You’re Given a Menu - You Get to Pick Your Weakness: Which Do You Choose?

Have you ever wished you could choose your weaknesses?

Everyone has them, but we aren’t given a menu before the gift of existence. Via the magic of news and social media, anyone who knows me knows what mine is - and was, which hurts.

From what I can tell, there are more than thirty weaknesses a person can have. Here’s a list, courtesy of AI. Go ahead—pick yours:

Emotional

Fear – of failure, rejection, the unknown

Insecurity – feeling not good enough, lacking confidence

Envy – resentment of others’ success or happiness

Anger – explosive reactions or inability to manage rage

Guilt – holding on to past mistakes

Shame – toxic self-perception, feeling fundamentally flawed

Impatience – difficulty waiting or dealing with delays

Psychological

Stubbornness – resistance to change or other perspectives

Perfectionism – unrealistic standards that hinder progress

Self-doubt – constant second-guessing

Overthinking – paralysis by analysis

Naivety – lack of skepticism or street smarts

Denial – refusal to accept reality

Cognitive bias – distorted thinking patterns

Behavioral

Procrastination – putting off tasks or responsibilities

Addiction – compulsive behaviors (alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc.)

Laziness – avoiding effort or exertion

Impulsivity – acting without thinking

People-pleasing – sacrificing needs for approval

Dishonesty – lying to others or yourself

Interpersonal

Jealousy – fear of losing someone

Pride/Ego – inability to admit fault or accept help

Manipulativeness – trying to control or deceive

Neediness – excessive dependence on others

Coldness – emotional unavailability

Defensiveness – inability to take feedback

Ethical

Greed – excessive desire for wealth or possessions

Cowardice – unwillingness to face difficulty or do what’s right

Prejudice – harboring biases or unfair assumptions

Deceitfulness – intentionally misleading others

Vengeance – obsession with payback

It was rare to see him like this - Did the media like him more when loving him or killing him?

I’ve used Tiger Woods as an example in past posts. The greatest golfer of all time—blessed with a golf swing as synchronized as a Rolex. Everyone loved him. Then, suddenly... not so much.

When he blew up his personal life, it was front-page news. Every outlet led with it. It probably gave us plebeians great comfort to know that a man with hundreds of millions of dollars, an adoring public, and a seemingly perfect life could mess up so spectacularly.

The Ambien crash. The OUI. The affairs. TMZ had a buffet. I don’t think it was just about clubs or IHOPs and companionship. Tiger's distractions likely went deeper. Perfectionism made him great—and may have made him brittle. Then came deceit, dishonesty, addiction.

He was judged—and still is. But he’s still golfing.

SI even went with the yellow background - they were loving him

Lance Armstrong. Matt Lauer. Bill Cosby. Brian Williams.
Lance’s lies happened on the course. Tiger’s off it. That seems to matter in how long the pitchforks stay out. Lauer and Cosby - Ugh. And Williams - what was that about? Dude was just making up whoppers. Why?

A passage written in 1939 - old-school AA language - landed on me like prophecy:

He uses his gifts to build up a bright outlook for his family and himself, and then pulls the structure down on his head by a senseless series of sprees.

When I first read that, it hit me like a brick to the chest. It felt like Nostradamus had penned that line for me, 34 years before I was born.

Oof.

That’s what this post is really about: Wishing we could choose our weaknesses. Something more palatable. More socially acceptable. Something quieter.

Nobody signs up to be the guy who wrecks his life with wine. Nobody dreams of having their mugshot shared with 800,000 people. If I could’ve chosen? Impatience. Overthinking. Even laziness. I’d take naivety. Hell, I’d wear stubbornness like a badge. But I got this.

And once you have this, every other weakness either multiplies or shows up as a defense mechanism. Right Tiger?

The weaknesses we didn’t choose don’t make us evil. They make us human. And inside that humanity is the sliver of redemption we cling to: Growth. Recovery. Change.

Tiger still swings.
Lance disappeared.
Cosby’s legacy rots.
And me?

I’m still here.

Still waking up every morning, naming my weakness out loud, and trying - one day at a time - not to let it win.

Hopefully, in my story, others won’t have to get to this point.

Next time you judge someone by the most embarrassing thing they’ve done, ask yourself:

What weakness would I have chosen?

And then thank whatever higher power you believe in…that you didn’t have to choose at all. Because chances are, you wouldn’t have picked the one that destroys everything - until you had to rebuild.