MY 85-15% OBSERVATION OF LIFE

BY RON KOSLOFF N/C

PART ONE: IS MAN BASICALLY GOOD OR NOT? I created this percentage theory many years ago to reflect my observation of life in general. The standard that should be normal with people should be tolerance, concern, reverence, and peaceful co-existence. As Ive progressed through life, I have discovered that 15% of people are kind, trustworthy, decent, respectable, honest, remorseful, and courteous, and, in general, they practice the Golden Rule, and that 85% of people are not this way. The definition of a friend is one that you dont always agree with, but you have respect for each other and in any instance, when you need them, theyre there, regardless of what the situation is. I come from a highly dysfunctional family and I have found that my good friends are more family than my family is, which is odd, as it should be in reverse. I think I can safely state that most families in America are dysfunctional; they are not this image of some fabricated television family sitcoms. Thats not really America or the world. When youre reading this article, theres the possibility that Im seeing something that youre not seeing or youre seeing something that Im not seeing! Id like to first clarify that I am personally not a perfect person and never have been. If I had 5 cents for every mistake Ive ever made in my life, I would probably be wealthy. Ive done things that Im ashamed of, as I think many of us have. I do, however, consider myself an extremely decent person and someone who does practice the Golden Rule. I do have a big mouth and I am extremely outspoken, but I would never apologize for this fact. Neither did Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther, John Adams, Jesus Christ, Mohammad, Buddha, Plato, Socrates, or Hippocrates apologize. As I see it, 85% of the people since the beginning of time benefited from the 15% that were outspoken, had rebellious comments and sometimes died for their social and moral convictions! When I say 15%, many of my close friends tell me Im being generous, but thats up to you to decide. I always allude to the Homer Simpson mentality in America. I can site my childhood, as maybe you can as well, when you looked at the 85%. If the crowd drank, they drank, if the crowd smoked, they smoked, if the crowd got a tattoo, they got a tattoo, if the crowd used drugs, they used drugs. etc., etc. If you noticed, 10-15% didnt, they thought for themselves and were true individuals. As I always speak about in my articles and as Vince Gironda always noted, a truly intelligent and educated person will listen and will question everything. Some people say that man is basically honest, but my observation is that we are basically dishonest, based on the percentage of the people who are remorseful, kind, trustworthy, decent, respectful, unselfish and courteous and who practice the Golden Rule. Now when I meet somebody, I automatically take the view that they are untrustworthy and dishonest until they prove to me that they are trustworthy and honest, and this is simply so that I dont get my feelings hurt. You can never really like and trust anyone until you can respect them. Its no coincidence that cruel children can transform into cruel adults, and Im sure youve all observed that. Again, my contention is different from the general consensus that man is generally good. I feel that man is 85% bad and I will elaborate.

If man was good, why are there so many wars, so many dictators, so much hatred, so many lawyers, so many police, so many rules, so many laws, so many murders, so many rapes, so many drugs, so much prejudice, etc. Look at todays world and in past history, there has been a multitude of wars, and so many of them are continuing wars. My observation is that all religions preach love, brotherhood, kindness, and goodness when in fact, they all hate each other and they all think that they have the only correct beliefs, which transforms into utter contempt of other cultures. They end up going to war and killing each other to prove the point. Look at the predominant religion in America, Christianity. Christians dont like to talk about the fact that during Jesus time, the Christians and Muslims were at war and killing each other just as they are still doing today. When I went to church I had to sing the disturbing words onward Christian soldiers marching off to war, which meant they were marching off to war to kill somebody who didnt agree with them. Muslims also possessed the belief that their faith was the only acceptable one, and this also still continues today! Thats probably one of the reasons why Im not affiliated with any church group. Those people who have kept their religions very private and lived their lives in a truly religious way, I would consider to be the 15% of people I would trust to have tolerance. The people who have told me repeatedly to have a blessed day, God bless you, etc. are many of the people who I have distrusted the most. Of course this is just a personal reflection. The end result for many people, I believe, is that cynicism sets in, and, of course, they become distrustful of everyone. I would not trust 85% of the people that Ive encountered in my life as far as I could throw them. The genuine people with values, and who practice the Golden Rule, constitute only 15%. The general condition which exists is mans inhumanity to man. When I first started in the workplace, the vast majority of the people that I worked for exploited me, deceived me, treated me with disrespect, lied to me and underpaid me! They had a greedy grain to them. As it was, 15% were decent. One example is that before my alcoholic stepfathers death, he had owned a service station. He was a soft touch, and a lot of people owed him money for auto repairs when he passed. When my mother looked at the books she realized that he had been doing free work for his so-called friends who had been taking advantage of him for a number of years, and he was owed thousands of dollars. When she went to these people and tried to collect the money, only 15% paid her back. Now you might understand why Ive taken this position. There was a 1970s song entitled Smiling Faces which talks about dishonest people who appear to be your friends. The Bible warns us to beware of the man who wears the cloak of respectability. Thats the type of person who didnt repay my mother. Here in Detroit, you will see that we have a problem with our corrupt mayor, and our city is in a general state of corruption. The Governor in the state of New York campaigned and preached about cleaning up the state of New York, when if fact he was paying thousands of dollars to some prostitute. It never ends. One of my favorite movies of all times was the 1973 movie Serpico about the New York policeman who realized the minute he graduated from the police academy that nearly the entire New York police department was on the take, controlled by prostitution, drugs, gambling, and the mafia. The New York policemen were taking money, all the way to the top, and they tried to murder him because he wouldnt take money illegally. A few years ago he was on television with his face blacked out. Ive heard that he has had reconstructive surgery to conceal his identity and that he is living in Europe. When he was interviewed, he was asked about it and he said that things are now worse than theyve ever been. Of course, its not just isolated to NYC. The graft and corruption in all areas of our government is widely accepted.

In Washington, D.C. there is a corrupt organization called the FDA that is taking drug company money and protecting drug company profits. Author Kevin Trudeau has written about this. Ill bet you that if you investigated your Senators or Congressmen, you would find that 85% of them are taking some sort of dirty money from drug companies, oil companies and other multi-nationals. It goes from the top to the bottom and from the bottom to the top. Lee Iacocca wrote a book entitled Where are all Our Leaders? Lee, they are on multi-national corporate payrolls! I recall one of my customers from years ago, and I wont name the state he lived in or the company he worked for in order to protect him, who worked for a very large chicken processing company. The government inspectors would come in several times a year to inspect the plant. They would walk around the plant, would go into the front office and after they left, nothing ever changed. The violations were still there and somebody was being paid off. Isnt that life? One of my teachers, Ted Zipser, told me that as you go through life you are going to see things that are just going to make you sick. Poor Ted died an alcoholic because he couldnt tolerate life. Some people can erase injustice out of their mind, and some people cant. As you become older its more difficult to communicate with people at an intellectual level, and later in life you realize that the world has always been this way, but when you are young and nave you dont think it is. Once you get older you ask yourself, How did I survive? Of course, you become more cynical, but you just continue to live your live as it is, trying to not let these things bother you because you have to make a living and you have to feed yourself and your family, which takes priority. Example: Drug companies sell prescription poisons they know will harm and possibly even kill people. You ask yourself, My God, how can they even do that? I am sure to a lot of you, as with me, that it is very devastating when this cynicism takes place, and you discover that if you have friends, 15% of them will be people that you can really trust. And you thank your lucky stars and thank God that you have people like this. I have always told my true friends that I cherish their kindness and goodness, and I dont know where I would be without them. Where would I get comfort in life if I didnt have them to talk to and vice versa? The old saying Life is a bitch, and then you die does seem true, doesnt it? Final note: My family was helped at one time by the Salvation Army when I was younger, and I contribute as much as I can to them now. I have never heard of one instance of graft or corruption associated with the Salvation Army. I think if I ever did, my world would be shattered.

PART TWO: A FEW OF MY 85/15 EXAMPLES NOT NECESSARILY IN ANY ORDER - 85% of all of the bodybuilders who obtained a decent physique took steroids (and lied that they didnt); 15% actually didnt take steroids. - When I worked for General Motors, 85% of my coworkers laughed at me because of my holistic and natural views of eating eggs and bodybuilding; only 15% didnt. - 85% of people believe that cholesterol is bad and causes heart attacks; 15% dont. - 85% of the people believe that number of calories is a valid way to judge food; 15% dont. - 85% of the people that call me concerning Vinces methods or nutrition want free information, and when I tell them that I make my living by charging for nutritional counseling, they arent willing to pay me for the advice; 15% of the people who call are willing to pay for my advice. - 85% of people dont believe that like-glands nourish like-glands, and that vitamins and minerals are therapeutic; 15% do. - 85% of bodybuilders dont believe that bodybuilding is 85%-90% nutrition; 15% do. 3

- 85% of the bodybuilders believe what Bob Hoffman, Joe Weider, Bill Phillips, and John Perillo said and Bodybuilding Magazines are valid; 15% dont. - 85% of people believe that nutrition and digesting your food is not that important and they take Tums for their problem; 15% do. I had a lady come into my office about 18 months ago asking for help for her sagging skin and muscles. I told her that there was a very simple reason for that problem, and that it was because she was not digesting her food. She looked at me like I was insane. I asked her if she burps, lets off gas and gets bloated, and she said that it happens all the time. I told her that she was not digesting her food and that the amino acids, trace mineral, the collagen builders, vitamin C and bioflavonoids arent getting to her muscles and skin to make them hard and taut. Now, 18 months later her skin and muscles are returning to normal and she is sharing this information with people, and now they are looking at her like shes insane. - 85% of people will never believe Vince Girondas methods; 15% will. - 85% of people will never believe what Kevin Trudeau says; 15% will. - 85% of the people never change from what theyre brought up to believe, programmed to believe and conditioned to believe; 15% are willing to be open-minded and do make changes. - 85% of people say they take a conservative view; 15% take a liberal view. (I know that Jesus Christ was the ultimate liberal, yet the conservatives dont want to hear that). Conservatives always benefit from what the rebellious activist liberals do in terms of freedom and rights. - 85% of marriages in America end in divorce, 15% remain married. - 85% of the people who have borrowed money from me have never paid it back; 15% have. - 85% of the people are conditioned to believe that the medical doctors are gods and that they speak the truth; 15% of the people question drugs, vaccinations, surgery, and pills, and they take the holistic or natural approach, just like Hippocrates advocated. - 85% of all state and federal congressman and senators are taking corporate money; 15% arent. - 85% of politicians that have enormous power are corrupt; 15% arent. - 85% of the people that Ive met in my life are liars; 15% tell the truth. - My friend who works in advertising in New York told me that 85% of the people can be brainwashed and 15% cant. Marketing is a subtle form of brainwashing. A good hypnotist will tell you that 85% of people can be hypnotized and 15% cant. - When I was in high school, I had severe acne. 85% of the children made fun of me and called me strawberry; 15% were kind and didnt call me names. (Children can and will be cruel). - 85% of the people that Ive meet in my life will not treat you with dignity, respect and kindness; 15% will. - 85% of the people in this world are afraid to be different and stand up for what they believe and just follow the crowd; 15% arent afraid to be different and stand up. - 85% of the people are not outspoken and 15% are. - 85% of employers treat employees with no dignity and respect, and often with contempt; 15% treat their employees well. (The conservatives wonder why there are unions). - 85% of people believe what their government tells them, 15% do not. - 85% of Americans believe we are the best nation on earth, 15% disagree. Fact: We eat more processed, refined, denuded, chemicaled junk food than anyone on earth! - 85% of the American corporations are selling out to cheap labor countries; 15% arent. - 85% of people will sell out to make money; 15% wont. I can give you an example of a person in my own family who was a union member for many years. The union did good things for him, and then when he became a businessman, he detested unions. What a switch and what hypocrisy! Another example is Ronald Reagan, who was president of the Screen Actors Guild. That position didnt make him much money because there were not enough people to line his pockets, so he sold out to big business and became a conservative. Of course we know that President Bush is controlled by big pharmaceutical and big oil companies, as well as by Wall Street and credit card companies. We also know that Bill Clinton 4

took corporate money and signed a bill to comply with Monsanto that they dont have to label genetically engineered foods. These people were the ultimate sellouts. - 85% of people wear the cloak of respectability; 15% do not. - 85% of the things people tell me dont make sense; 15% do make sense. - 85% of your teachers in life who tell you not to ask questions and to do as you are told have something to hide; 15% dont. - For 85% of people Ive observed in my life, the light bulb has never gone on, they were dufus all of their life; for 15%, the light comes on at some time. - 85% of people have the Homer Simpson mentality; 15% dont. - 85% of people believe that you cant cure diabetes; 15% do. By the way, Ive done it many times with my clients. Im not supposed to say that because they can throw me in jail for saying the cure word when it comes to nutrition. - 85% of people will never change their persona of what they believe. They will believe the same things their entire lives and will never, never change; 15% will change. - 85% of people will believe what they see on television, what they hear on radio, what they read in newspapers and magazines; 15% wont. - 85% of people in America will not listen to older people who have wisdom and experience; 15% will. - 85% of people who Ive met in my life who had children were lousy parents; 15% were good parents. I used to have disrespect for John Lennon of the Beatles because he was always talking about peace and love, yet he was a lousy father. My father left my mother when I was 6 days old. There is nothing worse that a bad father! - 85% of people have little knowledge of history, 15% do. - 85% of people have no regard for our environment; 15% do. - 85% of people leave no legacy and contribute very little; 15% do contribute for the good of all. - 85% of people possess nothing special as they go through life; 15% do. - 85% of people dont question anything and dont listen; 15% do. - 85% of people do not think for themselves; 15% do. - 85% of people seemingly have no common sense; 15% do. - 85% of people have little or no self discipline, 15% do. (Example: The U.S.A. has an abundance of weight loss clinics) - 85% of people are your friends when you have wealth, fame and fortune; 15% will be your friend regardless. - 85% of people are B.S.ers; 15% are not. - 85% of people reflect that their word is not their bond; for the other 15%, their word is valid. (Note: Isnt it interesting that the American Indian said, Never trust a white man, he speaks with fork tongue? We broke every treaty we signed with the American Indians. An Indians word was his bond!) - 85% of people dont abide by their religious beliefs; 15% do. - 85% of people talk behind your back; 15% dont. - 85% of people of people dont know that the word hypocrite has its origins in the Bible; 15% do. - 85% of people seem greedy; 15% dont - 85% of people are takers not givers; 15% are givers. - 85% of people greedy; 15% are not. - 85% of people (mostly women) are controlled by the fashion industry; 15% are not. - 85% of people dont think for themselves; 15% do. - 85% of people that become successful by the grace of God either socially, politically, monetarily, etc., become arrogant, pompous, selfish, self centered, etc.; In retrospect each and every day they should become more humble. I believe this is a test by the creator! 15% become appreciative & humble!

Please call if you have any 85% - 15% to add!! Thanks for listening, Ron Kosloff, N/C

Copyright 2008 6