I often hear people debate whether you can separate character and giftedness. I think this is an important debate.
Our culture tends to worship giftedness. If you can….
run faster
sell more
sing better
communicate effectively
lead charismatically
then you will more than likely rise to the top. You might even rise really fast. You will be celebrated, cheered, googled, awarded, and favored.
Point in case… Michael Phelps. Nobody on the planet would argue his talent. He’s amazing. However a recent photo of Phelps smoking marijuana out of a bong at a party in November has brought great question to his character. Once again proof that character always rises to the top. And apparently Google agrees with me. Here’s a screen shot of what you will see if you Google Michael Phelps.
We worship talent. But make no mistake about it character does matter. I don’t care how talented you are eventually your character or lack of character will rise to the top. If your talent outgrows your character you’re heading for real trouble.
I don’t say this to be judgmental of Michael Phelps. Lord knows we’ve all made our fair share of stupid mistakes. I bring this up to remind each of us just how important character is. Very important. In the end character is all that you have. So grow it, protect it, develop it, but whatever you do don’t ignore it.
Your thoughts?
Before this incident does anyone remember his DUI when he was 19? He is a very talented athlete, and is that what he will always be remembered for? Ty Cobb is one of the most famous baseball players in history, but I couldn’t tell you a thing about him other than he was a baseball player that was a womanizer and was very abusive….Character. Great post Pete.
I have found this out to be true in my own life…when giftedness outweighs character, it is not a matter of if you will stumble, just a question of when. Achievement and talent get more applause than character and sometimes you value the applause more than anything else. Hopefully, he will take this opportunity to work on his character as much as he works on his backstroke. Good stuff Pete.
Character takes work to have and it’s easy to lose. Case in point.
Good post Pete but I couldn’t help but read with sadness what he will now face in the future. His use of his age should not be a factor. His lack of guidance and common sense will be remembered and hopefully alleviating that problem will be what makes him a batter man. A DUI and now this. I truly hope be gets help and begins to surround himself with good people. Godly would be even better.
Someone once defined character as “who you are when nobody is watching.” And now that “who” can end up around the world on the internet in a matter of seconds. Let’s just pray for him – God’s not finished with him yet. Thanks for a great post, Pete. There but for the grace of God go any of us.
Well, he messed up with the alcohol thing several years ago and everyone “forgave” him after his apology. My only problem with him is not the fact that he messed up (which everyone does), but rather the fact that it keeps happening. I don’t want my kids looking up to him as a “role” model by any stretch of the imgaination.
Great post!
I only hope he really learns how damaging this can be to himself, the kids that look up to him, and his character.
Well said. My goal is to let my life speak Jesus. I often fail miserably, but I want my life to speak Jesus. When I die, I want that said about me. She wasn’t perfect, but her life spoke Jesus. By His grace, I will achieve that in this journey called life.
The sad part about celebrity status is that your mistakes are under the microscope. I sure am glad that my dumb mistakes don’t show up on Google. Another interesting thought that I had is that bad character will rise to the top in Google, but would Google notice good character? Why does our culture always look for the bad and ignore the good?
Character is very important, but many of our sins are as bad but they have yet to show up in pictures or on YOUTUBE.
I’m sad that he is doing this kind of stuff, but just as sad that Christian people are gossiping, and other malicious things that goign on in the church that are hard to capture in a photo.
We need to pray for him He’s probably pretty vulnerable right now.
… and, while yes, I agree that public figures who are role models “should” be better at doing life, but isn’t that unrealistic and aren’t we putting pressure on people we don’t even know to “parent” our children. I meean, seriously, I don’t do life perfect and there are plenty of days that someone who might hold me in high esteem will see that I am human and fleshy and yucky, too. Seems to me I, as a mother, can use these stories as lessons with my children. People WILL let you down. God will not. The role model I must be pointing myself and my children to is Jesus and His life and how He changed lives. He must me more, I must be less. There is none other and nothing else but Him. I long for the day I live that out fully. Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now!
I am so glad all my stupidities have not been made front page headlines. If they had Michael’s story would have been buried on page 25, below the fold.
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” – Helen Keller
Hopefully this is a character building experience for him and not just a lesson in PR & discretion.
Just me or some common themes running through you, Los and Shaun Groves this week?
http://chrissulli.blogspot.com
I feel bad for him. He was held in high regard for his giftedness for a short time. Now, knocking him off the pedestal is part of the game. He might’ve “just said no” a hundred times before, and a thousand times after that picture, yet we will only be able to google the time he said hey, what the heck.
I would really hate to google myself and see a picture of myself gossiping, or being mean to someone who hurt me. If I had been born gifted, that could happen.
Awesome post, Pete.
You guys are right on point. I want to make sure you understand this isn’t about Michael Phelps though. He just happens to be today’s pop culture example.
The real point is about me. It’s about you. It’s about how our character really matters. It’s about how we need to spend as much time cultivating our character as we do our giftedness.
I agree about character thing.
But I can’t blame him for letting himself go – you think of the pressure on him and the pedestal he has been placed on. I think I’d want to just be a ‘normal’ guy and find a way of relax or escape from that too.
Building your character is not something that you can do alone. There is a good reason why ‘love one another’ ‘encourage one another’ are such common phrases in the New Testament. Are you helping or hindering someone to build their character. Or are you piling on the pressure to perform, compete, consume?
Pete, I totally agree- but character also flows over into gossip, slander, jealousy, divisiveness, etc., and many Christians that PRACTICE these things will be the first in line to point at him and glare shamefully.
We all need to guard our hearts in EVERY area- we probably won’t be caught on tape with a bong in our mouths, but some gossip on tongue could be likely.
CHaracter is very important.
Pete,
Good post. We all face the trials and tribulations of life. None of us go unscathed. In my humble opinion, character is not made by going through life avoiding these pitfalls. It is made by how you react going forward. As far as role models go, if you are going to look at someone as a role model for yourself or your kids, then you have to understand that they too are human with feet of clay. After all, parents are the most influential role models of all and we all know that none of us are perfect.
I might be mistaken (and forgive me please if I am), but it appears that you are making a character judgement here based on one act? I believe that is very unfair (and not at all any one’s place to make anyhow).
I don’t support any illegal activities. But please make a note that smoking cannibas is not illegal (posession is). So for note, Michael isn’t committing an illegal act. The use of marijuana is highly contraversial as the arguments go back and forth as to if it is dangerous (any more so than alcohol) or addictive (less so than cigarettes).
So my question would be – would you judge him as harshly, deeming him lower in character if he was smoking a cigarrette or drinking a beer?
Frankly, even if he WAS doing something illegal, I would hesitate to judge him as we are all human and I don’t believe that any ONE act defines who we are, character or otherwise.
But it bothers me greatly when people of the church point fingers at anyone, based on one act, saying “aha! Character flaw!”
Again, my apologies if you were merely using him as an example, but not making a judgement yourself – but to be truthful, it reads as though you are chalking this episode up as character flaw.
@Nikki JO, OK, I’ve got a feeling this post is not doing what I had hoped. Sometimes my thoughts don’t get clearly communicated.
I’M NOT JUDGING MICHAEL.
My judgment is against me. It’s against our culture. We tend to put such an emphasis on talent that we quickly promote people to heroic status. When they don’t live up to those expectations we then act surprised.
We do this with pastors. We do this with leaders. We do this with athletes.
We all need to be reminded to put as much emphasis on character as we do talent. In the end that’s what we’ll be remembered for.
I’m very sorry if you felt the post was judgmental. Please know I’m the last person who has the right to judge another human being.
I believe this is critical in training my children. When we start focusing more on their grades or their athletic abilities rather than on their heart, we have taught them that what is most important is their achievements and not their character. I fear that I do not balance well the desire for them to learn to work hard and to do things “with all their heart as unto the Lord” and the outcomes of that hard work. I have to purposefully praise their effort, consistency, perserverance because these are the things that are most important…not better handwriting or more accurate layups. When I get it backward, I will have a child who stuggles with pride and self image, finding his self worth in his talent or ability, things which are fleeting. Thanks for the reminder and refocus.
Sorry, bro, but something about the way you wrote this post does sound judgemental and I am sure it is just a communication thing. Who cares if Michael Phelps smoked pot? He is human! Wally from 88.7 summed it up best last night by saying: “This just proves that human beings will always let you down (paraphrasing).” So we are all disappointed in the greatest swimmer to ever walk the earth. If you think about it, the greatest swimmer to ever walk this earth literally walked on water and he will never let me down. I still love ya, man.
First of all, I am not a big fan of Michael Phelps. Even when he won the 8 gold medals and everyone loved him, he just wasn’t my favorite.
With that said, the comments made do sound a bit judgmental and arrogant. This coming from a dude who discussed how “popups” on his computer are tempting to him, but how he wants people to not be afraid to “go first.”
That post was a sentiment I agreed with very strongly, but this post’s attitude sort of neutralizes the greatness of the “go first” post.
My oldest, who is 12, saw this picture on Sportscenter this morning. A nice time for a lesson on character. We will ALL make mistakes….our character speaks bigger volumes after the mistakes and when others make mistakes.
@Andy, I think I see your point. However, I see it a little differently.
There is a difference between “going first” and “getting caught”. “Going first” is about admitting we have areas of our life that desperately need the healing grace of Christ. Now “getting caught” can certainly lead to “going first” but it doesn’t have to.
Here, I’ll go first again today. I tend to put more emphasis on talent than I do character. I do this in lots of different arenas of my life. Sometimes I spend more time trying to craft a cute phrase in my message instead of just spending more time in God’s presence. I’ll work hard to shape my giftedness (seen by people) at the expense of neglecting my character (seen sometimes by noone).
Again, I apologize for the “post’s attitude”. That was certainly not my intention.
don’t you have to be in possession of pot to smoke it?
I think EVERYONE is missing the point. Does one mistake JUDGE the complete content of one’s character. In my opinion: NO! Raise your hand if you have ever met Michael Phelps and will the real slim shady please stand up. Once again, who cares? I agree it is a good opportunity to have a “just say no” conversation with your kids, but as Christian adults, we should pray for him and leave it at that. This entire post, including myself, is on the verge of gossip. A SIN that I struggle with daily. There, now I went first! If we for a second, think that we don’t have members of our collective churches hitting the bong on occasion, then we are definetly naive. I am a recoverying addict. We should pray that he cleans up, that’s it!
I agree with you, Pete. Character is really, really important.
People are upset because Phelps mistake is at the top of google, and televised, and talked about on the radio… but when you have thousands of people looking up to you, and thousands of dollars in sponsorships, that is what happens. It comes along with the fame.
Wow, I was trying to put my thoughts into words and I think “Jody” at 12:33pm pretty much nailed it and I’ll leave it at that!
i think most of us already smoked marijuana. so whats the problem in doing this? most of us knows that marijuana isn’t a real drug… its better than alcohol for example… but thats ok.
why dont we remember him by his talent? for the great things that he did… i bet you guys drinking a lot alcohol or have a drunk person in your family.. just like your father, mother whatever.. but nobody cares about it. dont be stupid people.
I get what you’re saying about the character/giftedness debate… if you take Michael Phelps out of this article and put any of our own names in here it would be the same message, it’s just that he’s an inflammatory topic right now and so it gets riled up easily.
I can put my own name in here and see this in areas of my own life quite easily, especially when I’m not consciously trying to keep myself centered and focused on my intentions. Character depletion, I think, starts with the little every day things that we easily dismiss as no big deal – but turns into huge issues in the end. I imagine with public figures, like Michael, it can happen easily when everyone tells you how fantastic you are all the time. If I had people telling me I am perfect and could do no wrong (still waiting for that to happen
) it would be all too easy to believe that I was invincible.
In the end… whether we are famous or not, character comes down to how much we are paying attention to our intentions and keeping our focus.
Giftedness and celebrity DOES NOT equal perfection. There is more to strive towards than being well known for talent.
Why are there pictures of half-naked men on this post???
Yes, I totally agree!
In our culture I see a lot of young people getting in big trouble by allowing their talent to outgrow their character and we see what is happening. Michael Phelps, Britney Spears, Michael Vick, Lindsey Lohan, etc….
Famous people just happen to be in the spotlight. But growing up in the church, I’ve seen it way too often with Christians. Someone’s talent puts them in the spotlight, but their character has not developed to the place where they can handle the pressure or avoid the temptations, and they trip up. I think at times, we as the body, have hurt them rather than help them. Great post and some great stuff for us to be aware of going forward.
pete
thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. and for “going first” in identifying with what many of us struggle with…putting talent first and character second. that’s a constant battle for me. thanks for the honesty.
Pete,
I think the readers of your post are focusing in on the picture and not necessarily your point.
We, as a culture, CELEBRATE the talent of the person over their CHARACTER. We are willing to ‘forgive’ the indiscretions of a person if we have elevated them to an ‘idol’ status in our mind. Just look at any of the many sports stars, actors, and musicians who have been caught in something and the people overlook them as long as they can still get entertained by them. We could list name after name besides Michael that fall into this category.
Our values are turning upside down. We value the Talent over the Chararcter … we value Youth over the Elderly … we value the Convenient over the Necessary
all because we value what we want instead of caring for the needs of others.
I am saddened by the fact that Michael should be a reminder to each of us that we need to think about greatness in the small things more than in those aspects that are perceived to be greatness.
I was proud in a patriotic fashion for Michael and what he accomplished at the Olympics – and I still am. I hope he learns a valuable lesson from this indiscretion and moves past it.
Peace
All it takes is one stupid mistake and it could take YEARS to rebuild your character in other people’s eyes….not matter how gifted or talented you are.
Isn’t part of the point here that we are too quick to judge the character of others, when we don’t even look at our own character and see flaws in it? I know that’s what I got out of it.
Pete.. I agree. I can also understand how people misinterpreted you post, but I think you did a good job of clearing it up in your comments. I don’t think anyone knows Michael Phelps, and he very well may be a man of character who caved into pressure or made a stupid mistake. He could also be a man without character, who got caught doing something illegal. You said it right when you clarified that that wasn’t the point. The point is that because of his talent, he was catapulted to “heroic role model” status, and then people act surprised and shocked when his actions appear contradictory. THAT is a good point, and I agree. Another example in the religious realm would be Ted Haggard, which was MUCH more shocking than Michael Phelps toking up. If character can be defined as what comes AFTER a mistake, then even Ted Haggard could be considered a man of character. Just watch his recent Larry King interview. He’s a man who has made TERRIBLE mistakes, but who years later is quite literally a better person for them. Great post.
@Tony York. Yes. See you should have written this post!
In retrospect I would have not used the picture. I could have made the same point without tapping into the current example in the news.
Not sure why there is any room to misinterpret this one – God is interested in our character – bottom line!
Pete…
Thanks for your thoughts. I totally got this post from the start. You took a pop culture example of how we all put developing our talents ahead of our character.
Sorry you’re taking heat today! Probably means you hit a nerve!
It is hard to grow up in public, it doesn’t matter who this is about, each of us will make mistakes, none of us are perfect. I have smoked pot in my life and do not consider my character today corrupted. Now I have not smoked pot for over ten years, what if he was caught having sex in the back seat of a car? Would that have been any different?
question: how does our tendency to value talent over character play out in our church hiring choices?
does it?
i know that the mantra has been for a while, of putting the right people on the bus.. are we factoring character into it, as well as talent (for quality)?
just a thought.
Well I personally know Michael, as I swam with him for many years. His character is wonderful. And unfortunately, he made a bad judgement call and unlike the rest of us, his mistakes are plastered for the entire world to see and thus judge. It is upsetting to know that your “hero” has let you down, that he or she is not perfect, but in fact, human. However, I find it amusing that people consider someone they don’t even know as a role model in life. In sports, sure, but in life? How can you look up to someone whom you’ve never met, never spoken to, never had a conversation with to hear his opinions or thoughts? Like I said, you only see them as brief snapshots in time. It’s probably a better idea to consider someone close to you as a role model, one who’s character in which you can identify.
I don’t think Pastor ever intended using without wax as a forum to gossip about Michael or anyone else. I believe his point is, let’s check our own character, nourish it, protect it, and see it’s value because in the end, it’s all you have and what your going to be known for. Let’s not trust our own giftedness to bring us confidence in ourselves, rather, confidence in the ONE who gives the gifts to us.
Wow Pete, I guess you won’t need a fireplace for heat today in the office.
I don’t know if you fumbled with this post or not but the fact is you made your point and challenged conversation around it. One of the reasons I come here is to watch you fumbl.. um, to be challenged.
What I saw with the example you gave is that we raise people to these superstar levels and then enjoy their fall even more. Search “Michael Phelps wins gold” gets 800,000 results. “Michael Phelps smokes pot” gets 1.5 million results.
I think that it is absolutely ridiculous that any of you are making judgments on what is ok and not ok for anyone to do. I completely agree with Jackson, minus the part about him making a bad decision. Who are any of you to tell anyone what is ok for them to do… yes its illegal, but if it wasn’t you still would all be judging him. just like you are now. The church is ridiculous. I am a devout christian, but i can not stand when people make a decision weather something is ok for another person to do is against everything i’ve ever learned in the bible.
everyone thinks that it was a stupid mistake or a giant mistake… no. it wasn’t. Michael Phelps smokes pot. how else could he eat as much as he does. Marijuana has been proven to be helpful in many ways to athletes… especially if they have asthma.
@jackson, so glad to hear that about Michael (the character part, not the bad judgment). I hope he recovers from this and goes on to do incredible things with his life.
I understand what you were getting at. I also must say, that I actually appreciate that this post has generated some dissenting viewpoints for a change. Life would be boring and we would never grow if everyone agreed with everyone else all of the time.
Ravi Zacharias has a podcast called “Let my people think” and he has started a new series called Interpreting Failures, Conserving Victories. The first part came out on Sunday and it is SOOO applicable to this post. I hope you will take a listen at:
http://www.rzim.org/USA/Resources/Listen/LetMyPeopleThink.aspx
“I don’t say this to be judgmental of Michael Phelps. Lord knows we’ve all made our fair share of stupid mistakes. I bring this up to remind each of us just how important character is.” – Pete
If everyone would have read the entire post,rather than jumping on the “Your Judgmental” bandwagon, we would be having a MUCH diffrent discussion (Im guessing the one Pete intended to spark in the first place).
Our fascination with talent and even spiritual giftedness also happens within the church. It happened with me. I started to believe my own press. I would get compliments on my talents and eventually (and subconsciously) equated success with God’s blessing on my life and character. Sadly I was horribly blind to the damage I was doing to others relationally–imposing a crappy set of rules on their relationships with Christ. Thankfully and painfully, a friend and leader sat me down and confronted me . I didn’t take it well but over time, I discovered what she was talking about and had to deal. It was embarrassing to figure out what others had been watching for years. So lets watch our own pride even in how well we serve God lest our character get in the way!
Good post. I interpret it to mean if your gonna smoke Pot, make sure no camera’s are filming you…that is what you meant right
I’m just glad when you that the tabloids aren’t interested in pictures of me when I was in my early twenties. If some of the things I did back then were published and seen by millions, a lot of you might not look at me the same.
My point is, he is young and did something stupid… not unlike any of us when we were his age.
He has apologized.
The Olympic committee has accepted his apology.
His sponsors have accepted his apology.
Why can’t the general public?
I think it’s because we love to tear someone down as quickly as we build them up. Somehow it makes us feel better about ourselves.
Again, I sincerely hope no one has pictures of some of the stupid things I did when I was a kid. However, it would be nice if some pictures from the past could pop up of the people who ARE so quick to judge.
Keep casting the first stones folks… Keep trowing them.
Oh please. So the guy parties a little bit. I’d much rather be around people a little high than drunk any day. Did he lie to somebody? Hit someone? Fail to pay child support? Take a bonus as a CEO of a bailed out company?
Somebody having fun at a party doesn’t reflect at all on their character. Simply because his drug of choice isn’t marketed by Clydesdales during the Superbowl doesn’t mean his character is ‘bad’. Pete, I know what you’re going for here, but there are much better examples on Wall Street.
UMM… saying the post is judgmental is a judgement. That said… Pete you made me think today, the way it was written made me stop in my tracks and think about my character as it relates to my talents. For me if you had written it differently it would not have had the same affect on my soul.
I don’t believe he made any “mistake”. that is a terrible word for what he did… a mistake is something that happens that one regrets. who is to say that is was a mistake… it was a mistake for that person to take the picture… it was a mistake to release it to the internet.
@David – while it doesn’t say in the word “Thou shalt not smoke pot” it does tell us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. That may not be true about Mr. Phelps, I don’t know.
The gist of this entire discussion has been about us. What do we do? What do we say? Do we cheer on a actor/singer/pastor/athlete because they’re good at what they do or because they are examples of godly character. Better yet, do we live our lives asking the question: “is this action or word an example of godly character?” and only doing or saying that when a “yes” is the answer to the question.
Thanks, Pete. You keep my brain cells active.
Yes our body is the temple of our Holy Spirit, but I do not see what that has to do with marijuana… many people don’t know the facts about marijuana… why it was made illegal… many don’t know what it does to ones body. not enough testing has been done on it… we have found MANY uses for pot…. it used to be used as a medication. The out body is a temple argument is worthless… that could mean anything… do u look down on people who get tatoos? who are any of us to say that we have interpreted the bible correctly… i believe He created everything… and if he didn’t want pot to be used in a certain manner then the bible would at least mention it… but the fact is it wasn’t a big deal until it was made illegal. the church has changed its views with the governments decision to make it illegal
Wow. Well… Pete. I know you and your character and I know that the use of Michael Phelps was merely a recognizable example. I know that you aren’t throwing him into the fire.
I also know that it doesn’t matter what we think of Michael Phelps. In fact, it doesn’t matter what you think of me, or anyone thinks of you. What does matter, is that God will judge our character. We are meant to live for him, and that should overflow into every area of our lives. Are we going to do it perfectly? No. I do think, however, that as Christians, we should think about our actions and how the world sees us. As much as we may hate to admit it, actions speak louder than words. To the five year old kid who looks up to Michael Phelps… he is going to see this picture and have questions. JUST LIKE if my little sister heard me speak poorly about my boss. That’s why we should live like Jesus intended… because just as poor actions speak poorly about our character… kind actions speak loving things about us and who we ultimately represent.
That’s just my two cents
I feel really horrible for Michael Phelps. I mean… he’s really still a kid trying to figure it out… in the public eye, unfortunately.
You’re right… character should matter more than talent… which is what scares the living daylights outta me. If people really knew my true character, they would definitely question my leadership in the church. There’s a lot to question – I’m questionable. I just hope they see my heart over all that.
I’m also thankful God forgives me over and over again… because I apparently can’t pull it together
Character shmaracter. Singing better is where it’s at.
let him who is without sin cast the first stone. this post bothers me because you are simply feeding the beast. EVERYONE is talking about Michael Phelps and EVERYONE is talking about his “issues” with his character. this is too much like gossiping. he acknowledged his mistake, and apologized, which takes a measure of character. he could have told every last one of the media outlets who felt compelled to run this photo over and over again to “stick it”. i would not have blamed him one bit. the fact there are so many posts make us no better than gossipers and people who tell tales. his character and whatever damage he does to it is his business. not running our mouths about it is our business.
I think that it’s unbecoming for any Christian to judge another person based on their actions.
God has given us all the power of free will, and there are those of us who will make good decisions, those who make bad decisions, and those who will make a mixture of both. Most people are in that last category.
Did Phelps make a bad decision? Yes. But I think that the bad decisions and the consequences that follow them help build character. They also help keep us humble.
I hope that Phelps takes this as a learning experience and is able to keep himself in line in the future.
seems as though a whole lotta people didnt read the last paragraph of this blog post.
hate it when that happens.
if it’s any consolation, i totally got what you’re saying & agree wholeheartedly. good character & integrity is worth pursuing & protecting. unfortunately, today michael phelps is an example of what happens when you have a momentary lapse of judgment & stop pursuing good character & integrity.
Wow! I’m tracking with ya Pete. I didn’t get “attitude” from your post… but then that’s just me.
I’m pretty sure that by the time some of these peeps got to the last paragraph they were too busy writing their response to pay attention to what you said…oh well~
Anyhoo…point taken…
It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and a moment to destroy it. Be watchful, be vigilant, quit you like men! Excellent point on character. God cares about our response to Him and that as believers we represent Him wherever we go and whatever we do. Obviously, we all fail and fall sometimes. I’m thankful for God’s grace. You’re right, man looks at the outward appearance (talent), but the Lord looks at the heart (character). Great post!
I bet if I had published this on my blog, I wouldn’t have received near the fire that Pete received here today.
Pete’s catching a little heat today. I like it! I think he secretly can’t stand guys who look better than him in a speedo!
I think the message was clear: do not idolize or put your faith in a HUMAN. Public opinion changes with the wind. Is Michael Phelps a phenomenal athlete? Yep. Does he have flaws? Yep. That should come as no surprise. We all have a natural tendency to elevate celebrities, musicians, athletes, pastors, politicians to “superhuman” status. We are currently witnessing it with Obama-mania. Yet, these public figures are NOT God. And, when they publicly stumble…we pounce and make it a news-item. But, it should not be surprising news.
All great human leaders, have horrible flaws within. Moses was a murderer. David was an adulterer. That was one of the major things that made me believe in the authenticity of the Bible during my early Christian walk–reading how HUMAN and flawed all of these Biblical heros were. Yet, God used them anyway.
I want to know why anyone gives a damn what he does when he is behind closed doors. I dont think anyone needs to know or should care… God will judge him, we dont have to… I do get that he is a role model, perfect example to tell your kids if they see that pic that he is human and he will mess up. Hmmm Just my thoughts. Pete As always great post and i think its so funny to read peoples fighting thru wrighting
Well, I see your point, Pete – that we should value character more than giftedness… Also, I believe you just used Michael Phelps just to prove your point… not to judge him… people can be so defensive…
Is it possible that he didn’t inhale?
@Nate VZ, Do you really think he looks better in a speedo than me?????
I think character matters a great deal. And I think that it is critical for young people, by the time they reach adolescence, to really begin spending some time deciding what they believe in and what kind of character they want to have. We teach them and lecture them and tell them what their values should be, but unless they stop and consider it for themselves and really own it, they will be lost the first time they are faced with a moral dilemma and need to make a hard choice.
You know what if you want a roll model here he is, someone who can be a top athlete Olympic athlete who still is human guess what no one is perfect and everyone has vices so i don’t know how this is a problem.
I love your writing and your posts. I find you authentic. But to be truthful, your last paragraph didn’t change what was written…. it’s like saying, “I don’t want to be mean, but your hair looks horrible”.
YOU said what he did was a stupid mistake. That was a judgement, no matter if you prelude it with “I don’t want to be judgemental”. You still were, the moment you labeled his legal act as a “stupid mistake”.
Pete -
You’re just awesome. I read a dozen or more replies and I just love how you keep this all real. It’s not about Michael Phelps – it’s about us. It’s about us. How many comments said “I’m so glad my mistakes are not on Google” It is personal, we all mess up and should look to other peoples mess ups like mirrors. I’m no better –or worse– than a lot of people. Best I can do is keep trying to do better.
I haven’t read any comments – so sorry if this is repeating anyone’s! I don’t disagree about the character issue. He is one talented guy, and it was awesome watching him do what he did at the Olympics – and I must admit I’ve been a fan since, buying the magazines, his book, etc. This news (just now heard from you – thanks!) makes my respect for him dwindle quite a bit. However, I also think that because he is in the public eye, and for all celebrities, that their mishaps and bad judgements get scrutinized and blown out of proportion. If this was some random 23 year old going to school at Michigan getting caught smoking pot, it wouldn’t even be on the local news. But because his name is Michael Phelps who won 8 gold medals this year, it’s a national headline. It’s difficult.
I think what he did was wrong, bad judgement on his part, but sometimes I just think things get blown out of proportion when it comes to celebrities. Again, not condoning what he did, just sayin’.
This whole thing is so weird…over on this side of the Ocean…nobody cares or is mentioning it at all.
I do agree with the whole character and judgment thing though, so thank you for bringing it to mind (once again).
Character is certainly hard to maintain, especially when fame is involved. However, character is not the only issue here. I do not advocate doing drugs but why are we also not questioning the person who took the picture and then distributed it? How ethical is that? Especially if that person knew the repercussions this could have on Michael Phelps life as well as if money was exchanged. Yes Michael did apologize for his actions after ‘being caught’ but the person who took the picture should be just as responsible.
@Nikki Jo, I totally understand how this was taken some what judgmental. I think I’ve clearly stated that was not my intention. We all know that our words do not always come out the way we intended.
I’ve also clearly apologized. I think we’re just going to have to agree to disagree on this one and move on.
It saddens me tremendously that when you Google Micheal Phelps that is what comes up…. I totally understand where you are coming from with this post and no I don’t think you were being judgmental. I do think that the American public is WAY too eager to tear people apart when they should be examining the plank in their own eye. Why do we hold the “talented” to a higher standard than we do ourselves? I know I’m often guilty of this. Just my .02.
Phelps might have made alienated a few people with that pot-smoking picture, but i think he gained the support of another huge group of people to take their place