Recently, I was browsing through my flakebook and noticed someone who had talked a good deal of shyt about someone I know privately, suddenly praising this person to the moon on their Flakebook page publicly. One minute, this person is saying this person is the devil. The next, I see this same person praising the person who is supposedly the devil.
There was a time when this sort of thing shocked me.
But, not anymore.
I expect it.
And, in fact, it amuses me, and I consider it a favor.
Why?
Because it also lets me know who are the people (very few) that can be trusted who are consistent, and who are the typical type who are not consistent. In fact, it recently humored me to watch people call out a blatant plagiarist in the safety of a Flakebook group, then watch those same people natter on about how great the plagiarist was on their timelines to get in good with them or whatever.
I see it a mile away now.
Something to ponder on:
There are a lot of people who will sing your praises one minute, while stabbing you in the back the next. And, the more successful you get, the more likely this is to happen. It’s not something to take personally, or even get irritated by, it’s simply the nature of people — especially with social media.
Anyway, I’ve seen it so many times it’s routine.
And, that’s why I trust so few people, and take everyone’s words with a grain of chili pepper.
I have lots of buddies.
A few close aquaintences.
But, just a small handful of people on the planet who I’d describe as a ride-or-die friend. I learned in a screenwriting book many years ago (when I wanted to be a screenwriter) that a character is not what they say or what words they use, it’s what they do — what actions they take.
The point of all this meandering pontification?
Obviously, it ain’t to make friends.
No, it’s to teach the power of consistency.
Robert Cialdini wrote about this in his “Influence” book. Nobody likes inconsistency. It bothers people psychologically. And, it’s not a fluke that so many people who I know (or know of) who are inconsistent in their personal lives, are also inconsistent in their businesses.
Inconsistency is one of the worst negative human attributes.
And, is incompatible with anything I teach or sell.
Take my Villains book, for example.
You can’t be inconsistent like this and actions and expect the information inside to do you a lick of good. It’s full of timeless principles that work, but only if the person using them is consistent in their beliefs and actions. Which is why I’ve caught even people who sing its praises doing the exact opposite in their selling as what it prescribes.
If that’s you, well, good luck.
For the few left over?
To learn more about this book, go ye here:
Ben Settle
