Mike Tyson

Yes, you read correctly.

Mike Tyson is a fascinating person. He´s had such a glorious and turbulent past. World boxing champion, fame, fortune, drugs, prison, bankruptcy, the untimely death of his 4-year-old daughter…

It´s hard, if not impossible to imagine being in his shoes. His character was fierce, and uncontrollable at times.

True, some actions affect or even hurt others, but ultimately it´s nearly impossible to judge the actions of anybody. At least not without proper context.

I´ve seen and heard many podcasts and interviews with Mike Tyson in the last couple of years. Many things he´s said reveal a profound wisdom and a rare ability to accept life as it is, in order to move forward and improve as a person.

One thing that stuck in my mind is how he handles criticism.

A reporter asked him once if he gets upset when he gets negative comments from the press or on the internet.

Being a brutally honest person, he answered that when he´s at a high peak and the feeling of importance blows up his ego, he can be very offended or even hurt by negative comments.

However, when he remembers that in reality, he´s nobody (in his own words), this criticism has no effect on him whatsoever…

A simple concept, but difficult to apply.

We all have egos. It´s built into us, we can´t avoid it.

However, we can control it. The more we learn about the nature of our ego, where it comes from, and what sets it off, the more control we can have over it.

Oftentimes I see people get offended rather easily for many reasons. You see it on the internet all the time: Internet Trolls. People who seem to live out of picking on others and putting their fingers in their eyes.

Is the problem the person they criticize? Or are they themselves their own problem?

After all, they don´t really have a problem with that person in itself. It´s just a human being, like anybody else. But they have a problem with whatever that person says, expresses, or represents.

After life lessons such as this one, I take much more care before judging anybody and whenever I feel like I´ve got something to criticize about anybody, I try looking deep into myself first. Maybe it´s me or my ego who´s being unreasonable.

Have a great day.

Claudio.

P.D. - My latest release, Alfonsina y el Mar is available to listen to right here.