While surfing the internet for motivational material to gather ideas, I stumbled on this wonderful quote:
“One original thought is worth a thousand mindless quotes.” –Diogenes
I immediately thought of Facebook and how everyone posts witty quotes to gather thumbs of approval from their peers. However, how many people have put forth entrepreneurial efforts to produce something of substance only for it to fall on deaf ears? I’d much rather hear about someone putting on their own art exhibit or designing their own fashion line than read quotes from the latest overproduced Hollywood flicks.
This entire article is ironic because all I’m really doing is mindlessly quoting something. The difference is I’m taking the quote and then discussing its meaning and coming up with a synopsis of what it means to us. We want to spread the message of positive thinking and enrich our minds as well as our bodies (through exercise) for total health.
Why do so many people go through hell just to fit in rather than stake their own claim and stand out? Look at fraternities and sororities. Many of these organizations are well run and serve a beneficial purpose while others are nothing more than an excuse to party. The stuff that people will do to get into some of these questionable groups is beyond comprehension. A little embarrassment is one thing, but when people are taken advantage of and forced into harmful situations, you need to question the intent. Is it really to form a bond and strengthen the integrity of the group or is it to maim and humiliate someone at their expense?
This country has been programmed to operate like a well-oiled machine. In a well-oiled machine, the process is flawless as long as all the parts do their jobs correctly. If there are any disruptions in the system, production stalls and chaos ensues. The country fears chaos and so wants to program its citizens to believe in certain ideals. The country wants you to be born, go to school, get good grades (according to what the system deems ‘good’), go to college, get a job (hopefully), get married, have kids, grow old, and die. To be honest, they probably could care less if you get good grades or get married as long as you keep in line and don’t try to question the powers that be.
To add to the irony of this entire thing, I’d like to present another quote that I find outstanding:
“The ‘futures’ and ‘careers’ for which American students now prepare are for the most part intellectual and moral wastelands. This chrome-plated consumers’ paradise would have us grow up to be well-behaved children. But an important minority of men and women coming to the front today has shown they will die rather than be standardized, replaceable, and irrelevant.” –Mario Savio
I wish I was able to meet Mr. Savio, so I can tell him just how incredible that quote is. Enough with these bullshit standards and cookie cutter regimens. Have a student get good grades all through college and fail them on student teaching because they didn’t teach in the manner deemed correct by the host teacher. Ostracize the person who dares to question the foundation that your ideas derive from.
How does this relate to fitness? Let’s not get started on the corporate kingdom known as Planet Fitness because that can be an entire article by itself. How about the trainers and how everyone supposedly touts the latest workout plans or the hit new exercises, repackaging different workout formulas by making small tweaks and then selling it with some outrageously masculine name like “Testosterone Boot Camp 4000: Not for Pussies”?
How about complexes? Who doesn’t have a patented complex these days? My complex has 17 exercises in a row, but Joey Fingers Greek God Complex has 18 exercises, so his is more revolutionary, right? No, there isn’t anything unique about putting together a set of exercises from thousands of choices and calling it something. Are complexes beneficial? Of course. But marketing them as being this novel idea that only exists in your brain is ludicrous.
It’s sickening to see flashy advertisements full of blatant lies and half-truths promoting the next big advancement in physical culture. However, the business of fitness is about selling your name. Many sites have some ‘bro-science’ material and instantly want to sell you something. Whether it is sessions, products, or gear, many sites seem to have an agenda and don’t post genuine, authentic material for people to read.
I’m a firm believer in the freedom of information. If we were to conceal all the information we gathered and not share it with anyone, no one would know anything other than what they have personally discovered. This is what gripes me about the industry and how it has become homogenized in some way by these ‘by the book’ trainers who preach a certain protocol that requires a monetary investment. Rather, you should demonstrate your capability of services through tutorials, writing, videos, and tips that show people you know what you’re talking about. If they want to make a further investment in your services, they can by all means go for it, as everyone has to make a living. You might as well do something you love and take pride in it.
In a way, it’s hard to stand out in the fitness world. I believe it’s better to carve your own niche than ride the coattails of the corporate world that dictates how, where, why, and when you train. Changing people’s lives for the better is a fulfilling occupation. Or I could just stick to mindlessly quoting people.