Re: Successful ADDers annoy the h*ll out of me.

[quizzical]

Here’s a thought: Is it the success of Ed Hallowell that is annoying, or is it actually his attitude? I say this as someone who got a lot out of his book; it was the first stepping stone on my journey here, in fact, and I related to a lot of what he wrote in Delivered From Distraction.

But I find him to be incredibly egotistical. It’s partly because he’s got the whole flashy-sales-guy thing going on. “Buy my book, visit my treatment center, and you too can embrace your ADD and transform your life!” In order to make that work he has to provide a shining example of success, so he uses himself. Which is what lots of salesmen do; so up to a point I can’t fault him for blowing his own horn. He’s just trying to make a living and has found something that works.

The trouble is some of the specifics. How can a person back up a claim that they are creative? “I think outside the box!” Unless they can give some examples, it tends to come off as boastful, and leaves your audience rather skeptical. Sure, some creative examples are obvious: symphonies, paintings, culinary masterpieces….

but we all know ADD is not required to write music or be daring in the kitchen. Most of us – ADDers and non – apply whatever creativity we have to solving our day-to-day problems, either at work or at home, and most of those solutions never truly get tested. Sure, my innovative arrangement of items in my garage is working out great! Until that day I swap a couple of things around by accident and realize it works better THIS way….

I’d love to be gifted. But I’d settle for feeling confident.

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