The tendency to cross disciplines and underestimate difficulties
I had the most irritating interaction with Dave yesterday. He was intruding on my conversation with Charles, but that was only the beginning. So not only was he being rude, but he brought two more insidious irritants to the moment.
When he found out that I was an avid biker (read insane) he went on and on and on about how his husband Shaun who was piddling around Chiang Mai on his granny bike, was looking for something more challenging. He firmly believed that the jump from a three times a week one mile ride in his flat neighborhood, to a 53.5 mile ride up and down some of the steepest mountains in SE Asia was a small jump. He. Is. So. Wrong.
It took me 10 years to get to the fitness level to ride these mountains, and I am carrying 70 pounds less weight, and workout every single day. Just another Westerner dismissing expertise and experience. But if this 53 year old man, thinks he is gonna make this 53 mile loop with me, while 70 pounds overweight, I don't care how much his bicycle costs!, then he is a lunatic.
And then he spent the next 45 minutes trying to convince me that practicing Yoga and that holding my breath would increase my VO2 rates. Here we are in public and he is showing me how to breath, or not to breath, so that I could build my optimal red cell counts and oxygen rates while biking. Just another Westerner dismissing expertise and experience. While I don't mind him being a fanboi of Yoga, validating his chosen joy by forcing it onto others is not necessary. And how the hell does he think I can hold my breath when I am making a climb of 11% grade in 100 degree heat??? Yoga is probably a perfectly valid exercise and activity, but it will not cross wholly into the discipline of cycling. No way.
When Dave finally gave Charles and me a moment alone, Charles said, "please don't take him biking with you. He will die, no doubt about it." And I told him "no worries, not a chance". Why is it that we think everything we might be interested in, applies to everything someone else is interested in? Why do we even have to tell everyone else what we are passionate about (unless invited to do so)? I have had one steady stream of foreigners imposing themselves onto my life this week, trying to convince me of various things, from appearing as a guest on TV, to converting to JW's, to changing from cycling to yoga. Not a single one of these people asked me what I was interested in. Not one of these people were interested in me, only what they perceived that I might could give to them, or add to their lives.
I don't mind this in my clients nor my friends, but I will think less of you if you make our introduction transactional in these ways. You don't know everything, and what you are interested in doesn't apply to everything someone else might be interested in.
I had the most irritating interaction with Dave yesterday. He was intruding on my conversation with Charles, but that was only the beginning. So not only was he being rude, but he brought two more insidious irritants to the moment.
When he found out that I was an avid biker (read insane) he went on and on and on about how his husband Shaun who was piddling around Chiang Mai on his granny bike, was looking for something more challenging. He firmly believed that the jump from a three times a week one mile ride in his flat neighborhood, to a 53.5 mile ride up and down some of the steepest mountains in SE Asia was a small jump. He. Is. So. Wrong.
It took me 10 years to get to the fitness level to ride these mountains, and I am carrying 70 pounds less weight, and workout every single day. Just another Westerner dismissing expertise and experience. But if this 53 year old man, thinks he is gonna make this 53 mile loop with me, while 70 pounds overweight, I don't care how much his bicycle costs!, then he is a lunatic.
And then he spent the next 45 minutes trying to convince me that practicing Yoga and that holding my breath would increase my VO2 rates. Here we are in public and he is showing me how to breath, or not to breath, so that I could build my optimal red cell counts and oxygen rates while biking. Just another Westerner dismissing expertise and experience. While I don't mind him being a fanboi of Yoga, validating his chosen joy by forcing it onto others is not necessary. And how the hell does he think I can hold my breath when I am making a climb of 11% grade in 100 degree heat??? Yoga is probably a perfectly valid exercise and activity, but it will not cross wholly into the discipline of cycling. No way.
When Dave finally gave Charles and me a moment alone, Charles said, "please don't take him biking with you. He will die, no doubt about it." And I told him "no worries, not a chance". Why is it that we think everything we might be interested in, applies to everything someone else is interested in? Why do we even have to tell everyone else what we are passionate about (unless invited to do so)? I have had one steady stream of foreigners imposing themselves onto my life this week, trying to convince me of various things, from appearing as a guest on TV, to converting to JW's, to changing from cycling to yoga. Not a single one of these people asked me what I was interested in. Not one of these people were interested in me, only what they perceived that I might could give to them, or add to their lives.
I don't mind this in my clients nor my friends, but I will think less of you if you make our introduction transactional in these ways. You don't know everything, and what you are interested in doesn't apply to everything someone else might be interested in.
