Hi folks,

This one's on Managing Your Will to Succeed:

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5798&status=True

Best,
Marvin

That was a very good article. Thanks for the link!

Sashana:)

and thank *you* for taking the time to say that. It makes writing the articles all the more worthwhile.

In case you didn't notice, words in blue in the article are links to other sites/books/articles (by me and by others) including other articles that I've written.

Best,
Marvin

Other things Nietzsche wrote:

My formula for happiness: a Yes, a No, a straight line, a goal.

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.

That question of why is the one that stares us amateurs in the face. Are we doing anybody a favor by skipping desert for a month so we can climb slightly better? Or is it all just a matter of ego and narcissism? Is there anything inherently noble about competition?

Other things Nietzsche wrote:

My formula for happiness: a Yes, a No, a straight line, a goal.

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.

That question of why is the one that stares us amateurs in the face. Are we doing anybody a favor by skipping desert for a month so we can climb slightly better? Or is it all just a matter of ego and narcissism? Is there anything inherently noble about competition?

Is there anything wrong with ego and narcissism being the why ?

On whether there is anything inherently noble about competition - It's not like you're saving the world or anything, but I think it is. It sounds like Roosevelt thought so:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

(note that I think I am misusing the quote.. what he probably meant was more like "...the man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere critic-the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be done." but the first one sounds cooler

For me personally. I think its more about wanting to improve ones self. I think the important thing is where to draw the line ? Everytime I reach a certain goal. I tell myself that I'm going to back off or train to keep the status quo. But for some reason I seem to want to turn things up another notch. I don't think its much about ego or narcissism. I just think I could go back to sitting on the couch and smoking and drinking a soda and eating a frozen pizza or go for a ride. I get a lot more pleasure going for a ride and pushing myself. But I do think that there is a point where the payoff won't be worth the effort. I just haven't found it yet.

Is there anything wrong with ego and narcissism being the why ?I go back and forth on that question.

From the code of ethics by which the majority of Americans supposedly live, yes, ego and narcissism are inherently bad.

I go back and forth on that question.

From the code of ethics by which the majority of Americans supposedly live, yes, ego and narcissism are inherently bad.


Hmmm... let's be careful to distinguish between what people _say_ and what they _do_, shall we?

How is training hard for 14th place in a parking lot crit more or less egocentric / narcissistic than:
- self-induced debt slavery for "the right" car / house / clothes / accessories
- gorging on unhealthy food and drink to the point of morbidity
- passing judgement on people one doesn't know anything about, by means of broad generalizations (hey... wait a minute...)

I think that being driven by one's ego/narcissism is perfectly acceptable. And I do think that they are perfectly acceptable by the American code of ethics. I think that a capitalist/socialist country would be one where ego and narcissism have no place - at least for the majority of people!

But one's ego/narcissism/etc is often what drives people to do great things. An example being that I want to be in very good shape in order to have a very visually pleasing body. In order to accomplish this, I do all kinds of things that are very good for me - exercising almost daily, having a very healthy diet, getting adequate sleep, etc... Granted, I'm by no means saving the world by doing these things. But for myself I could be - for all I know, by being in good shape, I might double the amount of time I have left to live (cardiac arrest at at 60 while watching pro wrestling -- vs cardiac arrest at 93 after having rode a century and while in bed with a 40 year old Preuvian girl).... along with the other benefit of life being more enjoyable when in good shape/health.

A lot of people's professional successes are also ego-driven. Big time. I know mine are.

Why we race, talk about a loaded question.

The money, the time, the sacrifices, the long drives, suffering like a dog in the gutter, all that and I end up with a main field finish. Sigh.

Best to focus on the 5th in the TT the day before.