An Unbelievable (and Refreshing) Level of Self-Honesty and Evaluation That Deserves to be Read……and Emulated
Vincent Messina . Vin. Or as I like to call him, G+’s Friendly Neighborhood Curmudgeon.
Damn…….I mean…..DAY-UMMMM! Verdammt!
One reason that this particular article by Vin hit me so hard is that I can relate to it a lot. All the stuff about having no inhibitions about asking the dumb questions because you want to understand? Yup, that’s always been me. I’m the guy who is appreciated in dental forums and conventions because I ask the questions that everyone else is thinking but no one wants to ask for fear of looking dumb. I don’t care either; I just want to learn, and if I have to look dumb asking, so what? If you ask enough questions of enough people who are willing to help and share, eventually you learn and understand.
As for Scott H. Greenfield? Don’t know a thing about him or his blog, and I have no interest in knowing anything. Hopefully I will never need to have an interest. But I get where Vin is coming from in his respect for the guy and willingness to learn from him despite the unequal relationship. It takes a hell of a lot of guts to do what Vin did. Personally, I don’t think I would respect Scott for his responses to Vin the way Vin does, but yes, I also get where Scott is probably coming from. Doesn’t matter.
What takes even MORE guts, though, is to write about the experience as openly and honestly as Vin did. Talk about baring your soul.
Some of you may remember an incident in the summer of 2015 when Vin and I came to metaphorical blows over some articles that I wrote. He really pissed me off, quite frankly.
But this article right here is why I still follow Vin.
Damn, man. Wow.
Originally shared by Vincent Messina
When you want someone’s respect but don’t have what it takes to earn it.
Anyone who follows me knows that I have an affinity for a dude named Scott Greenfield.
I like Scott because I find him to be one of the most interesting people I have ever met. He is a lawyer in NYC who writes a blog that I think everyone should read.
He is also, in the eyes of some, a prick of the highest order. Make no mistake, that is actually something I love about the man.
Sadly, and not for a lack of effort on my part, I did not have what it took to earn his respect. In the end, I learned a lot by my engagement with him via email and on his blog.
Why did I even want his respect?
You ever met someone who just has such a high level of integrity, who performs their job with an exceptional level of expertise, a person who only endorses the cream of the crop?
That is Scott H Greenfield in my view, and yes, I am not afraid to admit, I feel like a jerk for not being able to do something worthy of his respect.
Why?
Not because I need his validation. It is because of the level of excellence one has to achieve in order to win the respect not only Scott but anyone like him.
I am not in love with Scott.
I am not stalking Scott.
I admire people like Scott and know, if I did win his respect, it was because I was really good at whatever it was I did to earn it.
With that, he mentioned me in his blog today which was both good and bad. It prompted me to take inventory of who I am and where I am in the evolution of my work.
I have a long way to go before I achieve any level of excellence. For that alone, I am thankful for people like Scott who say, loudly and clearly with everything they do and say, “you havent arrived yet son.”