The Ends or the Means?

Does your Ronaldo or Messi preference really say that much about you?

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It is said that in life there are only two types of people.

There are those who enjoy the journey to the destination, and those who care only for the end point, the final result.

All humans on this earth exist between these two points on a spectrum, but figuring out where someone lies is not a simple task.

For example, on a train journey through the countryside – do you sit and watch as you pass through the fields and towns, taking pleasure in the various animals and stations in view on the way to your destination? Or are you on the other end of the aisle? Will you don a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, maybe an eye-mask to block out the light, so you can fall into a sleep that will carry you through to your journey’s end?

There are a few ways to decipher if someone belongs to ‘enjoy the process’ or the ‘prioritize the result’ camp. The above, like most, is flawed. How is one expected to enjoy a commute in the London Underground during peak hour, when you can smell the coffee on the breath of the five people you are crammed between, and the dog someone has somehow managed to squeeze into this claustrophobic steel tube won’t stop pawing at your trouser leg? Being subjected to the screech of the Central line is enough to send you insane, so how can we judge someone who wears noise-cancelling headphones as anything other than concerned for their own health?

Working out if someone places more value on the process or the product is important business. Whether you are interviewing for a job, evaluating if someone is worth befriending or not, or even on a first date trying to decide if you will spend more time and money on getting to know the person across from you – this information speaks volumes about one's character.

You don’t need to spend any longer in the dark.

I have the question – the perfect litmus test.

Imagine for a moment two young men, raised separately, taught and mentored in different ways, both facing unique challenges and finding unique ways to overcome them.

One is known for dazzling, intricate play, the type of stuff that leaves your mouth gaping, hands on the back of your head – stunned at the beauty he so effortlessly brings to everything he touches.

The other is a bastion of consistency and physical superiority. Adorned with herculean muscles and with a penchant for ruthless efficiency, he is the real-life incarnation of ‘gets the job done.’

What do these mythical people have to do with answering our question?

Well.

As you sit with the person you are trying to suss out, simply pause, lean across the table, and repeat after me.

Messi or Ronaldo?