer
Glenn Beck recently announced his latest “fundamental transformation of Glenn Beck” when he said, “I am in the final phase, I think, of a massive transformation. One that will take me to rough terrain, uncharted landscape and lonely woods. This may end up being the biggest and most important challenge of my life.” So, what’s […]
Posted on June 19, 2014 by Robert Ringer
The story of Richard W. Sonnenfeldt, author of Witness to Nuremburg, is one that every person who is concerned about tyranny should read. Sonnenfeldt fled his German homeland for England at age fifteen when it became clear that Jews were increasingly at risk under the new Nazi regime. After some stranger-than-life twists and turns, he […]
Posted on June 12, 2014 by Robert Ringer
I recently received an inspiring e-mail from a young acquaintance of mine, Jay. I had not seen Jay for more than thirty years, and really only came to know him when he contacted me to inform me that his father, Jack, had passed away. Jack was a genuinely good human being, so I was saddened […]
Posted on June 10, 2014 by Robert Ringer
The other day I was talking to a woman who, in a dispirited voice, told me that she was stressed to the point of not being able to focus on her work. I told her that, when all is said and done, stress is just a state of mind brought on by an external event. […]
Posted on June 7, 2014 by Robert Ringer
A twenty-nine-year-old entrepreneur awakens before dawn to meet the challenge of a new day. Across town, a house painter goes through much the same ritual. The two men do not know each other, but, without realizing it, they will soon meet. The young man heading east in a late-model Datsun and the painter traveling south […]
Posted on May 29, 2014 by Robert Ringer
Forget that Walmart employs 1.4 million people in the U.S. alone. Forget that it saves consumers billions of dollars each year on retail purchases. Forget that its employees, on average, earn about double the minimum wage. The raw-meat crowd is salivating. Bring out the class-warfare script. The word from some disgruntled employees is that Walmart […]
