NO SYMPATHY

 

 

Let me just start with a screenshot from one of the greatest movies of all time: Major Payne, starring Damon Wayans.

 

 

In the instance that this image has failed (which occurs often with my blog), here is the relevant quote from the image.

 

“You'll get no sympathy from me! You want sympathy, look in the dictionary between sh*t and syphilis! That's where you'll find my sympathy!”

 

The entire movie is full of amazing quotes and is just a classic staple of the 90s.  You owe it to yourself to watch it (along with “Heavyweights”, but that’s another story for another blogpost), but today I want to specifically discuss the sentiment behind that quote, because I absolutely love it.

 

This is the exact quote that goes through my mind every time someone tries to generate my sympathy for them as it relates to the “hardships” of training and nutrition.  I’ve heard it all: “I don’t have time to eat or train”, “I train SO hard and I don’t see results”, “I have bad genetics”, “I don’t have access to X”, etc etc.  Here is the reality: no one cares.  It’s true.  Put yourself in the other person’s position: would YOU care if someone told YOU this information? 

 

We all have our own sh*t to deal with, and all of us DEAL with it.  You’re not special.  Things are hard for you?  They’re hard for everyone.  We all get the exact same 24 hours a day to spend doing whatever it is we choose to do: it’s simply a question of what you decide to prioritize during those 24 hours.  That is legitimately the “secret” to success: prioritization.  Whatever you prioritize as the highest is what you’ll succeed at.  In turn, EVERYONE is successful: it just so happens that some people are successful at things that most people DON’T want to be successful at.

 

What do I mean?  Some people are the absolute champions at procrastination.  It’s what they prioritize, so it’s what they do, and they totally crush it!  These are the people that can watch 16 hours of youtube videos a day and totally neglect their personal health and hygiene, live in squalor, produce nothing of value and contribute nothing to society.  They chose their priorities, set on the path to realize them, and met them.  Other people are champions at video games, eating poorly, social media, binge watching, partying, etc etc.  No one is failing: some people are just winning at a game no one else wants to play.

Some people are living a Superman 64 kinda life

 

In turn, the people you see achieving physical greatness are simply those people that PRIORITIZED being physically great, and, in doing so, they prioritized it OVER other things.  They chose their goal: be big and strong, and then did the things it took to realize it. This meant DE-prioritizing those things that got in the way.  They slashed away television, video games, yummy food, alcohol, late nights, etc etc, because those things simply weren’t as important to them as the goal of getting bigger and stronger.  Because the truth is, you will always do the things that are the most important to you, DESPITE what it is you tell yourself.  Your actions will relay the truth of your intentions. 

 

Which is why I have no sympathy when people beg me for it: all you’re doing is informing me that you have different priorities.  What am I supposed to do with that information?  Winners find a way.  No time for training or cooking?  That’s crazy, I FOUND that time: it was by shaving off 2 hours of sleep.  Don’t have access to a piece of equipment?  Damndest thing: I found someone would SELL it to me: I just had to save up my money to be able to buy it.  That one in particular bugs me, because I grew up in an era where the only thing you could buy was whatever they were selling at your local sporting goods store, and now there is a wide world of internet out there where you can buy ANYTHING.  Injured?  You’re really gonna make me chuckle with that one.

This was the Rogue of the 90s

 

Am I going to pretend like some people DON’T have it rough?  No: of course not.  But those people ALSO don’t have the time to go online and complain about it, primarily because they’re too busy DOING those things that make life rough.  The person working 3 jobs as a single parent while going to school part time?  Yeah: they don’t have time to train or eat right (although some folks STILL make it work too), I get that.  But that is the thing: THEY have chosen a priority right now, and it’s most likely the “right” one as far as being a functional human goes.  Being big and strong is a luxury for most folks: survival should come first.  But on that discussion of luxury, some luxuries are going to take priority over others.  I got myself a Playstation 4 last year, and I’m still playing Fallout 1 on my PC because I flat out won’t prioritize the time it takes to learn how to play new video games these days.  That sucks, but instead of going online and complaining about how games are too complicated these days, I make peace with the decisions I’ve made as far as prioritization goes and enjoy my decision.  Are you really expecting me to have sympathy for you because you’re struggling with your hobby?

 

Quit looking for sympathy: it’s not going to do you any good.  Even if you get it, what the hell are you going to do with it?  It does nothing to change your circumstances or your outcome.  What works will work irrespective of your circumstances.  You don’t have time to train? Well sucks for you: those that can find time are going to surpass you pretty quickly.  Don’t like vegetables?  One: it’s time to grow up, but secondly, good luck on getting some micronutrients while the adults eat a basic human meal.  All of these “issues” are just instances of you choosing one thing to prioritize over another, and you should be granted zero sympathy for employing your autonomy like that.  This should be celebrated!  How outstanding: you are a human, making decisions and experiencing the outcome of those decisions.  The system works!

 

No one is holding out information from you.  There are no secrets.  You saying “it’s SO hard to eat enough to grow” isn’t going to unlock the super secret strategy from the gaining gods where they tell you about the one magical shake recipe guaranteed to put on size and not fill up your stomach (ok, you got me: it’s the “Get Big Drink” from John McCallum’s “Complete Keys to Progress”.   Enjoy!).  You’re simply learning the truth about life: we all succeed at those things that we decide to dedicate ourselves to.  Some are going to be champions at getting bigger and stronger, some champions at COMPLAINING about not getting bigger and stronger, some champions at eating cereal while binge watching television, etc etc.  Either way, you’ll get no sympathy from me because you are upset at what you chose to prioritize.  If it upsets you that much: choose something else.