Comments on: Incompetence http://www.john-carlton.com/2005/02/22/incompetence/ insight, tactics, advice and mutterings on copywriting, marketing and living life deep... from the most ripped-off world-class ad writer alive... Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:49:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: James Jones http://www.john-carlton.com/2005/02/22/incompetence/#comment-68 James Jones Thu, 17 Mar 2005 22:45:38 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2005/02/22/incompetence/#comment-68 Apprentice has jumped the shark. It's painfully obvious that the contenders this time around were picked for their incompetence and arrogance instead of their skills. It's so contrived it might as well have a script. There is not one person on either team that I would hire to manage a hot dog stand. As for as the terminally incompetent -- I have found an unusual number of these people have email addresses that end in @aol.com. Apprentice has jumped the shark. It’s painfully obvious that the contenders this time around were picked for their incompetence and arrogance instead of their skills. It’s so contrived
it might as well have a script. There is not one person on either team that I would hire to manage a hot dog stand.

As for as the terminally incompetent — I have found an unusual number of these people have email addresses that end in @aol.com.

]]> By: David Deutsch http://www.john-carlton.com/2005/02/22/incompetence/#comment-50 David Deutsch Sun, 27 Feb 2005 04:14:18 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2005/02/22/incompetence/#comment-50 General von Manstein, a German officer, identified four different types of officers and their degree of danger or usefulness: 1. Lazy and stupid – Harmless, because they never do anything or will rise high enough that will make trouble with their stupidity 2. Hard working and intelligent - The best combination 3. Hard working and stupid – The most dangerous! 4. Lazy and intelligent – Also harmless but ineffective – yet perhaps ideally suited for the military! Like you, I’ve been struck by people’s astonishing lack of self-awareness on the show – even when it is blatently evident, pointed out to them by Trump and others, etc. Perhaps, however, some of this has to do with the type of person who would be willing to expose their lives to millions of people 24 hours a day for however many weeks. Surely, these would self-select to be the type of people who feel they are wonderful and have nothing to hide. But still... The mind is very much like the body. The body will do whatever it takes to preserve itself and keep itself alive. Core temperature goes down too much? It starts taking blood from the extremeties. You may lose some fingers, but you’ll stay alive. Same with the mind. When it feels threatened, it does what it feels it must to preserve it’s self image by creating its own version of reality. You may get fired. You may be a miserable failure at home and at the office. But your self-image will be preserve. P.S. On the next episode, Stephanie returned to from the Boardroom and said she didn't hold a grudge from everyone's criticisms, and that she was glad to learn so much about herself because that was why she was there. Gotta admire being willing to admit your failings in front of your teammates and 20 million people. Be interesting to see if her self-awareness gives her an edge as the competition progresses. Hey, we ought to start a pool and make this interesting. General von Manstein, a German officer, identified four different types of officers and their degree of danger or usefulness:

1. Lazy and stupid – Harmless, because they never do anything or will rise high enough that will make trouble with their stupidity

2. Hard working and intelligent - The best combination

3. Hard working and stupid – The most dangerous!

4. Lazy and intelligent – Also harmless but ineffective – yet perhaps ideally suited for the military!

Like you, I’ve been struck by people’s astonishing lack of self-awareness on the show – even when it is blatently evident, pointed out to them by Trump and others, etc.

Perhaps, however, some of this has to do with the type of person who would be willing to expose their lives to millions of people 24 hours a day for however many weeks. Surely, these would self-select to be the type of people who feel they are wonderful and have nothing to hide. But still…

The mind is very much like the body. The body will do whatever it takes to preserve itself and keep itself alive. Core temperature goes down too much? It starts taking blood from the extremeties. You may lose some fingers, but you’ll stay alive.

Same with the mind. When it feels threatened, it does what it feels it must to preserve it’s self image by creating its own version of reality. You may get fired. You may be a miserable failure at home and at the office. But your self-image will be preserve.

P.S. On the next episode, Stephanie returned to from the Boardroom and said she didn’t hold a grudge from everyone’s criticisms, and that she was glad to learn so much about herself because that was why she was there. Gotta admire being willing to admit your failings in front of your teammates and 20 million people. Be interesting to see if her self-awareness gives her an edge as the competition progresses.

Hey, we ought to start a pool and make this interesting.

]]> By: Comrade Robinov http://www.john-carlton.com/2005/02/22/incompetence/#comment-49 Comrade Robinov Fri, 25 Feb 2005 02:11:05 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2005/02/22/incompetence/#comment-49 While I completely agree with this assessment, I've got a real quick question. You say that "[t]his guy will never learn. He will never have that 'aha' moment, where he sees that the huge problem in his life, all this time, was him and no one else." So what happens after this "aha" moment? What changes must then occur for this clown to become a helpful, productive team player? While I completely agree with this assessment, I’ve got a real quick question. You say that “[t]his guy will never learn. He will never have that ‘aha’ moment, where he sees that the huge problem in his life, all this time, was him and no one else.” So what happens after this “aha” moment? What changes must then occur for this clown to become a helpful, productive team player?

]]> By: Shelle Castles-Melton http://www.john-carlton.com/2005/02/22/incompetence/#comment-48 Shelle Castles-Melton Thu, 24 Feb 2005 12:39:33 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2005/02/22/incompetence/#comment-48 LOL - I'm with you on this one. I've run across sooo many incompent people who "think" they know it all. I love watching The Apprentice too for the same reasons. I know someone on the Street Smarts team will wind up winning in the end, because really, street smarts are what counts. It's that hands-on experience that gives entrepreneurs an edge. LOL - I’m with you on this one. I’ve run across sooo many incompent people who “think” they know it all.

I love watching The Apprentice too for the same reasons.

I know someone on the Street Smarts team will wind up winning in the end, because really, street smarts are what counts. It’s that hands-on experience that gives entrepreneurs an edge.

]]> By: Jason Bedunah http://www.john-carlton.com/2005/02/22/incompetence/#comment-47 Jason Bedunah Wed, 23 Feb 2005 14:04:25 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2005/02/22/incompetence/#comment-47 I just watched the re-broadcast on CNBC. I agree that the dude that got fired deserved it, but I think the other girl is TOXIC to the group. She's pretty negative. Trump noticed some things about the dude (heretofore christened "goofball") that really turned him off and I felt the same was as Trump. For instance, the guy was actually being all touchy-feely with his project manager who just BLASTED him in the board room, kissing his ass and such. Real turn off. Then, the goofball kept interrupting the project manager while he BLASTED Ms. Toxic - this really got on Trump's nerves. I bet he actually intended to fire Ms. Toxic but Goofball's tragic errors got Trump so riled he pulled the trigger on him. There was one girl on the college grad team that said something about having more "street hustle" - Trump and his underlings got turned on - but the rest of the college grads had blank looks on their faces. Good stuff! I noticed one of Trump's "attributes" is the ability to steamroll weak people. He has that reality-bending single-minded determination that non-entrepreneurs can't stomach. -- Jason Bedunah http://www.jasonbedunah.com I just watched the re-broadcast on CNBC. I agree that the dude that got fired deserved it, but I think the other girl is TOXIC to the group. She’s pretty negative.

Trump noticed some things about the dude (heretofore christened “goofball”) that really turned him off and I felt the same was as Trump. For instance, the guy was actually being all touchy-feely with his project manager who just BLASTED him in the board room, kissing his ass and such. Real turn off.

Then, the goofball kept interrupting the project manager while he BLASTED Ms. Toxic - this really got on Trump’s nerves. I bet he actually intended to fire Ms. Toxic but Goofball’s tragic errors got Trump so riled he pulled the trigger on him.

There was one girl on the college grad team that said something about having more “street hustle” - Trump and his underlings got turned on - but the rest of the college grads had blank looks on their faces.

Good stuff! I noticed one of Trump’s “attributes” is the ability to steamroll weak people. He has that reality-bending single-minded determination that non-entrepreneurs can’t stomach.

– Jason Bedunah
http://www.jasonbedunah.com

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