Sometimes I’m too easily impressed, and it clouds my judgment. Big time.

I didn’t realized that this could be a problem untill recently.

Case in point. I was trolling around in Barnes & Nobles, browsing through the business/marketing section. Picked up a book. I flipped it around, and went to the “About the Author” section.

Wow. This dude went to an Ivy League, did a buncha start-ups, consulted for buncha big names, wrote a buncha books, has been nominated and won blah blah awards, and all this before he’s in his late 30s!

Establishing some creditability and authority is always important, but it’s also important to keep some perspective on it. I was going way overboard – before I have even read the book, I had already established in my head that the author’s words are gold.

As I start to read the book, that impression grew stronger and stronger. The author was throwing lots of cliche statements and phrases at me. It looks like he did a good job of selling the book to the publisher, and it looks like I’m about to be the next target.

The smart guy in me (yeah it’s in there somewhere) woke up and asked myself, why are you so damn impressed?

Huh. Who said that?

You have a point, stranger. I feel like my thoughts are being influenced a wee bit.

Yeah dumbo. Look at this stuff, none of it is practical or applicable to you, he’s just writing what you want to read.

Oh my, you’re right! You sure are smart. How come you weren’t around more when I needed you?

…

I tend to do this a lot. Not just in books, but in many situation when I make a decision. I get impressed by someone’s action, someone’s status, and I follow along like a sheep. (Holy crap, that’s how this blog started).

There’s nothing wrong to be inspired, encouraged, or motivated. The problem I think, is being influenced by the wrong reason. Like the book I was reading – I should only buy it if it’s useful to me, not just because the author may be some authority in the category, or some best seller (he wasn’t).

Young, stuipd, and impressionable. Good times.