Oft I heard people say, “It is lonely at the top.” I wonder why…
Not exactly haiku but…
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Eric Alagan's Books
Eric Alagan's Books
Oft I heard people say, “It is lonely at the top.” I wonder why…
Not exactly haiku but…
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The s*+t floats to the top 😉
Ah, that’s why the corporate offices always stank 🙂
hee hee. very positive way of thinking eric.
Yes, the proverbial ray of light…
P/s I believe you meant this comment for the post > On The Job Training
Looking at your last comment here is what I was thinking. You see this with reality shows lol. There was one called Bridalplasty we watched and this manipulative little you know what stepped on everybody thinking she’d get her fairy tale wedding…in the end all those she’d stepped on turned on her…needless to say….no fairytale LOL.
I’m not a fan of reality shows as I feel the shows are structured to bring out the worst in people.
But I get your point…it is simply not worth it – what people give up in return for fleeting trophies.
I loved that story about adoption…the question of Ripley. Heart warming, what you did.
All good wishes, Eric 🙂
P/S: I posted a comment in your post > To adopt or not to adopt…. It is probably sitting in the spam folder of your blog. You can go to Comments and retrieve it from the ‘spam’ shown on the top line.
Thank you Eric and I will check. Since I’m following your blog don’t know why it would go to spam…grrr.
I see that you cleared it – my comments will not go into spam anymore. Thanks 🙂
It’s kind of like selling your soul to the devil isn’t it? A life for prestige. Not a good trade. That’s why, even in the world of women, here I am, a “lowly” housewife in their eyes, but at the top of the ladder in my family’s, which is what matters to me.
Anyone who thinks you are a ‘lowly’ housewife is blind – fullstop! Sorry Jeannie – I am quite strong about this.
My undying respect for mothers hit me the day I spent 15 hours in the labour ward as my wife was having our first child. She refused ‘aided’ delivery in any form and insisted on birthing our daughter the natural way. I held her hand marvelling at her courage, strength and determination.
I believe only those in the ‘world of women’ who are embittered and/or burdened by their own failures and inferiorities would consider you or any mother as ‘lowly’. What greater vocation can there be – other than loving and nurturing God’s definitive and special gifts to us > our children.
Much love and hugz coming your way from a friend, Eric 🙂
I’m with you and agree completely. xox
Jeannie I agree with every single word Eric has written here..xx
A nice write-up. Guess people with knowledge and kindness will be relegated to secondary positions..Unfair treatment and double standards are common in the corporate world..Those who get good bosses are really lucky:)
People with high morals and integrity can and do climb the corporate ladder – but they find the steps run out quicker than for those with ‘flexible’ morals and integrity.
Yes, good bosses are as rare as good politicians
Perhaps not but still brilliant 🙂
I am sure they all know why, and yet they will stop at nothing to get there!!
When people are riding high, they gather camp followers and believe these people to be ‘friends’ – quite often they might not realise how ‘alone’ they really are until the music stops.
Beautiful and poignant…hmm its such a cut throat world,i think even the best of intentions later on compromise and ditch their values for success….
Very true Soma dear – most people start off with the best intentions and when the pressure mounts, they drop what they deem ‘unneccessary’ baggage.
Sometimes, they are nurtured from young. In Singapore, we hear of students who hide library reference books so that others do not get to browse these books. Sad.
Oh Eric what you said just now about hiding the books,it happened when we were in college too..one of our class mated hid a very important book else where..later on the Library boy spilled it out…
how sad that selfishness and greed corrupted a student so much that all he learned was pulling others down instead of learning to work hard and grow
Oh god!
This is what this post refers to – people come up by stepping on others and wonder why they don’t have real friends…
Buddy if we are talking about ‘corporate top’ here (and I think we are) then I feel that parts of souls are ransomed to attain such so called lofty heights. Imagine what would happen if ‘the top’ was how we treat our fellow man with kindess in every word, thought and action every day…now that’s what I call ‘the top’. Much love to you xxx
Yes, we are referring to the corporate world…and in a broad sense also the political world and many other ‘worlds’.
And you are so right – what a blast that would be to treat people with kindness in every word, thought and especially, action. That would be the mark of a real ‘leader’
A great big hugz to you buddy, from moi 🙂
I dream of attaining such a height,
where I remain deep in the depth of life,
lending hand to everyone in need,
being there for anyone who
has been compassionate indeed,
I walk alone on this path,
whether I cross a desert or reach the top,
for mind is everwandering,everdesiring,
but my heart knows what it wants to seek…
Beautiful dream Soumya dear and well presented in verse. Love this contribution, Eric 🙂
Thanks for accepting… 🙂
I’ve seen several corporate types who’ve checked their sense of right and wrong at the door. That may not be the only reason they are lonely at the top, but it’s the main reason I lost respect for them.
Very true Janna – same here. I’ve witnessed much hypocrisy and arguments about what one ‘should do’ and ‘could do’ and then we see what they actually do…
This makes me ponder: Can one maintain integrity while being on top?
The only thing I know is that the lives of Ghadafi and Nelson Mandela give contrasting answers to the question.
Subhan Zein
Yes Pak Subhan,
Luminaries provide lessons. Nelson Mandela is one of my favourite people 🙂
The answer is an emphatic Yes! – We can maintain integrity on the way to the top but we might have to lower our expectations about how high we can go or how long we can remain there. This is what I believe and lived by for all my life.
But most are willing to trade their integrity for power, position and penny.
– Eric
Even for one with integrity it’s lonely at the top. People who work for you are jealous they are not in that position.
Yes, the higher one goes up, the more the backside is exposed, tempting those below to kick. Bad enough when ‘enemies’ do it – but when so called ‘friends’ do that…
Friends? I’ve learned there are no permanent alliances but only temporary alliances for specific issues. Fortunately there are friends who do stay by you come what may, but they are usually not business colleagues. LOL
It’s lonely at the top because everybody else has been pushed from the ladder and fell to the bottom. However, at the top, it’s a steep fall!
Very true – Getting to the top is not the issue, but more important – How one gets to the top
how does one “reset” from shame and regain integrity?
Good question – once torn, no plastic surgeon can fix it
forgiveness and repentance? But still the act is done.
Hardly corporate lingo…and you’re right – it is done!
but as managers, shouldn’t a man ( or woman ) make a wrong right when he has the chance to do so?
back to the old does the end justify the means.
You are right, managers ‘should’ do that
Perfect
Thank you.
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