Post: #1

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/02/golf/tiger...=obnetwork

Between this story, Kobe retiring and Peyton Manning being benched, I'm starting to feel old. It really puts things into perspective when you see the downslide of these all time greats. Father time is undefeated.

Post: #2

No one can fight Father Time.

But having earned 1.4 Billion in his sports career will help him get over it.

Post: #3

Hell I would feel restless and depressed too if I was in his position. It's interesting to think about.

-He has to come to grips with the fact that the thing that he has spent countless hours perfecting- his golf skill- is slipping away and will never be as good as it was before, no matter how hard he tries.
-He's supposedly had sex with countless hot women in his life due to his money and status. He broke up with Lindsey Vonn because he told her he's not interested in marriage again.
-As he's nearing 40, I'm sure that fucking random gold digging sluts has lost appeal for him. While previously the excitement factor was the fact that he was having affairs while he was married, now it's just like another routine chore for him.
-He could try to game some other hot rich women who are on par with him wealth wise but I doubt it would go very far just like his relationship with Vonn went, since they all know about his previous exploits and the fact that he's not trying to marry.
-He's still worth $600 million so he could try to find some excitement in money related ventures like owning businesses or investing. But for a man who's already enjoyed most of life's pleasures to the fullest, is chasing money going to be worth the headaches involved? It's an interesting thought; do people really chase money for the sole purpose of chasing money, or so that they can more importantly enjoy the fruits of their success (women, good food and drink, expensive possessions). For a man like Tiger who's lived a life of luxury already for many years, does he really have the drive to chase the next $10 million to add to his net worth if it's really not going to change his overall lifestyle by that much?

I guess all he has left is to live the rest of his life spending time with his circle of family and friends, with only the fleeting memories of the prime of his career left to give him any excitement in life.
I think you can take it as a meditation on appreciating the journey more than the destination, so to speak. We all want to be at the "destination"- well off financially, sex with hot girls, nice house, good food, etc. But the difficult journey of slow and painful self improvement, planning and anticipating your next moves, the excitement and adrenaline rush of succeeding at something, slowly working your way to the top- these are the things that truly add value to your life.

Post: #4

(12-08-2015 01:18 AM)The Truth Wrote:  I think you can take it as a meditation on appreciating the journey more than the destination, so to speak. We all want to be at the "destination"- well off financially, sex with hot girls, nice house, good food, etc. But the difficult journey of slow and painful self improvement, planning and anticipating your next moves, the excitement and adrenaline rush of succeeding at something, slowly working your way to the top- these are the things that truly add value to your life.

"A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at." - Bruce Lee

Post: #5

If he has nothing to look forward to then he hasn't managed his life correctly.

Talk about non problems.

He's 40 years old for Christs sake, he's not old. He's a multi millionaire, he can get pussy at will, he can create businesses or projects with no regard to earning money, or just enjoy existence on this amazing planet.

His complaint is silly, along with any sympathy. There's nothing deep to contemplate in any of these retiring sports millionaires lives. They have the world at their feet, and every resource imaginable an unimaginable to make things happen.

Having wealth is not a burden, nor is already experiencing many great things. There's an unending amount of experiences to be had.

Post: #6

He lacks imagination. Just look at Jordan!

Post: #7

The only thing I sympathize with him about is that he had lasik, twice.
It can lead to a Pandora's box of bad consequences for the eyes (dry eye disease, flap never heals, ectasia, high order aberrations that lead to the inability to drive at night), and all the money in the world can't buy you new eyes.
It must be a karma or something.

Post: #8

Reading comments like Tiger Woods, makes me realize the Red Pill knowledge you can gain from sources such as here at RVF, are truly invaluable. You simply cannot put a price tag on the knowledge available here at RVF.

Post: #9

Generally, a guy in his position should get into philanthropy, and seek satisfaction by helping others. As mentioned above, it's not likely he would want to invest a lot of effort building a business empire. He's already super rich, and likely as not he'd lose money. Better to just leave some competent financial advisers to manage his money.
He's not interested in marriage, but he does have two children he can spend time with. His father doted on him. You'd think he'd want to do the same.
Basically, he needs to interact with people in a positive way to give himself a reason to get up in the morning.

Post: #10

(12-08-2015 12:35 AM)Kaizen Wrote:  No one can fight Father Time.

But having earned 1.4 Billion in his sports career will help him get over it.

Yes and no. Having a purpose is one of the most important things for real happiness. His whole life has been about golf, since he was little. He's never known anything else to give him purpose. He might end up suicidal. Also, the only thing that would help him to change the direction of his life and find another purpose is the one thing that all his money can't buy: more time.

Post: #11

High level athletes almost always have something in common and a tough question to answer. What do I do when I'm done?

They work their entire lives practicing, tweaking, and grinding through doubt, pain, pressure, injuries all to achieve perfection in a sport.

In a sport that gives the intoxicating rush of competition, rush of no one being able to stop, the rush of being the best, and the rush of being a champion where you take everybody's best shot and keeping going and keep winning because that's what champions do.

The problem is that rush, excitement and feeling can't be matched so people hold on to the sport longer than they should. You live more on your reputation more than your skill anymore. The day to day that used to feel fun is more and more of a grind and you question if it's worth it. The problem is you still want to go out on game day and claim all the glory and riches that come from it. And you still have the skill for game day. Just not every game day.

You used to be the untouchable champ that everyone feared. That psychological edge was just as strong as the physical. But every now and then shots start to land. The more shots that land, the more the fear goes away. The once untouchable champ is now the guy that fears when the shot that knocks him out of the game will come because its just a matter of time.

Then you can feel everything slip away but you try one last time to grab hold of that glory and prove you still have it although there is another young guy set to take your place and all that comes with it.

That's why many guys feel depressed, anxious, bored. They just lost their true love for the first 30-40 years of their life. Now they don't know what to do when they can't have her back. Most stay close to the game to make sure all the new younger guys in it stay true to her and can experience all the greatness that they did.

Post: #12

(12-08-2015 01:18 AM)The Truth Wrote:  Hell I would feel restless and depressed too if I was in his position. It's interesting to think about.

-He has to come to grips with the fact that the thing that he has spent countless hours perfecting- his golf skill- is slipping away and will never be as good as it was before, no matter how hard he tries.
-He's supposedly had sex with countless hot women in his life due to his money and status. He broke up with Lindsey Vonn because he told her he's not interested in marriage again.
-As he's nearing 40, I'm sure that fucking random gold digging sluts has lost appeal for him. While previously the excitement factor was the fact that he was having affairs while he was married, now it's just like another routine chore for him.
-He could try to game some other hot rich women who are on par with him wealth wise but I doubt it would go very far just like his relationship with Vonn went, since they all know about his previous exploits and the fact that he's not trying to marry.
-He's still worth $600 million so he could try to find some excitement in money related ventures like owning businesses or investing. But for a man who's already enjoyed most of life's pleasures to the fullest, is chasing money going to be worth the headaches involved? It's an interesting thought; do people really chase money for the sole purpose of chasing money, or so that they can more importantly enjoy the fruits of their success (women, good food and drink, expensive possessions). For a man like Tiger who's lived a life of luxury already for many years, does he really have the drive to chase the next $10 million to add to his net worth if it's really not going to change his overall lifestyle by that much?

I guess all he has left is to live the rest of his life spending time with his circle of family and friends, with only the fleeting memories of the prime of his career left to give him any excitement in life.

I don't know about all this...

The guy is probably feeling a little depressed to say something like that. That's understandable. He may go through that for quite some time.

But to actually agree he has nothing to look forward or to build on. I don't buy it.

This is a man who will be elite at most anything he does in life - whether they be athletic achievements or less physically demanding ones. Perhaps not quite as elite as he was in golf, but the same behavioral patterns, personality, and applied effort that made him who he is in golf can be applied in other endeavours once he gets his mind right again.

Can we say it will give him the same level of satisfaciton? I can't answer that. Perhaps not. But don't forget that satisfaction and happiness are highly relative. It has been established already that a quadrapeligic and a lottery winner even months later have about the same level of happiness.

So, if you apply to this same idea to the life of a man like Tiger, and if you assume his current feelings are the blues of what he's going through right now and that he'll eventually get past them, will he be able to tell much of a difference after time passes? I find it hard to believe he can't continue on to live a deeply satisfying life after the game is done. Clearly he will struggle with feelings of inferiority and strong nostalgia, perhaps fleetingly for the rest of his life, but his life is not over or anything.

He's a sharp guy and there are opportunities for him to rediscover other meanings for life, both in and out of the sport. That's something we would all do well to remember for ourselves too.

Quote:I think you can take it as a meditation on appreciating the journey more than the destination, so to speak. We all want to be at the "destination"- well off financially, sex with hot girls, nice house, good food, etc. But the difficult journey of slow and painful self improvement, planning and anticipating your next moves, the excitement and adrenaline rush of succeeding at something, slowly working your way to the top- these are the things that truly add value to your life.

This part I can get on board with.

I'm Here.

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #13

Guys like him need a legacy which young people can use to their advantage. Sporting facilities set up to coach the best outside of collegiate campus would go a long way to making his name live long after he is gone.

Either that or be just the typical rich degenerate like the oil sheikhs.

Post: #14

(12-08-2015 03:24 AM)RoastBeefCurtains4Me Wrote:  Generally, a guy in his position should get into philanthropy, and seek satisfaction by helping others. As mentioned above, it's not likely he would want to invest a lot of effort building a business empire. He's already super rich, and likely as not he'd lose money. Better to just leave some competent financial advisers to manage his money.
He's not interested in marriage, but he does have two children he can spend time with. His father doted on him. You'd think he'd want to do the same.
Basically, he needs to interact with people in a positive way to give himself a reason to get up in the morning.

Exactly. If that guy picked up a bible and dropped a few million on a church I'm sure he'd find a reason to get up in the morning as well as a reason to be proud of himself again despite not being the best golfer in the world anymore.

Post: #15

If I were him, I would go to a third world country of my preference, use some money to build a school specifically for disadvantaged kids, personally hire the teachers and run the whole thing myself as principal until I get too old.

Post: #16

For all the, "he's got a fuckload of money" and, "he needs to find a purpose" comments - not to say either statements are incorrect or unfair - there's one overlooked aspect to a guy like Tiger Woods...

He can't go out in public without causing an absolute shit-storm. Maybe I'm just introverted, but that has to be a special kind of hell when the specialized skill that brought you fortune and fame is past it's expiration date with no chance of ever returning.

^ You don't even have to speculate whether people are being fake around you. They're all being fake as hell. The only people you can really trust are well-paid, by you, and even then... That would be enough to make a man feel depressed no matter how much money, fame, or whatever else he has. To top it all off, everyone acts that way towards him for great skill now deteriorated.

Worse problems to have, etc. and I've got my own shit to worry about, but I see it...

Post: #17

Dude should just buy a golf course in some beautiful locale and teach golf lessons to people. Famous people will stop by and hang with him and he can charge an arm and a leg for personal "golf" lessons with some of the world's elite.

Someone should send him to this site.

Post: #18

Sounds like the end of a modern day Twilight Zone episode. It's hard to feel a lot of remorse.

Post: #19

Read the Time interview and was surprised that he considers his ex wife as "one of my best friend". I wonder what would be his ex wife opinion.

Post: #20

Beautiful women and athletes die twice. For as much glory and money Tiger accumulated swinging a golf stick, that laser like focus has narrowed down his horizons to the surface diameter of a bloody golf ball. The man who is in the 0.01% of the world's richest people lacks the imagination to know how to use all his gifts from some greater purpose. He always struck me as a spiritually and mentally constipated man and that interview confirms it.

It's for these reasons I admire the Andre Aggasis (started a charter school for at-risk children) and the Herschel Walkers (after retiring from professional football kept challenging himself by participating in Olympic bobsledding, track and field, taekwondo, and ballet dancing - he actually performed ballet on stage!)

However, any gifts and talents bestowed on through the body have an expiration date. It's always best to keep one's mind sharp and forge a legacy through the application of mind, drive and will. That way a man can be relevant until the ravages of time or death overtake him (Buffet, Kissinger, Feynman and so many others)

Post: #21

Dear Mr Woods

I would gladly take your "burdens" of multi-generational wealth and prestige in exchange for mine. Yes, you read that right...bad back and all.

Signed,

All cried out

Post: #22

I recommend you guys read a book from my university career entitled "The Bone Cage". It essentially looks at two olympic level athletes as they age out of their sports, or get injured and cannot compete anymore. If your entire purpose was towards perfecting a sport or pursuit and suddenly you are no longer able to do it, or at a much lessened level, you are left in a purgatory in which you have to find your next purpose.

I went through it when hockey was over competitively and again when I broke my back. Some of the suggestions in here are excellent: go start businesses, go travel more, sharpen the mind, and find a purpose outside yourself again. "Nothing to look forward to" is a cop out, it leaves you apathetic at best, and life was meant to strive for more. I get what he's saying, but he also has all the resources in the world to go out and find his next passion; he'll be fine.

Post: #23

Auto racing and motorcycle racing would be a great shift in careers. If he wants to blow milions he can do airplane racing.
If I had the cash I would literally live on a race track. Invite friends over and tear shit up every week.

Post: #24

Post: #25

Quote:And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer.

I had this discussion with a friend (independent of Mr. Woods) about what happens when people reach the apex of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, especially in the context of sport stars, many who will arguably reach their peak before or around the age of 30.

There are plenty of sports stars who go on to become coaches (e.g. Wayne Gretzky), sports journalism (most Australian cricket commentators), product endorsing, motivational speaking, and no doubt these people want to be actively involved in the game that brought them so much success, happiness and motivation in the past. Others go down the entrepreneurial path and continue to build their respective businesses (e.g. Tim Horton), the political route (e.g. Nova Perris) or the downright oblique route (Dennis Rodman). Some proceed with other professional careers, like Randy Gregg, who became a family physician after winning 5 Stanley Cups with the Oilers.

The important thing to consider for these people is that they continue to reinvent themselves after their careers, find new challenges and a new purpose of life. Working with charitable organizations and giving back to their sports seems to be a pretty common route, though aspiring to do unusual things or undertake physical challenges in areas they are not necessarily proficient at would also help too.

It wouldn't be too late for many athletes to get into other amateur challenges such as triathlon or running a marathon while they still have their strength, if only to gain personal satisfaction. Heck - he may discover he really likes water skiing or archery if he puts himself out there.

For someone with the means and profile of Tiger Woods, I can't see how there could be a shortage of things he could do that would give continued meaning. Having said that, people can volunteer their time or undertake amateur pursuits with very little financial means - people do it every day. I'd put it down to a lack of imagination outside the realm of golf.