Thanks Gordon.... Here are some personal observations on this topic....

Hi Gordon,

That was a riveting story! (You really have a gift!)

I went to look up some info on Bobby Knight, because I didn't know much about him.... And you're right! I found

"(Bobby) Knight got a job at Cuyahoga Falls High School in the eastern part of the state coaching junior varsity basketball and teaching freshman history...." (From http://hometown.aol.com/Rhenthorn1/knight.htm )

I'm amazed at the people whose paths you've crossed, Gordon.... Such as Bobby Knight as a youth. And later on, people like Benjamin Suarez and his brother Rick Suarez (both highly successful direct marketers). I remember how you took to show me Gary Halbert's old house -- how he was a "native" of your region of the country too. There must be something in the water there in that part of Ohio!!! If you could bottle it, it could be worth a fortune.... :)

I agree with the main message of your story....

I want to share some personal observations about arrogance. Those who are under its sway are really the unfortunate ones....

In my experience, most of them are NOT happy people. They may be "successful" in a financial sense, but being successful financially does not necessarily mean you are truly happy.

To me, being arrogant means only seeing your own point of view, and excluding all others. "It's my way or the highway."

Yet, perhaps the happiest people I've met are NOT arrogant, but who can see the other person's point of view, and respect them for it (even if they may not agree). Some of these people I've met are geniuses in their own fields of specialty and highly successful too. It doesn't mean they don't think they are right, but they can see things from someone else's perspective too.

There is a part of the human spirit which only soars when we choose not to be arrogant. And, I feel, those who are in touch with this part of themselves are those who also find the deepest happiness within themselves.

Choosing not to be arrogant does NOT mean putting yourself down or having low self-esteem.... You can have self-confidence and self-esteem without being arrogant. But it does involve respecting others, as well as yourself.

Thank you for the story, Gordon.... It has a powerful message....

- Dien Rice