Egos? In the gym?

A 911 dispatcher receives a panicky call from a hunter.  “I’ve just come across a bloodstained body in the woods!  It’s a man, and I think he’s dead!  What should I do?”

 The dispatcher calmly replies, “it’s going to be all right sir.  Just follow my instructions.  The first thing is to put the phone down and make sure he’s dead.” 

 There’s a silence on the phone, followed by the sound of a shot.  The man’s voice returns, “Okay.  Now what do I do?” 

(courtesy of the book, “Plato and a Platypus walk into a bar…” pg. 141)

I think it’s pretty plain that the fitness industry houses some Immense EGOS!      Like many other industries, the fitness industry contains some massive egos that put the aggrandizement of themselves above the virtue of the industry: namely the truth of health and fitness.  

Typically we see the self-stroking egoist represented in 2 ways: The over-compliment in advertising (our product is the best for "x") and the negative attacks of other perspectives and consequently an appeal to authority; namely that the attacker is the authority and if they can tear a perspective down, they MUST be the authority.

“…There are more things in heaven and earth, horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” -Hamlet

Our job in the fitness industry is to educate the public about the truth of health and wellness.  When our egos get in the way, we’re not doing our job but serving our own selfish ends.  In both the above cases, not only does the egotist lose out but so does the listener / reader.  

In both cases, the egoist is trying to sell you something: themselves.  This is incredibly dangerous and sadly persuasive to many people.  Gossip thrives on the same negative talk that bashing a perspective does: it’s an appeal to the basher as an authority.  "Respect my authority!"  But it’s an authority on what not to do, not necessarily on what “to do.”   

Egotism can also ring true for people who need help.  Asking for help takes real courage.  It shows vulnerability.   Some people have a difficult time showing real vulnerability because of their ego.  There's an old saying:

"Ego will get you in trouble, but pride will keep you there...(in trouble)."  

I’m often heard saying that in the gym we are MORAL RELATIVISTS.   What we do and how we do it and why is determined by two critical elements:

1.        What is our current fitness level?

2.       What are our goals?

If we can’t justify what we’re doing with reasons relating to 1 and 2, we ought not to do whatever it is we’re doing.    Really folks, it’s just that simple.   Let’s take the egos’ out.  

Mo-tate.  Motivate your life to motion.