Be an Idiot in Business and Life

The word "idiot" comes from Latin and was used to describe a common person who was not educated, not worldly. It is a word used to make a person feel bad, to feel like they are missing out on something that "everyone else knows!"
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The word "idiot" comes from Latin and was used to describe a common person who was not educated, not worldly. It is a word used to make a person feel bad, to feel like they are missing out on something that "everyone else knows!" We've all felt like this at some time in our lives. If you've ever had the dream of being in front of a group of people and then realized you are naked, then you know what it is like to feel like an idiot. You're caught--literally--with your pants down. People are laughing at you and you feel frozen. Here's the good news: everyone fears that they will be exposed, look inadequate, get caught vulnerable, or be unprepared.

We often intuitively DO know something negative will happen, but we don't act on it for some reason. You KNEW you shouldn't have gone out to the bar that night, but you did anyway, and when you got in a bar fight, you felt like an idiot because you didn't listen to your own instincts. The degree to which you fear feeling like an idiot is the degree to which you look to others for your self-worth. If you do something that is idiotic, the best thing you can do is quickly admit it and learn from it so you can move forward the next time.

Being an idiot and the fear of being an idiot are two separate things. Everyone is an idiot at some point and in some endeavor, meaning you have to become educated, worldly--you're not born that way. Great men of ability started out as idiots before they learned, practiced, and became great. But your fear of being an idiot will keep you from learning, practicing, and eventually becoming great.

So go ahead, be an idiot and make mistakes. - GC

But also, learn to look for and use fear so that you know exactly what you need to do to overcome it and advance your life. Learn how to persist through all types of situations and obstacles. Learn to commit first, and figure out how to show up later. Become dedicated to continuous learning.

Most people simply never bother to perform and instead spend their time trying to wrap their heads around things that may never happen for them. Free yourself from the fear of this by pursuing your ambitions and being willing to be an idiot. In this way, you will have the rare freedom of being able to stand naked in the face of judgment.

Feeling like an idiot is simply the feeling of not knowing something. If you want to educate yourself, I promise there is no better place to start than Cardone University.

Your friend in business & sales,

Grant Cardone

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