[February 2, 2026] In the late 1970s, during the disco dance craze, my girlfriend asked me to take dance classes so I could dance with her. I was terrible at first. At least I agreed to try, and in doing so, I certainly looked like a complete idiot. That’s when I learned to be willing to play the fool in order to become good at something.
I didn’t dance but caved in to her wishes and signed up for ten classes. Earlier, I had gone to disco clubs with her and observed women dancing with other women because most men weren’t willing to dance. The disco class had about 20 people— all women and me. My girlfriend quit after the second session (she was skilled). I stayed.
During these classes, all the women wanted to dance with me. And after class, when we went to the clubs, women would approach me after seeing that I knew how to disco dance. It was a lot of fun. However, my girlfriend was not amused. The experience taught me a valuable lesson: being a fool (a bumbling, inexperienced beginner) can pay off in the long run.
“The fool is the precursor to the savior.” – Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist
Carl Jung means that to advance in any part of your life, you have to be willing to be a fool. When you first move in a new direction, what do you know? You will be a bumbling idiot, but you won’t stay that way forever. Staying in your comfort zone, however, isn’t helpful.
If you want to master something, the first step is admitting you’re not already a master, because if you were, you wouldn’t need to learn. Then, allow yourself to be the fool.
One trait of highly successful people is that they plunge into new things they don’t understand and embrace the role of the fool.
Be the person who doesn’t know everything. Be the newcomer on the lowest rung. Successful people won’t pretend they know more than they do. They ask the stupid questions that are necessary. They humble themselves as novices and accept that humility, because it’s part of growth. It doesn’t matter if you start at the bottom.
What matters is that you’re willing to look foolish and keep moving upward, not where you’re starting from.
I still remember the greatest disco song ever, “Stayin’ Alive” by The Bee Gees (1977). Of course, there were others like “Dancing Queen” by ABBA, “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People, and “Disco Inferno” by The Trammps. I smile each time I hear these songs on my car radio.
Here’s what mattered: if you could disco dance and you were a man, you were popular, cool, and had your pick of the best women. Men envied you. Women flocked to you.
Be willing to be the fool. That willingness is the first step toward transforming your life into something better and good.
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“The highest can be found in the lowest.” – Dr. Jordan Peterson
Carl Jung means that to advance in any part of your life, you have to be willing to be a fool. When you first move in a new direction, what do you know? You will be a bumbling idiot, but you won’t stay that way forever. Staying in your comfort zone, however, isn’t helpful.
If you want to master something, the first step is admitting you’re not already a master, because if you were, you wouldn’t need to learn. Then, allow yourself to be the fool.
One trait of highly successful people is that they plunge into new things they don’t understand and embrace the role of the fool.
– Gen. Doug Satterfield. He knows what he speaks of.
Exactly, Jump right into what you’re wanting to do. Don’t be shy about looking dumb or stupid, that is part of the game we play. And people will love you for it. That is how we can show that we are humble; a good trait for leaders.
I’ve got to watch that movie again. Generally the plot is dumb but the music and dancing is great.
Great dancing. Women don’t care if they start by being unable to do a certain dance correctly. They are only interested in having a little fun. Men are more interested in not embarrassing themselves in front of women.
Let us not forget that Gen. Satterfield also began his career in the US army as a Private (E-1) the lowest rank of all. And after becoming a Staff Sergeant (E-6) he went to college, graduated, got his commission as a Second Lieutenant (O-1) the lowest officer rank, eventually rising to the rank of Brigadier General (O-7), a Flag Officer. That is a great example of being willing to be the fool, the jester, the lowlife. Those are the paths we should not be afraid to follow. Those today who are entitled, are unwilling to do so. They will be living sad lives as they destroy themselves from the inside out.
Adolf, well said. Yes, whenever we begin something new, we are awkward, stupid, and uneducated. But as we continue to practice our new craft, we become better, more of a master (although not yet). It takes a long time, maybe 10 years, or more. That is the right path. So, don’t be the crazy nutty newbie, be humble instead. By willing to learn. Be humble. Be polite and be ready to learn constantly. Be respectful of those who know more than you, or at least be ready to learn from them.
Well said. Thanks guys!!!!!!!
The opposite of this new Gen Z generation that are so entitled that they have terrible attitudes. Zero humility in them. They expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter. They are in for a rude awakening some day.
DISCO
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Best part of the article. “When you first move in a new direction, what do you know? You will be a bumbling idiot, but you won’t stay that way forever. Staying in your comfort zone, however, isn’t helpful.” — Gen. Doug Satterfield
✅✅✅✅✅✅ All thumbs up.
Yep, and good reference to the film Dirty Dancing (disco was a great dancing theme).
The New York Times described the film as “a metaphor for America in the summer of 1963— orderly, prosperous, bursting with good intentions, a sort of Yiddish-inflected Camelot.” Other reviews were more mixed: Gene Siskel gave the film a “marginal Thumbs Up” as he liked Jennifer Grey’s acting and development of her character, while Roger Ebert gave it “Thumbs Down” due to its “idiot plot”, calling it a “tired and relentlessly predictable story of love between kids from different backgrounds.” Time magazine was lukewarm, saying, “If the ending of Eleanor Bergstein’s script is too neat and inspirational, the rough energy of the film’s song and dance does carry one along, past the whispered doubts of better judgment.” In a retrospective review, Jezebel’s Irin Carmon called the film “the greatest movie of all time” as “a great, brave movie for women” with “some subtle, retrospectively sharp-eyed critiques of class and gender.”
Yeah, there were many parts of the film that I didn’t like either. The dancing scenes and music are great. The plot sucks.
“Dirty Dancing”, just gotta love that movie.