The internet is abuzz with Oprah Winfrey's interview with Lance Armstrong in which he finally admits to doping.
How do we judge Armstrong's obvious misdeeds (lying and cheating) from a loving standpoint?
Instead of condemning the man and his actions
as repugnant and unredeemable, let's use this as a teachable moment. Why
is our society obsessed with medals, and being the best? Why do we push
our athletes past what is humanly possible? Why do we look to athletes
as our public heroes at all?
The man made a huge mistake (and lied through his teeth) in a highly-competitive field where many people are convinced they must do the same thing to be the very best. He did not stand up against this trend because most likely he was blinded by ego and the desire to succeed at the very top of his game. And he was willing to do whatever he had to WIN. It is his testosterone-driven, killer instincts that makes him a competitor and winner, after all. If this were war, we would applaud his tenacity, his "do or die" attitude...and yet, lest we forget this is "just a sport." No lives were not at stake, but millions of dollars in endorsement deals and bragging rights were, and that can blind a man who has been trained to be the best, answer to his ego, and ignore other aspects of what makes a man strong and worthy of love.
Lance Armstrong is guilty of succumbing to fear (fear of losing or not being the best) and following his EGO...and as such he is honestly just a man, like so many others. Hopefully, this fall from grace will allow him to recognize his hubris and help him realize that a man should not be defined purely by his physical strength, after all.
At the end of the day, it takes real strength to stand up and do what is right. And most people now look at Armstrong as a complete failure because he chose ego over conscience. But while I don't excuse what he did, I also don't believe his mistakes make him less a person. He is on his own journey and must learn from his mistakes, as we all must. Who am I to judge??
And so I wish Armstrong the best as he figures out what this lesson meant to him. For if we are going to love our heroes when they are at their best, then shouldn't we also love them when they are at their worst and lowest?
From a loving standpoint, every man is worthy of love and compassion -- even if he isn't a winner or isn't the best, and even if he's a loser, or in this case, a proven liar and cheater and performance-enhancing doper.
Unconditional love truly means we love without conditions. And so, if we don't want to be part of the problem - the problem being a system that ONLY loves and rewards winners - then shouldn't we stand behind Armstrong right now, instead of vilifying him and throwing him to the wolves?
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