“Sideline Psychologist…”

Sideline is defined as “a line that marks the outside edge of a sports field or court; a sphere of little or no participation or activity.” http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideline

Players not actively participating in a game and coaches remain on the sidelines during play. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidelines

Isn’t it fascinating to hear people give their “advice” and directives to others? We have so much advice for athletes, celebrities, and politicians…about how games need to be played; movies should be acted; and the government should be run.

However, the majority of us do not have the qualifications to do it ourselves. We have not put in the blood-sweat-tears, nor made the sacrifices to even be remotely qualified to fulfill the role. We are “sitting on and shouting from the sidelines.”

I loved the quote that the President of the United States Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) gave to his Chief of Staff, A.J. (Martin Sheen) in the 1995 movie, American President, “Is the view pretty good from the cheap seats, A.J.?”

Having held leadership roles & participated in sports, this concept definitely resonates. You are given “advice” and told how you should or should not operate…often from people who have never been leaders or participated in any sport themselves.

I recall, while matriculating my Bachelors and MBA, receiving so much “unsolicited advice” from others regarding college, such as “I wouldn’t take those courses. I heard they were hard.” This advice is given by individuals who had earned no college degree at all, most with only a high school diploma or a GED.

I am often perplexed when I hear others, especially other politicians comment on how good or bad the President of the United States is doing; and “what he should do is.”  It is easy to comment on things when you don’t have all of the “intelligence information,” or when you are not intimately impacted by the consequences of the decision. Also, this quote rings true: “People don’t see things as they are; they see them as they are.”

The Bible even has implications regarding this. Many people have plenty of spiritual advice & judgment of others that they do not even adhere to themselves. James 1:22 (NKJV) says: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

One of my favorite quotes is: “People who THINK they know everything are really annoying to those of us who REALLY DO.” J