Meeting with David Sklansky - Page 2

BruceZ · #11 03-31-2003, 07:26 PM

I recently met a large number of big name professional bowlers during a pro-am and autograph/practice session. They all gave me autographs, but not one acted especially congenial. I even had one guy's book with me, and I told him how much the book helped my game. He grunted something back and signed it. This was at an event where they are there specifically to give autographs and be ambassadors to the sport, and bowlers are the most approachable athletes in the world. I don't believe that these people are all rude guys. When you have a barrage of people week after week trying to get a piece of you and saying the same things to you everywhere you go while you are trying to practice, it has to become nearly impossible to always be upbeat, and if they were they would likely be insincere. I'm not going to collect autographs anymore, and I'll only talk to famous people if I have business with them. It isn't worth the hassle of having to bother them just to have their autograph or to be able to say I met them.

David Sklansky · #12 03-31-2003, 08:14 PM

If I didn't say thanks I must have been preoccupied. On the other hand it is important to understand that his employee analogy is not apt. I could be the rudest person in the world and it doesn't change the fact that my books will help him. Even the bowler analogy is wrong. If they are jerks you can punish them by not watching bowling at insignicant cost to yourself.

The point I am trying to make here, a bit off the subject, Is that it is very advantageous to gain expertise that is not easily duplicatable and that helps others achieve their goals. If an asteroid was heading toward earth we would free the unabomber if he was one of the few who might be able to stop it. That's an extreme example but you get my drift. If any of this fellow's employees was indispensible to his profits, he could say "oh" when he should have said thanks, all he wants.

mike l. · #13 03-31-2003, 08:29 PM

my guess is oz was on tilt, buying in more to play even higher, and not in the mood for chit-chat. maybe he just lost a big horse race, or perhaps the 80-160 omaha 8 was proving a bit tough that night.

poker players are jerks and losers, even the smarter ones. big deal.

BruceZ · #14 03-31-2003, 08:45 PM

Even the bowler analogy is wrong.

It was meant to be more of an inequality than an analogy. If they can't even be nice when it is in their best interest and job description to do so, and during their appointed 2 hours a week to be nice, then it must be that much more difficult when it isn't as much in one's best interest.

So I'm trying to defend Sklansky with an example, and his response is basically "It's different with me; you have to buy my books no matter what I do; I have you all over a barrel. HA!".

That is correct.

Is that it is very advantageous to gain expertise that is not easily duplicatable and that helps others achieve their goals.

That's for sure, in fact I have personally used this very principle combined with poker type logic learned from TOP to make people do things they ordinarily would never do, at great financial benefit to myself. More on that some other time. On the other hand, this assumes that people will always act rationally; sometimes they do not. Some people won't buy your books anymore if you're not nice even though that decision costs them money. Another issue is that many people are stupid. They don't know or don't believe that your books are a necessity, and the rudeness factor tips their decision in favor of buying someone else's books.

Another way this is sometimes expressed is that "to succeed you must either be very nice or very good". This is usually an admonition to be nice, since very few can be very good. You prefer to be good; I prefer to be good too.

Anadrol 50 · #15 03-31-2003, 09:09 PM

Lee Jones is a really nice guy when you meet him......

Ulysses · #16 03-31-2003, 09:35 PM

Another way this is sometimes expressed is that "to succeed you must either be very nice or very good". This is usually an admonition to be nice, since very few can be very good. You prefer to be good; I prefer to be good too.

FWIW, many of the most successful people I know happen to be both very good and very nice.

Ed Miller · #17 03-31-2003, 09:40 PM

FWIW, many of the most successful people I know happen to be both very good and very nice.

Though I am certainly not a "successful" person... at least not yet... I think it is of crucial importance to be both good and nice. One without the other ends up just being sad.

Jimbo · #18 03-31-2003, 10:32 PM

Good post BruceZ. I believe we have been missing the point, at least I have and believe subconsciounsly David has as well. If the original poster had approached David in the following manner the conversation might have gone much differently.

"Hello is your name David?" David says "Yes." "My name is XXXXXX and I have several hundred employees who I believe could benefit from your books. I personally have read them all." David says, "Oh, Thanks", and walks away.

See how big a difference a little flattery and the promise of future profits may make?

Mason Malmuth · #19 03-31-2003, 10:42 PM

Hi David:

You're fired.

Best wishes,
Mason

jasonHoldEm · #20 04-01-2003, 12:38 AM

LOL...

Mr. Sklansky, let me be the first to offer you a job as my poker coach...I can't pay much (maybe I can swing $10 an hour), but seeing how you're unemployed now you're just gonna have to take what you can get.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] (please) [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
jHE