Changing Perceptions
Archives: Daily Issues
Issue #2502
- WEALTHY: A special group of companies that can help your investments grow (Andrew Gordon)
- HEALTHY: When you don’t have time for exercise… (Matt Furey)
- WISE: Democritus on trust
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- O.J. Simpson, Mark McGwire, and… Caligula? (Robert Ringer)
- The language guru answers a reader’s question (Don Hauptman)
- It’s Good to Know… how to “cause” sales
- Add “eschew” to your vocabulary
== Highly Recommended ==
Turn on the Money Faucet
Monday, it’s up a record-shattering 936 points. Wednesday, the market
plummets by nearly 4%. Tomorrow? Who knows!
With the Dow doing cartwheels every other day, you may be feeling
deeply concerned about what lies ahead.
Whether Fannie and Freddie are gobbling up your retirement. Whether
you can still send your kids to State U… let alone Princeton. Hell, you may
be worrying about where your next $1,500 mortgage payment will come
from!
But one breakthrough profit-building system can show you, step by
step, how to create massive cash windfalls for your company.
Learn how to turn on the “money faucet,” and become invaluable to any business right now.
Shelter From the Storm
When the clock-radio woke me up the other morning, the first thing I heard was the results of a survey on what people least want to give up during these hard times. The three winners were tobacco, alcohol, and chocolate.
The survey didn’t ask people what they are most willing to give up. If it had, I bet the stock market would have made the top three. Many investors have backed away from the turbulence of a market that is up 700 points one day and down 400 points the next (or vice versa).
Perhaps they’re not aware of a special group of companies that can offer them shelter from this storm. Companies that can give them steady and/or rising paychecks even in a rollicking market.
These companies give their shareholders dividend payments. The trick is to invest in big, solid, and growing companies or companies that do very well in a recession. The companies that do both, like giant cigarette-maker Altria (MO) – Marlboro is its best-known brand – are your best bet. These companies aren’t guaranteed to go up month after month. They may even have some down years. But as long as you keep holding on to their stock, you’ll have no actual losses… and you still get those checks in the mail. Right now, for example, Altria is offering a 6.9 percent yield to investors. That’s more than twice what you could get with any savings account.
[Ed. Note: You may be surprised to learn that dividends are the key to pinpointing solid investments... or cluing you in to companies you should avoid. ETR's Investment Director Andrew Gordon reveals how to use dividends to make serious money right here.]
”Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence.“
Democritus
Changing Perceptions
Perception is a topic that has always fascinated me. When a person is revered, the reverence quickly disappears if something happens that changes the public’s perception of that individual. If, for example, the person on the receiving end of the adulation is exposed as a fraud or falls into disgrace, admiration soon turns to contempt.
I thought about this while watching a show about Roman Emperor Caligula on The History Channel. Caligula’s given name was Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. When he was a little boy, his father, Germanicus, dressed him in the military uniform of the day, including sandals called “caliga.” As a result, the troops nicknamed him Caligula (“Little Boots”).
Germanicus was the JFK of his time, a charismatic figure who was loved by the Roman citizenry. Emperor Tiberius, fearful of his popularity, sent him off to Asia to kick some butt for the Empire, and he later died in Syria under rather mysterious circumstances that many assumed had been engineered by Tiberius.
Ultimately, Tiberius had Caligula’s mother and two brothers put to death, and, after years of torment and being shuffled from one relative to another, Caligula was brought to live at the emperor’s palace. For reasons that still puzzle me, Tiberius named him as co-heir, along with his cousin Tiberius Gemellus.
After Tiberius’s death, because of their fond memories of his father, the Roman people were wildly excited when Caligula ascended to power. It was the way a large percentage of Americans might have felt had John F. Kennedy Jr. been elected president.
Shortly after becoming emperor, Caligula had his joint-heir, Tiberius Gemellus, “eliminated.” But no one seemed to see this as a sign of things to come. Probably the main reason it was ignored was that he lavished money and other goodies on the people of Rome – and, much like today’s free-lunch recipients, they adored him for his “generosity.” It was a veritable love fest.
Then, suddenly, Caligula shifted into a different mode and began a reign of cruelty and depravity that was extreme even by Roman standards. As a result, the people soon came to fear and hate him. Ultimately, after less than four years in power, his own guards stabbed him to death.
Did something happen that caused Caligula to suddenly go insane? There has been much speculation about it over the centuries, but no one will ever know for certain. Regardless, when the perception of the man changed, adoration for him was replaced by hatred.
Does the story of Caligula strike a chord with you? How many people can you think of who lost their goodwill when their actions caused them to fall from grace? How about Mike Nifong, who was perceived as a no-nonsense prosecutor in Durham, North Carolina – a man who was willing to step up to the plate and defend a woman of color who had been raped by three rich, white lacrosse players from Duke.
But, suddenly, the truth descended upon him with a vengeance. At some point in his investigation, Nifong became aware that those three white kids were not guilty of the rape, yet he moved relentlessly forward with the case – notwithstanding the fact that convictions could have sent the young men to prison for life. If one believes in the concept of evil, this is about as close to it as a human being can get. What is your perception of Mike Nifong today?
For more than two decades, O.J. Simpson was a great role model – congenial and beloved by millions. A mutual friend once introduced me to him, and I recall thinking what a really nice guy he was. But since it became clear that he savagely butchered two innocent people, he has been reviled by all but the most brain-dead among us.
According to those who know him best, O.J. was always the O.J. we know today – a narcissistic, violent person with no sense of moral responsibility or social conscience. And now the public’s perception of that famous smile is that it was a way of thumbing his nose at the law and at the families of his victims. Now that he finally appears to be headed for many years in prison, what is your perception of O.J. Simpson today?
Mark McGwire was the Paul Bunyan of baseball, hitting an unfathomable 70 homeruns in 1998 to shatter Roger Maris’s record of 61. But what made him such a legendary figure was his nice-guy image. Who can forget his climbing into the stands to hug Maris’s children after breaking their father’s record?
But when McGwire testified before the House Government Reform Committee as part of the Congressional investigation of steroids in sports, he was so evasive that people saw it as a de facto admission of his guilt. McGwire came across as a sullen, weak man, far from the strong, pleasant persona of his playing days. What is your perception of Mark McGwire today? Ditto Barry Bonds.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try, our perceptions about people will be misguided a significant percentage of the time. Of course, it’s one thing to be off target occasionally but quite another to be consistently wrong. That’s because the foundational principle of all other success principles is having an accurate perception of reality. Which means that great achievements are virtually impossible if one’s perception of reality is perpetually faulty.
The best antidote to this potentially fatal condition is to pay more attention to what people say than to who they seem to be. In other words, don’t be taken in by credentials, demeanor, or reputation. Hey, you can’t get much better credentials than being emperor of Rome, and just about everyone got misled on that one.
Likewise, just because someone doesn’t have great credentials doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Some of the best insights I’ve heard over the years have come from “no name” people.
There is no magic way to sort out worthwhile information from junk. The truth of the matter is that it’s up to you to weigh the content of people’s words and make good decisions about them. And to do that, you have to be vigilant about not becoming mesmerized by appearances. It’s especially true in today’s world of criminal government.
In the words of Buddha, “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.” If he were alive today, my guess is that Buddha would add the words “especially when it comes to government.”
It’s something to ponder as you go about trying to deal with the delusions that are being fed to us daily by politicians and their talking heads in the media.
[Ed. Note: Improving your life starts from the inside out. Yes, you need to take action in order to move yourself forward to success. But sometimes you need a little push to get yourself going... and some simple techniques to help you accomplish your dreams. Discover 189 ways to get everything you want out of life.
For a treasure chest of proven ideas, strategies, and techniques for increasing your income many times over, check out Robert Ringer's best-selling dealmaking audio series. And be sure to sign up for his Voice of Sanity e-letter.]
== Highly Recommended ==
Revealed: Probably the Biggest Red Herring in History!
While the world’s been stock watching (and losing!), the elite quietly play a different game with different rules…
Feeling cheated and disillusioned by the stock market? Sure, you may have made a good trade here… but then lost on another. The people dutifully pour their hard-earned cash into investment banks to put into the stock market for them… and those investment banks gladly oblige, for a fat fee… which they invest somewhere else! I’m no conspiracy theorist, but in my opinion the stock market is really a iversion for the masses… a distraction from where the BIG and consistent money is made… in the world’s money mountain. And when I say “Money Mountain,” I speak quite literally… the BIGGEST mountain of money on the planet. Click here to read more…
Copywriting Expert Bob Bly on Changing the Channel: “Methods that generate the maximum results with the least risk.”
“Michael Masterson and MaryEllen Tribby are the real deal. They understand how important it is for your marketing to make money for you. This dynamic duo of multi-channel marketing will share with you those methods that work best, generating the maximum results with the least risk.”
- Bob Bly
Author, Copywriter, and Editor
The Direct Response Letter
[Ed. Note: Michael Masterson and MaryEllen Tribby have combined their 60+ years of marketing and business-building experience into one breakthrough business manifesto. In Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business, they reveal a dozen of the most powerful, profit-accelerating marketing channels they know. Learn more right here.]
Get Fit in a Minute
By Matt Furey
I hate flying. Yet, I go on some extremely long flights. Los Angeles to Shanghai is one of them, and that puppy is 13+ hours.
For a man who likes everything “now” – for a man who is not what I’d call patient – that’s a long flight. So how do I stay sane on the flight? Very simple. Whenever the issue of time comes up, I ignore it – or I focus on living “one minute at a time.” Not one day. Not one hour. One minute.
“Can I get through one minute of flying?” I ask myself.
“Yes, I can do that.”
“Good. Then let’s focus on that one minute right now – not the other 12 hours and 59 minutes that haven’t come yet.”
This same way of thinking works great for exercise, too.
Get up in the morning. Think about exercising. When you do so, if you feel resistance, tell yourself, “Let’s just do one minute of wall chair. Can I do that?”
“Yes.”
Then ask yourself if you can do one minute of push-ups – or just one minute holding the push-up position. Or one minute of bridging. Or one minute of deep breathing.
Can you dramatically effect change in your body in one minute? The answer is: Hell, yeah!
And the good news is that when you can conquer one minute – and you enjoy that minute – you’ll want to go for a second and a third minute. And so on. Yet the desire to do more comes organically. No pushing, prodding, or flogging yourself to be motivated.
Use this method, and I assure you that you’ll be kicking butt in no time flat.
[Ed. Note: You can exercise yourself to better fitness - one minute at a time. Fitness expert Matt Furey can help you increase your strength, endurance, and flexibility without lifting weights or long-distance running. Learn more here.
For unbiased information on critical men's and women's health issues... the latest breakthroughs in alternative medicine, fitness, and nutrition... as well as motivational guidance to help you achieve your goals, sign up for ETR's natural health newsletter.]
The Language Perfectionist: These Expressions Get No Respect Here
By Don Hauptman
A reader of this column asks if any distinction exists between the phrases “in that respect” and “in that regard.”
“I tried to look this up,” the reader reports, “but nothing definitive emerged.”
Although “respect” implies emphasis on a detail or particular, the two locutions are so similar as to be equivalent. Both mean “in reference to.” One may also say “with respect to” or “with regard to” or “in regard to.” Avoid these locutions in the plural form – e.g., “as regards” and “in regards to,” which are mistakes.
Plurals aside, the problem is not that these expressions are wrong but that they tend to sound excessively formal and old-fashioned. The best solution, say usage authorities, is to eschew all of them and substitute a single simpler word, such as “about,” “concerning,” or “considering.” Depending on the context, an even shorter preposition may be suitable, such as “in,” “on,” or “for.”
This is another situation where a venerable rule of effective writing applies: “Omit needless words.”
[Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was an award-winning independent direct-response copywriter and creative consultant. He is author of The Versatile Freelancer, an e-book recently published by AWAI that shows writers and other creative professionals how to diversify their careers into speaking, consulting, training, and critiquing.]
It’s Good to Know: How to “Cause” Sales
You’ve read it before in ETR: When you give prospective customers a reason for that “special” you’re running (such as an “inventory clearance event”), it can help increase sales. Now new research shows that ad campaigns related to a charitable cause can drastically increase sales too.
In one study, two groups of participants were given money to spend and were brought into a mock convenience store. The first group had been shown a generic corporate ad for a certain shampoo. The second group saw the same ad for the same shampoo, but it mentioned that part of the proceeds benefited breast cancer research. 47 percent of shoppers who saw the cause-related ad bought that shampoo brand, compared to 27 percent of shoppers who saw the generic ad – for an impressive 74 percent increase in sales.
(Source: marketingcharts.com)
== Highly Recommended ==
How a Simple Internet Mistake Can Make You $3,012 in Just Two Days
Actually, you could make more, even faster. By complete accident, one of my colleagues discovered a “back door” to online money-making that is faster and easier than you may imagine…
You don’t have to be pinching pennies anymore because this new online program for raking in some good money works in almost no time flat. That $3,012? My colleague made that in only an hour. No hype, no kidding. Read on to discover how you could do the same starting right now.
Word to the Wise: Eschew
To “eschew” (es-CHOO) – from the French for “to flee from” – is to avoid.
Example (as used by Don Hauptman today): “Plurals aside, the problem is not that these expressions are wrong but that they tend to sound excessively formal and old-fashioned. The best solution, say usage authorities, is to eschew all of them and substitute a single simpler word… ”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008
I love the idea of 1-3-5 minutes and I’m still getting a bit of a workout in, and then once I’ve started the obvious benefits and adreline kick in-Yeah!!
I do have a comment on the Health Breakthrough Newsletter. Twice since I began reading the Newletter the article was misplaced, it fit on the Early To Rise format. Frankly I was upset that my health information was replaced with an article that did not give me any health information.
I continue to read both.