One of my favorite “people” lessons is the Bob Principle. This comes from John Maxwell’s
book, Winning with People. And when it applies to the female population, we can call it the Bobbie Principle.
I suspect that many of us know someone that seems to complain about everyone else, and that he/she is never the source of the issue. This person, we’ll call him Bob (or Bobbie); and Bob likes to find problems and expose them to others. Additionally, he/she may say, “Any time things appear to be going better, you have overlooked something.”
We often find ourselves wondering if there is a connection between the person pointing out all the issues, and whether there really are issues? That’s the irony of this principle - yes, there is a connection! When Bob has a problem with everyone, Bob is usually the problem.
What if You’re Bob/Bobbie?:
(Here’s a hilarious story that I am taking right from the book.)
The first thing you have to do is to admit you’re Bob/Bobbie. The second is that you must want to change your lifestyle. You can’t be like Mrs. Mohler who was being tried for the murder of her third husband.
A lawyer asked, “what happened to your first husband?”
“He died of mushroom poisoning, “ said Mrs Mohler.
“How about your second husband?” asked the lawyer.
“He died of mushroom poisoning, too,” said Mrs. Mohler.
“Well, then,” asked the lawyer, “what about your third husband?”
Mrs. Mohler replied, “He died of a brain concussion.”
The lawyer asked, “How did that happen?”
Mrs. Mohler replied, “He wouldn't eat the mushrooms.”
The question I must ask myself: Am I Bob?
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