There is now a follow up to this post that clears up some ambiguity here–”Nobody Likes an Ambiguous Blogger“
Yesterday I was asked the question, “So do you party at night and then get up for church the next morning? Because that would be tough.”
I responded by saying, “I don’t, but people do. I don’t recommend it, and I certainly don’t wish that upon anyone.” Tough is such an understatement, my friends.
I tried to be that guy who was friends with everyone—the guy who acted a certain way around some people, and acted a different way around other people. I was a fake and a fraud—a total phony. I lived a double life, and I hated it. I had to put on a different mask wherever I went and hoped that I didn’t see anyone who knew me as one person while I was acting like a different one. It was a nightmare. It tore me up.
So, I gave that up. There is only one Jordan now. Day or night, summer or winter—what you see is what you get. Do I still try and befriend everyone? Absolutely. Do I change who I am or compromise myself in anyway to become more likable? Absolutely not.
You can’t be all things to all people. If you are, you’re a fake. You can’t be trusted. You don’t even know who you are, and certainly no one else does. (You probably didn’t like that. I apologize, but I know this from first-hand experience.)
Joe Ehrmann, an NFL star from the 70’s and the reason for the book Season of Life (thanks, Yokum) calls it revolving integrity. No matter which way you turn, or what situation you’re in that turns you, people will see that you have the same integrity in every situation. The circumstances may change, but you are the constant—the same no matter what. You might not please everybody, but you’ll be real. You won’t have to try to fool anybody.
If you’re trying to fool people (Yes, I’ve tried. No, it didn’t work), I’d like to share with you a bit of wisdom Honest Abraham Lincoln passed on to me (via my dad)
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.
I can’t tell you who to be—that is your decision to make. But for your sake, just be one person because nobody likes a chameleon.
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and
You can fool all of the people some of the time, but
You can’t fool mom.
This was the quote that was by I Captain Kangaroo used to say when we were young. Thanks for the clarification.. Wonderful blog but probably not the popular one. Many a truth speaks through it!
Love you! Have a great first day back to college!
Those quotes are easily confused, Ma. Thanks for the well wishes!
really good. thanks
Thank you, Liz!
1 Cor. 9:19-23
“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Well said, my friend. Thanks for sharing that. Great verse to keep in mind in the sense of relating to others.
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Another well written blog. Something I’ve struggled with many times in my life. However, I think we (especially those of us in ministry) are sometimes called to be all things to all people. We see Paul doing this in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. Love is relational. There is something to empathy that cannot be replaced with phony “mask-wearing behavior.” But like I said. So much truth in this. Keep it up brother!
Haha I should have read other comments before I posted. Lol now I kinda feel like an idiot. So I guess my true comment is I second what Greg said. Sorry.
I agree with everything said but in many situations putting on a front to get a certain task accomplished is necessary because of people’s ignorances. I say you just get it done with the people that aren’t important and be real with the people that you love and surround yourself with. I agree with no one likes a chameleon but think about a job interview. Should you tell them what they want to hear because you want to sound “professional” or seem like a better worker than you are? or should you be straight up? Anyone having a serious job in the real world will know that most adults get nothing accomplished during their day and you know damn well that they were telling the interviewer everything they wanted to hear. Should I cut my long grimy hair to impress an employer because I want the job or should I depend on my intelligence to get me the job? I think that because others are too ignorant and just too quickly, they are only drawn to what they want to see that they are blind to what is really going on. To those that are dumb enough to only see the surface, give them the surface they want in the benefit of yourself because the world doesn’t care about you, so you have to take what you need, its not getting handed to you. So I say this…Don’t mix work with family…fake it to you make it…but stay true to the ones you love because those are the only people that matter
Thanks for your thoughtful input. I appreciate your contribution to furthering the discussion. I think you bring up some very valid points (especially about interviewing). Please keep contributing!