If you seek success, the first asset you must have is an open mind. A closed mind cannot learn anything. And once you have an open mind, you must then install a BS filter. You only want to let in good, sound, factual information from sources that are reliable for the subject matter. In other words, if you want to know about money, talk with someone like Bill Gates, who has actually made a lot of it.
It is incredibly surprising how many people are dead set against any of that. They do not have an open mind, or they do not use a BS filter, and they refuse to seek out reliable sources of information. If you doubt this, spend a few minutes sometime just following the posts on any "news" story on AOL.
4 out of 5 of the posters will work strenuously and tirelessly to prove to the whole world how ignorant they are, and steadfastly refuse to change. And don't try to use facts - they have some sort of myopia that prevents them from seeing the truth.
For example - and I know this is a touchy subject for some - I refer you to the "Global Warming" controversy. And as much as this will rile some of you, I will provide a few facts here (not theories) that may surprise you. And if you are success oriented, you will refer to the first paragraph of this post before making up your mind. If you doubt the following facts, you will not simply discount, or ignore them - instead, you will CHECK them out, as I have, from reliable sources such as NASA, the National Weather Service, and noted climatologists.
Al Gore says there is a "consensus of scientists" that his theory is correct.
FACT: Only 32% of all scientific papers published on the subject actually agree with Gore - all others either disagree, or are neutral. The only "consensus" seems to be against his theory.
FACT: The term he uses is "scientists". But most of those "scientists" are not CLIMATE scientists. Just because a person is a scientist does not make him or her an expert on climatology. A reptile scientist (Herpetologist) is a scientist, but is unlikely to know anything about climate other than what he sees on the evening weather report.
FACT: Over the last 5 years, the Earth has actually been COOLING. And according to NASA, 2007 was the coldest year, worldwide, since records have been kept, followed closely by the year 2004.
FACT: Even the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations) has acknowledged the previous fact. However, they still stand by Global Warming - probably because to do otherwise would be terribly embarrassing at this point.
FACT: While the thin "shelf" areas of the ice caps are melting, the interior glacial ice is actually getting thicker. This has been proven out by many tests by several scientific surveys in the region by different groups from seven nations, and satellite information.
FACT: The sun waxes and wanes. It always has. Like everything in nature - EVERYTHING - it runs in cycles.
FACT: The orbit of a planet, and it revolutionary cycle, "wobbles". For long periods, the north pole will be closer to the sun, followed by a period where the south pole is closer to the sun. Right now, Earth is tilting with the north pole toward the sun. This helps explain why the Arctic ice is melting more, while Antacrtic ice is getting thicker. Each "tilt" period can last for more than 40 years.
FACT: Most "green" solutions are not green at all. There are no "free rides". A simple, undeniable scientific principle states that whenever you convert one material to another, there is ALWAYS a LOSS of energy. This is why perpetual motion is not possible. So, it requires more energy to make electricity than the energy you get from it. Same is true of fuel cells, ethanol, etc. Before deciding that something is "green", we would all be well advised to consider everything required to create that "green" solution. Is it really green? Unlikely. Some are, but most are not - they are just hype, for companies to make money from panicky people.
Before believing everything you hear, make sure the source is accurate. And make sure you are not being duped by terminology, like "all scientists say...". Ask WHAT scientists. Is it their field of expertise? And do ALL the actual EXPERTS agree? If not, why not?
This goes for all things. Before you accept what you hear or read, take the time to find out the real truth.
Is Global Warming real?
Did Obama somehow NOT hear the hate speech of his preacher/advisor of 20 years?
Is the "surge" working?
Is the "real estate bubble" really bursting? (not in most areas)
Is the economy as bad as the media says? (No - it's not great, but it's not that bad, either. We're just spoiled rotten)
Success comes from an ability to keep an open mind (example: don't agree with a political party just because you belong to it), installing a BS filter (example: don't listen to "chicken little"), and seek out quality information from only those sources qualified to provide it (example: learn about money from Warren Buffett rather than from Uncle Harry who drives a clunker).
The only thing worse than being duped is to dupe yourself by choosing to remain ignorant.
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