Contrarian Success
Friday, 10:19 AM
Dear Friend,
Donner, the doberman you see in the various rotating photos on the immediate right, celebrated his 12th birthday on August 18th.
He sleeps a little more than he used to… but he'll still "snap to" like a little Marine at my beck and call.
He's as healthy and active as ever, too. Runs and plays outside four to five times a day.
In fact, right this very second he's chasing and wrestling with his little brother, Chiqui Rikki, the shih tzu… (the Colombiana's dog).
Oops, hold on a sec. Now they're fighting. Gotta go referee this.
OK, my parenting for the day is done. Back to blogging.
Anyhoo… I'm not sure you know how rare it is to have a 12 year old doberman in such good health.
Every single one of his 7 other litter mates died at 10 years old. The breeder told me her dogs NEVER live past 10.
Donner's breeder has been breeding these dogs from strict German bloodlines for decades.
The Germans have kept the breed pure with VERY strict breeding regulations.
The Americans screwed up the breed decades ago. They started breeding them for size and appearance only. And in the process, bred all the original drives out of them.
Not so in Germany. It's simply not permitted.
Donner's entire lineage has numerous Schutzhund titles in their background. His father had a Schutzhund 3 title, the very highest you can achieve.
To give you an example of how tough that is… it's the human equivalent of winning a triathalon, completing your phD and winning a MMA match… all in one day!
When Donner was born his father was only one of ten dobermans in the entire North American continent to have a Schutzhund 3 title.
It's THAT rare.
Depending on which veterinarian you ask, a 12 year old doberman is equivalent to a human aged 100 to 120.
Imagine a 100 year old man running laps in the back yard and chasing squirrels four to five times a day!
Here's why I think Donner has been so healthy and has enjoyed so much longevity…
I have done the exact OPPOSITE
of what "they" told me to do!
When I was told to get him neutered… I didn't.
…When I was told to have him vaccinated with a slew of injections… I didn't.
…When I was told to feed him the commercial dog food you find in pet stores and WalMart… I didn't.
I stopped blindly "following orders" and took personal responsibility for the health and well-being of my dog.
In fact, I discovered that most of the advice I was getting from friends, family, the media, the government and various "ex-spurts" would actually make my dog sick and kill him early.
And THAT is why I believe Donner will live to the ripe old age of 15… healthy as a horse.
Now initially, I DID do all these things… because I didn't know any better. But when I started to wake up and realize I'd been lied to about most of the stuff pertaining to MY life, I saw through the fog and discovered it applied to my dog, too.
In fact, I discovered when I followed all the rules "they" told me to do, I was broke and miserable… and sick a lot of the time, too.
You know the drill…
- Do what your teachers, parents and church tell you without questioning…
- Study hard and get good grades in school…
- Go to college, continue to study hard and do what your professors tell you…
- Get a good job and do what your boss tells you…
- Do what the government tells you to do. (They know better than you about how to manage ALL aspects of your life.)
- Stay at your job for 30 years so you can retire…
- And all the rest of the B.S. we've been told is the path to success…
I don't know about you, but that path kept me broke and miserable… and would have done so for the rest of my life if I hadn't chucked it all.
Shortly after leaving my job and becoming self-employed full-time I started to look at the world differently.
Here's what I found…
There are very, VERY few
truly "awake" people…
1% or less of the population.
The rest are the walking dead… and they get REALLY pissed off if you try to wake them up. (After losing a couple friends, I don't try any more.)
The walking dead almost never engage their rational mind. In fact, they have been trained since birth to NOT engage their rational mind.
They've been trained to accept without questioning what the media tells them, guys in white coats tell them, what their church tells them, what the gummint tells 'em… and all other people claiming dominion over their lives.
They can't tell you one single coherent or intelligent reason as to why they believe what they believe… and that includes their most sacred religious and spiritual beliefs they claim they would die (or kill) to defend.
They don't have one single shred of credible irrefutable evidence as to why they believe what they believe.
In fact, if you just start pulling threads on the most basic tenets of their most important beliefs… the whole deal comes unraveled.
Then they get REALLY pissed!
The conversation usually ends with…
"That's just what I believe!"
No credible evidence needed…
…End of conversation.
In fact, (just like the conference call I was a guest on this week)… when the walking dead are confronted with evidence contrary to what they've been trained to believe, they react VIOLENTLY… again, without any rational thinking whatsoever.
Anything contrary to their life-long conditioning is immediately dismissed without any investigation of the facts.
If they would just take a few minutes to apply a logical sequence of reasoning and review of the facts, it would be immediately obvious the emperor is buck nekkid!
But they can't.
It's not their fault though.
The ability to think logically and rationally has deliberately been trained out of them.
That was the stated goal of the public education system back when it was founded in Massachusetts, by the way.
And they're VERY successful at it.
Most people are ruined for life after 13 years of it.
I still don't know why I was fortunate enough to overcome it… but I'm glad I did.
Look… I'll cut to the chase here.
I'm not saying it's the best course of action in ALL cases… but 20+ years experience as an entrepreneur has taught me…
When in doubt… do the exact OPPOSITE
of what the majority is doing!
98% of the time you'll be right.
And you won't spend your life broke, sick and miserable.
All the best,
Awesome post Dan!
Hi Dan,
Nice post. I am a dog lover also and currently have and have had the pleasure of many canine friends. Most lived to 12-14. I miss them all.
I don't know for sure but I tend to think that, much as American dog breeding is totally different from German, much of our 'indoctrination' as citizens tend to take the 'spontaneous' out of us and makes us fearful to run against the herd. Not all succumb but many do and that is to our detriment, as individuals and a country.
Stay well and enjoy your friends.
Regards
Dan,
You've followed" the road less traveled by"& "that's made all the difference"! Keep it coming…
A very satisfied client,
Bryan Aucremanne
Dan you are SO correct.
While life amongst the sleeping is a constant continuous struggle… and I've heard "Why don't you just go along?" so many times I'm able to tune it out…
Today your post made me glad I'm not the only one.
Thank you
Dan,
I couldn't agree more. Following the crowd has only made me frustrated and miserable, and, while doing my own thing is harder work, it's so much more satisfying, worthwhile, and rewarding.
Keep the polarization up, man!
BTW, do you know of any plans to post that call you were on with Markus?
- John
You know what Dan.. you're right. Most people spend years spinning their wheels trying to follow the crowds. They use the same tactics, they say the same things yet most never experience the same success. It wasn't until recently that I made the decision to go about doing things my way.
Of course you have no idea about it, but your blog helped me come to that conclusion along with some readings I had done elsewhere. The irony behind it is that I came to this conclusion while searching for some information on guru Ryan Deiss. After realizing that the vast majority of those we look to online for leadership are basically selling us strategies we have no way of knowing if they've ever even implemented, I figured it's time to make my own lane. Anything I might need to know about IM can be found in 2 places…. you ready? Google and WarriorForums.com
With this new found realization I've been better able to focus on doing things that matter instead of chasing the next BSO.
Thanks man.
Way to be straight up. It's refreshing.
You have no idea how good it makes me feel to hear that my little blog had a tiny part in helping you understand what you need to be successful on your own terms.
I appreciate you sharing that.
And I LOVE this word picture:
"…it's time to make my own lane."
When I read that I pictured you in a bright red Ferrari stuck in traffic on the highway then saying "F^%$ this! I'm making my own lane" and veering off the road at 90 MPH, passing all the cars stuck in traffic.
If you don't mind, I'm going to swipe "…it's time to make my own lane" for a blog post or something.
Thanks, John.
Yeah, pretty wild call with Markus, huh? I'll check on if and when he plans on posting it.
This is a lonely path for sure.
But worth it.
It takes one to know one!
Thank YOU, Bryan.
Hey Dan,
That is quite an eloquent post. I wish I could have said it that eloquently in my blog post… but I'm just an ex inner-city street cop.
A wordsmith, I suspect you are. If not, you SHOULD be.
Thanks, Caleb.
Rock on!
Dan, I just joined your blog yesterday after listening to the Stump Markus broadcast. Yeah , I'm Guest43 and I'm thinking about purchasing the Master Success Plan. If you remember, you told me not to purchase it and I'm wondering why? Also, thanks for the Halbert tip as I joined his newsletter too. Wow!
Hey Dan,
Thanks for the great post. Yes, like you I too am a contrarian…matter of fact, was told that I was just a "hardhead" all of my life. The funny thing is, after I have accomplished something that I've wanted, so many people say to me, "how on earth did you do that…you're so lucky." Simple…I just go directly after what I want and don't let knucklehead "sheeple" dictate my actions. I know life is more exciting when you do your own thing…I'm just hardheaded that way. Have fun!ch
An Old School Copywriter
Hardhead, huh?
That brings back memories. I hadn't thought about it in years but now I remember both my parents calling me that.
I guess being hardheaded makes us "lucky" according to the sheeple.
Maybe we should start the "Hardhead" club?
Great to have you here.
Great question yesterday, too. (Geez, it took me FOREVER to get to it. Sorry about that.)
My Master Success Formula is more than just pocket change. It's $97. The people who can get the biggest bang for the buck and the most benefit from that product are people who have an existing business. I recommend it for them.
If you're a newbie or haven't yet got anything going yet… I'm working on something that will be a better deal for you.
How about that… a marketer telling you NOT to buy one of his products! Good thing I actually make my living DOING… instead of just teaching.
I listened to the call with Markus. I thought I had accidentally tuned into Coast to Coast for a second
(cue the dialog from Hudson and Landry…You in a heap a trouble you long haired hippie boy) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhliLCJKZGA
You are correct Sir(in my best Ed McMahon voice)
how to train the peeps to be good little sheeple.
Edward Bernaz's students learned real "good"
I am considered the nut case in my circle for I don't buy the CNN sputtum nor the White House PR honchos.Some days I wish "Mars Attacks" was a documentary LOL God Bless Slim Whitman for saving us all.
Keep up the great posts!
This post reinforces my belief that children should be made to watch "American Beauty" twice a year, starting from a very young age.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Randy Cantrell, Ryan Healy. Ryan Healy said: Contrarian Success http://bit.ly/dhRdx8 [...]
I remember when I first told myself I wanted to make money online, I
had to have thick skin, cause, oh boy! did my family and friends sure not like the idea.
My ''best friend'' Steve would always try and deter me and beat down on my goals,
saying ''have fun with THAT scam'' and a whole bunch more beautiful words for specific
situations. I bet you know the type.
My mother also, being a mom, wanted to protect me.
Unfortunately, that meant not to trust anything I did on the internet.
It wasn't me, it was THEM.
Anyways, now, I am close to ONE THOUSAND sold online, of MY OWN products.
It ain't gonna stop either.
Its just better to do stuff your way.
What you experienced, David, is the typical reaction from friends and family.
It's not their fault, though. Just bad programming, I guess.
I think your family does it to try and protect you from possible disappointment. Or, in some cases (like my wife's sister)… it's just plain malicious.
Glad to hear you overcame it.
99% do NOT.
Show it to them after about 10 years in the "real world". It will make more sense then.
That Hudson & Landry bit was funny. Especially for a yankee ex-cop transplanted to the south.
Nice post Dan.
My pre-school kid's teachers called us in to discuss his being "hard-headed", "going his own way" , "individualist", "trouble starter" etc. They wanted to prescribe "therapy" or "pills" …
Silly teachers – therapy ? No way. Tablets for the teachers. School will not ruin him, if I can help it …
I felt relieved – I was worried that my 5-year-old was not on the right path, but after this meeting, I am at ease again …
Btw. it is Schutzhund … with a "c"
Keep on grinding out the contrarian posts.
That's scary, isn't it? They want to medicate someone who is a potential leader.
Going to correct my "Schutzhund" spelling error right now.
BTW, you probably already know this but Schutzhund means "protection dog" in German.
I started training Donner in it and he had GREAT potential. We later switched to French Ring because I liked it better. They could bite anywhere on the body suit as opposed to Schutzhund, where they could only bite the sleeve.
I moved out of the US and never found any place to train. If it weren't for that, Donner would probably have a French Ring title.
Good Drill
Follow the crowd and fall of the edge of Life's Cliff. Sheep driven to that edge. In a crowded theatre, you see the EXIT In case of Fire. Stand-Up, Point to the Exit sign . . . and Yell to the Crowd Go There!!!!!! Immediately hustle in the opposite direction.
Story Time: Several years ago I was dispatched to the grocery. I picked up the few items on my list. Upon leaving the store, I looked to the left and saw a old van, in the middle of the grocery drive. I walked slowly to the van noticing the license plate ( I knew the city and state) a careful approach and to my . . . HORROR I saw a crowd of 30-40 people watching a man kick a woman in the face. No body was doing a DAM thing.
Blood pooled around her face as he continued to kick her in the face . . .while ALL of these people
stood helpless and WATCHED !!!!!!!! I knew the city . . . he was from and immediated called out
To be conitued . . . .
Continued
Story Time: Several years ago I was dispatched to the grocery. I picked up the few items on my list. Upon leaving the store, I looked to the left and saw a old van, in the middle of the grocery drive. I walked slowly to the van noticing the license plate ( I knew the city and state) a careful approach and to my . . . HORROR I saw a crowd of 30-40 people watching a man kick a woman in the face. No body was doing a DAM thing.
Blood pooled around her face as he continued to kick her in the face . . .while ALL of these people
stood helpless and WATCHED !!!!!!!! I knew the city . . . he was from and immediately called out the name of the city as I walked toward him with my hand shake extended. He was in shock, that I knew his city (Gary, In ) With out a single blow, (holding his right hand) I TOLD him to leave that the cops where on their WAY! He moved quickly to to that piece of Cr** van and raced to the parking lot entrance. ( cops nabbed him there )
to be continued
Continued . . .
The crowd mentality says to watch . . .someone else will help. A nurse in the crowd came forward
to help, the police where there next, the crowd gathered around her. I slipped back out of the edge of the crowd and into the opposite direction of everyone else.
Watch those crowds ! ! ! Hurry run for that Fire Exit. Hurry ! ! ! Hurry ! ! !
P.S Thanks Dan for all those meat and potatoes with that lap full of gravy
Dan
Hit the spot with this you did. All the up-streamers are called rebels, small children now being given Ritalin to calm them down and make them conform etc.
I knew a gnarly old entrepreneur who told me once that the rest of them are "crib feeders", feeding on any sh*t that gets put in front of them.
Take a read at the following.
I have read that when Napoleon was in the military academy that his lecturer asked the class "if you are surrounded by a greater force, and you have very little ammunition left with no food, what will you do? Napoleon apparently replied " Does the enemy have enough food and ammunition? The lecturer said yes, to which Napoleon replied then my troubles are over. I will take theirs.
Dunno how accurate this is but maybe Napoleon just did say this, because he was the up streamer of up-streamers
The Greeks burnt their ships. Maybe we should all go against conventional wisdom when its needed and we will all be a lot wealthier, healthier and more criticized. Glad I am in good company here.
Missed the call with Markus. Are you going to release a recording?
Great Weekend To Y'all
Thought provoking as ever DD.
As Dan Kennedy says, "Take a look around you. See what your competitors are doing and do the complete opposite."
As others have said, the problem with that is ridicule, isolation and back-biting……. but hey, it sure does cut down your Christmas card list.
And it means you are in touch with the enlightened few.
Andrew
Good point about the Christmas list!
Hi Thomas,
Good post.
I like the Napoleon story. It sounds accurate.
I'm pretty sure Markus will make a replay of that call available soon. It was some wild stuff!
Great example, Dave. And what a creative solution to that problem.
I'm sorry Intense Debate restricts the length of these comments. I guess people will just have to post them in segments like you did. (ANOTHER creative solution from you!)
I can't tell you how TIMELY this post is, Dan.
Not 12 hours ago, I was involved in a 3-hour long heated discussion with 3 family members.
Arguing,that is, not doing anything to improve anyone's life OR make any money. Not much fun.
I was berated, called names, and deemed as loco. Contrarian just for the sake of it.
Point is, you're correct. At least 99% of people you meet are so stuck in their slumber that if Big Brother told them the 2 + 2 = 5, they'd believe it (before the torture).
Logical, critical thinking is rejected outright when it clashes with what they've been taught. In fact, you better not even seem like you're challenging the prevailing philosophy.
But 99% of people you meet live mediocre lives at best. Who do you want to be numbered among.
Great post, Dan. I'm a lot less discouraged than I was before I read it.
Dan,
I just checked on Markus's site. He has posted it for streaming and for download if you log in, which, as you know, is free.
I missed the call itself, but I'm looking forward to hearing you and Ryan stir it up a bit.
- John
Dan,
"If they would just take a few minutes to apply a logical sequence of reasoning and review of the facts, it would be immediately obvious the emperor is buck nekkid!"
Tying that in directly with your wisdom in not following what everyone says to do with your dogs, here's a sequence of rational thinking that's totally lacking in 99.9% of dog owners AND vets:
What is a dog, if not a cousin to a wolf? Have you ever seen a wolf cook? Does anyone cook that rabbit the wolf caught? No? Then why does everyone buy that crappy canned dog food? It's cooked!
I fed my greyhounds raw ground beef instead, but I'll admit I mixed it with a high-quality, corn-free kibble (lamb and rice based). All three of my guys, that were all neutered when they left racing, lived to 13 years.
Anyway, I like and agree with your way of thinking, you contrarian.
Owen
Comment to Conrad
If you want an interesting ride, try homeschooling your kids. Everybody is against it, and they are real pains in the A**. We are homeschooling our son of 6 1/2 y/o, and he is way ahead of 9 y/o kids.
Emotionally, mentally and physically. And everybody says " Ooo, he is so clever. When is he going to school?"
Like that's going to happen!
An "educated" educator once told us that he will never be able to fit into a normal school. This person told me that they will have to bring him down to the level of a six y/o to be able to "educate" him. In other words, they want to take his ability of free thinking and independence away and force him into a mold to be able to control him.
For that fight they will have to bring a very big lunchbox.
So when you meet people that are like DD has spoken about, (the drooling, dribbling sheeples " I believe politicians type" ) and your kids teachers, lift your umbrella up in front of you very slowly, back away and when your are out of drooling range, drop everything, turn and run like hell!!
Strangely enough, when that type of person speaks, it sounds like a bulldog slobbering in a bowl of porridge. Must be my ears or something.
If I had kids… and knowing what I now know, I would do WHATEVER IT TAKES to either NEVER, ever, ever enroll them in public school… or IMMEDIATELY get them out of there.
I've been working on a blog post about this for over a month… and it's gonna be a DOOZY. Ooohhhh… I'm gonna get hate mail from all the sheeple.
When I starting waking up, I did the same thing for Donner. He was starting to suffer all the typical ailments of an average dog. Almost within days of taking him off commercial food and putting him of B.A.R.F. (biologically active raw food) he improved.
Cool. I'll send it out to the list. Thanks, John.
Donnie,
The awakened life of a truth seeker is a VERY lonely walk. Literally 1% or LESS of the entire world's population. You will live your entire life among the walking dead.
But know that you are not totally alone.
And if I decide to go forward with the idea of publishing a print newsletter like I've been thinking about… look out! It's going to have stuff in it that will blow your mind.
You, SIr Dan, are a breath of fresh air. Thanks for being you.
Hi Dan,
I started calling the American education system, the "Public Fool System" and the dumbing down of America about 50 or so years ago.
I stayed in trouble because I asked too many questions and wouldn't follow the crowd..
Dogs naturally eat meat and most people feed them corn (dog food) and just like the money health system, the pet health system is about the same. If they are sick you will keep returning.
Keep up the good work. You are a voice crying from the wilderness but that is what we need. One voice and then two and we keep expanding.
From another hard head,
Medreth
P.S. When I went to school it was, "the united states of america," not the corporation, "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" that took over in the 1940s and the FED ain't part of the federal government. It is mostly owned by the Bank of England and you thought we won the revolutionary war! Yes, I remember the bombing of Pearl Harbor so that makes me an old hard head, being called that many times.
All true, Medreth. And very easy to verify.
But for some reason… even though he's stark raving nekkid, almost everybody keeps insisting the emperor is wearing his beautiful new robe.
Thanks!
But I'm not always the most popular guy at the party!
I can't wait to read that one. I have two toddlers and knew before the first was born that we would be homeschooling them. The oldest is still over a year away from being of school age, so we haven't started getting much flak yet. We're ready for it, though.
Remembering my experience firsthand, and reading the research done by individuals like John Taylor Gatto are fuel enough to keep me fighting against the same thing happening to my kids.
More than six years ago, I tried to warn people about how life really works.
They tagged me as a conspiracy theorist, a kook and a nut job.
But today, the tide is turning… now most people not only are receptive to my warnings… they want to know more. I can see this here in the comments, too.
People know something is really really wrong about this perception called life, but don't know exactly what it is.
Things are not what they seem… for example, we go to see a therapist to seek help. Yet the same word also spells The Rapist (and they sure do rape our mind, don't they).
We rely on our government to serve and protect us. And we all know that's BS. But did you know the direct Latin translation of the word government is "control mind". I'm not kidding.
The media (which is the most evil entity on the planet) uses psychic driving (basically nonstop repetition) to remind us about "ground zero". Most people don't understand what "ground zero" truly means… according to Webster's Dictionary, "ground zero" is defined as, "the point on the surface of the earth or water directly below, directly above, or at which an atomic or hydrogen bomb explodes." Kind of gives us a hint as to what really happened on 9/11, eh?
It's all about controlling us.
We are all slaves — it doesn't matter what color you are.
And I no longer feel sorry for those who "don't get it." It's STUNNING how people still think polytics (latin for many tics by the way) is real. It's as real as professional wresting. Yet some of the smartest people I know still think politics and politicians are here to serve us.
With that said Dan, I must cordially disagree about your 1% estimate of people being awake. They're not awake as much as they're merely reacting to the obvious. But the insidious part is the same people who control us from behind the scenes (via non-governmental organizations like the Club of Rome and Royal Institute of International Affairs and the Council on Foreign Relations and the United Nations) give us our "truth" leaders who send us going down the wrong rabbit holes for truth.
People think Keith Olberman and Glen Beck all the way down to Alex Jones are giving us real truth. These "truth leaders" are wolves in sheep's clothing.
It's evil genius.
If I secretly ruled the world I'd used the exact same schemes they're using on us right now. It's a brilliant way to fleece the public into voluntary servitude.
Once people understand this con called life, then they might… might graduate to the class of being truly "awake."
My hope is by the time I die, I'll see the masses truly awake.
Finally, The Rand Corporation created an entire psychological, military-grade blueprint called the Delphi Technique to obfuscate this con we call life. By publishing this amazing post, you're breaking through the Delphi Technique. And I applaud you, Dan.
Hey, were you looking at me when you pointed your finger and declared "CONTRAIRIAN" ?
OMG, do I have some stories to tell about that !
Maybe someday we'll laugh about it over some caffiene free Diet Cokes.
Was I in the popular cliques? NO
Was I on the traditional fast tracks to success ? NO
Did I care about that kind of stuff ? NO
Do I intimidate/anger some with my accomplishments? YOU BET !
Back in high school I wasn't a jock or in the popular crowd. I didn't WANT to be in the popular clique. I was in band and theater and all that "faggy" stuff that should have gotten me branded as a nerd.
So I made my own damn club… and wonder of wonders, got elected prom king at the 1983 Barberton High prom. Go figure!
My philosophy is… screw everybody. And I do mean EVERYBODY. Do your own thing.
Yes, the "Hardhead" club…I think it may have potential. We are in close proximity here in Florida…I am in Cocoa Beach…maybe we can get together in Orlando one day and talk about it? I got called hardhead so much by my mother, even the meat cutter guy at the grocery store knew me by that name. Now my wife just calls me the "varmint."
You're stuck with that nickname now!
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