And I Don't Intend on Losing Again
It takes a big man to win with class. It takes a bigger man to lose with class. And Tuesday evening, John McCain lost with class.
I'm one of those strong silent types. I want to win. I want to get my way. But I don't want to crush my opponent. I sort of just want to slide by and politely wave from the finish line. I always feel bad for the loser no matter how much I despise him or her. I remember jogging through the "good game" line at soccer games, kindergarten through senior year, feeling sorrow for the losing team (explicable if my team had lost...but inexplicable if it was the other). My heart truly felt what my mouth was saying -- Good game, nice hustle, nice job, keep it up. But for the number of times that a girl on the losing team has slapped my hand a little harder than your average high five, I can assert that not everyone has such maternal feelings for the loser (as in, your mom will still love you if you lose).
"The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly," he said, with poise and utmost respect. He shushed his avid supporters when they booed Obama. His conclusion, "Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant," was bursting at the seams with modesty and humility. For the first time in months, America was seeing the real John McCain. The one who nearly lost his life in the 1967 Forrestal fire while serving his country.
I think we all know I'm very...uninvolved when it comes to politics. So you may have been surprised at the start of this entry. But, no surprise, I'm not going for the politics angle.
It's amazing how caught up people become in winning. They start to lose sight of themselves. Suddenly their sidekicks are accusing others of being terrorists. They focus on deriding the opponent rather than extolling their own virtues. We, as humans, will do anything to win. Even abandon our true selves and assume identities whose existences we did not recognize just months before. It's human nature to want the best possible outcome for ourselves. Game theory will tell you this. Psychology will tell you this. But most convincing, your reflection, your past experience, will tell you this.
But it's when the dust settles, win or lose, that your true self comes out. People will judge you, people will assess you. But I'll give you a hint - it's not based on whether you win or lose. This is one of those times where you'd rather have the "good personality" than be cute.
"We fought — we fought as hard as we could. And though we feel short, the failure is mine, not yours."
No. When you go out with poise and dignity, it's impossible to fail.
I'm one of those strong silent types. I want to win. I want to get my way. But I don't want to crush my opponent. I sort of just want to slide by and politely wave from the finish line. I always feel bad for the loser no matter how much I despise him or her. I remember jogging through the "good game" line at soccer games, kindergarten through senior year, feeling sorrow for the losing team (explicable if my team had lost...but inexplicable if it was the other). My heart truly felt what my mouth was saying -- Good game, nice hustle, nice job, keep it up. But for the number of times that a girl on the losing team has slapped my hand a little harder than your average high five, I can assert that not everyone has such maternal feelings for the loser (as in, your mom will still love you if you lose).
"The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly," he said, with poise and utmost respect. He shushed his avid supporters when they booed Obama. His conclusion, "Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant," was bursting at the seams with modesty and humility. For the first time in months, America was seeing the real John McCain. The one who nearly lost his life in the 1967 Forrestal fire while serving his country.
I think we all know I'm very...uninvolved when it comes to politics. So you may have been surprised at the start of this entry. But, no surprise, I'm not going for the politics angle.
It's amazing how caught up people become in winning. They start to lose sight of themselves. Suddenly their sidekicks are accusing others of being terrorists. They focus on deriding the opponent rather than extolling their own virtues. We, as humans, will do anything to win. Even abandon our true selves and assume identities whose existences we did not recognize just months before. It's human nature to want the best possible outcome for ourselves. Game theory will tell you this. Psychology will tell you this. But most convincing, your reflection, your past experience, will tell you this.
But it's when the dust settles, win or lose, that your true self comes out. People will judge you, people will assess you. But I'll give you a hint - it's not based on whether you win or lose. This is one of those times where you'd rather have the "good personality" than be cute.
"We fought — we fought as hard as we could. And though we feel short, the failure is mine, not yours."
No. When you go out with poise and dignity, it's impossible to fail.
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