SAY WHAT?

"Find out what others are doing and do something else."

This sage piece of advice was offered on a self-improvement audio tape. It sounded logical to me.

Innovation is a key (on a packed key ring) to success. If you do what everybody else is doing, you'll get what everybody else has got. You are an indistinguishable piece on life's game board. For you to stand out in those areas of your life in which you would wish to stand out while doing what everybody else is doing, is pretty unlikely.

Therefore innovation is good---but wait.

"If you want to be successful, find people who are successful and model them."

This equally sage piece of advice was offered on another self-improvement audio tape (by the same speaker I might add), and it sounded logical to me.

Obviously learning from other people's mistakes is an excellent way to learn. If you don't learn from others' mistakes, you have a long, winding and bumpy road ahead. Then obviously, learning from other people's success is an equally excellent way to learn. So you should model the productive behaviors of those you feel have attained the degree of success with which you would be happy and eliminate the behaviors of those you would charitably label as "losers."

Therefore innovation is bad.

"Do something else" or "model the leaders"--I'm confused.

Lesson:  Listen to others for ideas not truths. Truth is what works for you.