I’ve never followed golf and I’ve never cared too much about Tiger Woods, but for some reason the recent scandal surrounding his life has made me really sad.
He’s been in the spotlight for quite some time and he’s always managed to keep a crystal clear record. He projected perfection. Career. Fame. Fortune. Family. It was all just so perfect. Perhaps too perfect.
Regardless, it seemed real. He did nothing to make anyone believe his life was anything other than a fairy tale. He did nothing to tarnish his image. Until earlier this week.
Suddenly everything changed. Suddenly the crystal clear record shattered. Suddenly everything was different, everything was tainted.
So why am I so upset by Tiger’s unfortunate situation?
While I consider myself to be a relatively optimistic person, I find that I can also be pretty skeptical at times. Especially when it comes to people and especially when it comes to men. Ordinary people (I’m not just singling out men here) have the amazing ability to turn themselves into fantastic actors of deception. The sad fact of the matter is that people can portray themselves in any way they like. If someone wants you to believe that they are a kind, honest, trustworthy person, more likely than not, they have the ability to do so.
This is why so many relationships fail. Because somewhere along the line, the acting slips just a little and the true colors of the person start to shine through. This indirectly aligns with the theme of my previous post. Whenever my mother and I were having a discussion about the opposite sex, usually the following words of wisdom would be thrown into the conversation:
“You can’t change people. And people can’t change themselves unless they truly want to change.”
I will always have my mother to thank for instilling this powerful mindset in me. It is foolish to believe that anyone can ever really change. Sure, people can “change” all the time. But the changes that are possible are changes on the surface, changes within the context, changes due to circumstances and surroundings. Not deep changes of character.
Back to Tiger. It saddens me that Tiger, someone who is in the spotlight and under constant scrutiny, was able to maintain his image for as long as he did. It is heartbreaking that someone who seemingly has it all (and yes, I realize not everything is as it seems) still feels the need to resort to something like this. It makes me question the human condition. It leaves me little hope for the rest of us. And it proves that the acting has gotten better.
I want to have faith in people. I want to have faith in relationships. But it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to do so.
I felt the same way when I heard about this scandal. I agree with what you are saying about people and change. I think so much of who we are has to do with how we are raised and it’s not easy to change that.
I think that fame and money distracts people from knowing themselves and their partners. Despite my current relationship status, I still do believe in good relationships. I think since you are so self-aware you have a better chance of getting involved in a healthy relationship. You take the time to stop and think about what you are feeling and what you need. This puts you in a much better position than most people to find what/who you are looking for.