OT – Vainglory

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I’m not surprised about what happened to Brian Williams.
http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/12/media/brian-williams-investigation-questions/

Over the years, I’ve know people who clearly lied about their family history, achievements, etc…

I even knew a guy who lied about a college degree he didn’t have.

What is wrong with people who must lie about their achievements? And what’s wrong with people who believe them?

As a result of coming across those “crazy” people over the years, I tend to be discount what people tell me. And I admire very accomplished people who are modest (I can count them on one hand).

[flyer]

This really was a surprise to me. I always thought the guy was a straight shooter. The real question is why did he feel compelled to do what he
did–weren’t fame and fortune enough? Apparently he needed something more.

If, in the context of a conversation or discussion (as on this forum) it makes sense to mention achievements in relation to a particular topic to illustrate a point, etc., I enjoy doing so, and also enjoy hearing what others have done and are doing, but I don’t see any reason to lie. It’s completely meaningless for all parties involved, and certainly does not change the realties of one’s life, as Mr. Williams has now learned.

[zk]

[quote=flyer]

If, in the context of a conversation or discussion (as on this forum) it makes sense to mention achievements in relation to a particular topic to illustrate a point, etc., I enjoy doing so…[/quote]

Interesting you would chime in on this, flyer.

Mentioning your accomplishments/status/income every time it’s contextually appropriate (and you do it even when it’s only tangentially so) makes you immodest. Yes, flyer, I’m saying you’re immodest. At least on this forum.

[scaredyclassic]

I see myself generally as a failure and if I lie generally it’s to make myself look worse than I am. Probably need therapy for this. Some sort of preemptive strike.

[flyer]

I chimed in on this because I believe the core of the topic was “Why would people lie about their achievements?” If Brian Williams had simply been immodest, that wouldn’t have bothered me at all–lying is another thing.

As I mentioned, I enjoy sharing, as well as hearing about any and all accomplishments others have made. I don’t consider it immodest to share that information with others, and most people I know don’t either. We learn from each other, help each other make better decisions, etc., etc.

Scaredy, you are about as far from a failure as anyone could get. The things you’ve shared on this forum about your life and family are at the top of the “A List,” as far as I’m concerned.

[flyer]

Scaredy–also, since you’ve mentioned you’d like to write–here’s a a bio my wife passed along to me about an author she knows. It might just give you the impetus you need. . .

About the Author
A writer turned lawyer turned writer. Robert Dugoni was born in Idaho and raised in Northern California the middle child of a family of ten siblings. Dugoni jokes that he didn’t get much of a chance to talk, so he wrote. By the seventh grade he knew he wanted to be a writer.

Dugoni wrote his way to Stanford University, receiving writing awards along the way, and majored in communications/journalism and creative writing while working as a reporter for the Stanford Daily. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and worked briefly as a reporter in the Metro Office and the San Gabriel Valley Office of the Los Angeles Times.

Dugoni attended the UCLA law school and practiced law for 13 years in San Francisco. His longing to return to writing never wavered, however, and in 1999 he awoke one morning and made the decision to quit law and write novels. On the 4-year anniversary of his wedding day, keeping a promise to his wife, he drove a u-haul trailer across the Oregon-Washington border and settled in Seattle to pursue his dreams.

For the next three years, Dugoni worked daily in an 8 foot by 8 foot windowless office in Pioneer Square to complete three novels, winning the 1999 and 2000 Pacific Northwest Writer’s Conference Literary Contests.

Dugoni’s first novel, The Jury Master, followed and became a New York Times bestseller. Deadly Pleasures mystery magazine chose The Jury Master as one of three “Best of the Best” debut novels of 2006 and the Seattle Times likened Dugoni to a young John Grisham, calling The Jury Master, “A riveting tale of murder, skullduggery and treachery at the highest level.”

Dugoni’s second novel, Damage Control, reached number 8 on several national independent bookseller’s lists. Publisher’s Weekly and Library Journal called Damage Control “a page turner” with “a fast moving plot and a few twists that will surprise even seasoned thriller readers.”

Wrongful Death, Dugoni’s second novel featuring Dugoni’s popular protagonist, David Sloan, received critical acclaim. Kirkus called it, “An entertaining thriller about a hotshot lawyer with good guys to like, villains to hiss, and windmills to attack..” And Booklist wrote, “Mixing the suspense of a Grisham legal thriller with the political angle of a Baldacci. Dugoni is knocking on the A-list thriller door.”

June 2010, Dugoni released his third in the David Sloane series, Bodily Harm, which Library Journal chose as one of the top five thrillers of 2010. The Providence Rhode Island Journal wrote that Bodily Harm branded Dugoni as “The undisputed king of the Legal Thriller.”

Dugoni’s fourth in the series, Murder One, was released June 2011 and hailed as a cross between Presumed Innocent and Basic Instinct. Publisher’s Weekly called it “the best yet in the series” and Library Journal again chose it as one of the top five thrillers of 2011. The Miami Examiner wrote, “Dugoni should be cloned.” It was a finalist for the prestigious Harper Lee Award given by the University of Alabama School of Law and American Bar Association.

The Conviction, the fifth in the David Sloane series will be released June 2012 and again hailed. The Associated Press wrote, “The names John Grisham and Scott Turow are mentioned when discussing the legal thriller genre. Robert Dugoni is as good, if not better.” TheProvidence Rhode Island Journal agreed. “The Conviction isn’t just the best legal thriller of the year, it’s one of the best thrillers period.”

Dugoni’s first in the Tracy Crosswhite series will be released November 1, 2014 by Thomas and Mercer. Crosswhite, Seattle’s First Female Homicide detective is on a twenty-year quest to find out who abducted and murdered her younger sister. The answer will shock her, and open horrifying new dangers. Look for the prequel, The Academy, also to be released by Thomas and Mercer this September.

robertdugoni.com

[FlyerInHi]

For sure, there’s an amount of braggadocio that contributes to success. I don’t think that Brian Williams would have risen to where he got by being modest. The “embellishments” probably began at a young age.

Williams’ story about his college days, at Catholic University, when a secret agent spilled the beans and told him where the Pope would be, is just too hard to believe.

I have a female cousin who told me that men should not be modest. She likes men who talk in the hyperbole. Men who talk about shooting a thief who breaks in. Men who recount their sport exploits, or military or professional feats, even when it’s obvious they are stretching the truth, or already well past their glory days.

[CA renter]

I would absolutely love to see scaredy get into writing novels.

Please do it, scaredy! 🙂

[cvmom]

[quote=CA renter]I would absolutely love to see scaredy get into writing novels.

Please do it, scaredy! :)[/quote]

I second this

[svelte]

I’ve slowly come to think of scaredy as our very own pigg incarnation of thomas pynchon.

[NotCranky]

It seems like Brian Williams should be diagnosed with a genetic disorder given some pharmaceutical assistance and be reinstated without stigma. It works for everything else nowadays, why not for puffing up your life experiences?

[njtosd]

[quote=FlyerInHi]

I have a female cousin who told me that men should not be modest. She likes men who talk in the hyperbole. Men who talk about shooting a thief who breaks in. Men who recount their sport exploits, or military or professional feats, even when it’s obvious they are stretching the truth, or already well past their glory days.[/quote]

Your cousin is the first woman I’ve heard of who feels this way. I think she must get a contact buzz from the self-aggrandizing. I’ve been married for a long time – but I used to find self serving lies/boasting a perfect reason to walk away. Especially talking about achievements when they are “well past their glory days.” It suggests that they don’t predict any future glory days …,

[Anonymous]

[quote=zk]Interesting you would chime in on this, flyer.

Mentioning your accomplishments/status/income every time it’s contextually appropriate (and you do it even when it’s only tangentially so) makes you immodest. Yes, flyer, I’m saying you’re immodest. At least on this forum.[/quote]

C’mon, everybody knows that commercial airline pilot is a glamorous and lucrative gig.

At least it was twenty years ago.

[zk]

[quote=njtosd][quote=FlyerInHi]

I have a female cousin who told me that men should not be modest. She likes men who talk in the hyperbole. Men who talk about shooting a thief who breaks in. Men who recount their sport exploits, or military or professional feats, even when it’s obvious they are stretching the truth, or already well past their glory days.[/quote]

Your cousin is the first woman I’ve heard of who feels this way. I think she must get a contact buzz from the self-aggrandizing. I’ve been married for a long time – but I used to find self serving lies/boasting a perfect reason to walk away. Especially talking about achievements when they are “well past their glory days.” It suggests that they don’t predict any future glory days …,[/quote]

You can find at least one person who likes almost anything. But I think modesty is admired by most people. And I think most people think mentioning your status/accomplishments/wealth at the drop of a hat is immodest and annoying, whether they’ll tell you that to your face or not.

[flyer]

Since many people don’t have anything to be “immodest” about, and have never had even one “glory day”–past or present in their entire life–personally, I find it interesting to hear from those who have interesting lives–especially since it seems there are so few.

Brian Williams didn’t need to add any embellishments to his already amazing life–but he chose to–and, IMO, that’s where he made his mistake.

[Author]

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