Notre Shame Thread

[Stuhoo 80,711]

Michael Rispoli

January 16, 2024

The beloved movie Rudy, teaches a disastrous life lesson

I'm not a big fan of the movie Rudy. Every time I bring this up people jump down my throat for insulting one of the greatest underdog stories ever told. A story that promotes hard work and determination against insurmountable odds. 

For those that don't know, Rudy is a movie about a guy that dreamed of playing football for Notre Dame. Rudy doesn't have the money to pay for the school, suffers from undiagnosed dyslexia, and is of small physical stature. He gets a job at the school, discovers and overcomes his dyslexia, gets into the school and eventually is allowed to play on the practice squad with the football team. He works his butt off, but still never plays in a single game. At the end of the movie, in a heartfelt show of solidarity with Rudy, the entire football team forces the coach to let him play in the last game of his career because Rudy's parents are coming to watch.

It's supposed to be a story about how with enough hard work and determination you can do anything. Except what you end up with is a story about a guy that doubled down on his weaknesses, toiled for years at a sport he would never have the physical stature for, and was given a pity spot in the last game. The silver lining is that in the process he managed to overcome his dyslexia and get degree from a great school. But all of that is overshadowed by his maniacal pursuit of becoming a Notre Dame football player.

This is the problem with following your dreams. Sometimes our dreams run contrary to our natural abilities. Sometimes our dreams come from places that aren't even ours. Rudy's father was a die-hard Notre Dame fan. Would Rudy have dreamed of becoming a football player had his father been a fan of Jazz? Or would he have spent his life trying to play trumpet like Louis Armstrong and succeeded! We'll never know because the tragedy of Rudy is that he never pursued something he had a chance of being exceptional at.

True mastery of a craft comes at the intersection of our abilities, our passions, and our desires. We will experience many of these things in isolation throughout our lives. We will be great at things we don't love. We will love things we aren't good at. We will desire things we don't have the passion to complete. It's why the advice, double down on your strengths, is so important. By doing this we have the best chance of finding and capitalizing on this intersection.
 

Rudy is an example of how limiting beliefs can take many forms in our lives. Sometimes they cause us to pursue a passion that we have not a hope and a prayer of ever being good at. These often aren't our dreams at all. Sometimes they come from trying to please our families and loved ones. Sometimes they are what we wish were true if we were someone else. They obscure from view what we could be great at and block us from developing into our greatest selves. Rudy was robbed of this self-discovery and was carried off the field never knowing what his potential would have been had he not embarked on this hapless quest to be a Notre Dame football star.

True mastery of a craft comes at the intersection of our abilities, our passions, and our desires. We will experience many of these things in isolation throughout our lives. We will be great at things we don't love. We will love things we aren't good at. We will desire things we don't have the passion to complete. It's why the advice, double down on your strengths, is so important. By doing this we have the best chance of finding and capitalizing on this intersection.

Rudy is an example of how limiting beliefs can take many forms in our lives. Sometimes they cause us to pursue a passion that we have not a hope and a prayer of ever being good at. These often aren't our dreams at all. Sometimes they come from trying to please our families and loved ones. Sometimes they are what we wish were true if we were someone else. They obscure from view what we could be great at and block us from developing into our greatest selves. Rudy was robbed of this self-discovery and was carried off the field never knowing what his potential would have been had he not embarked on this hapless quest to be a Notre Dame football star.

[Stuhoo 80,711]

[Stuhoo 80,711]

[Stuhoo 80,711]

[Stuhoo 80,711]

[Class of '66 Old Fart 84,744]

Shameful they allowed Brian Kelly to stick around long enough as head coach to surpass Knute Rockne's career win total.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 84,744]

Just now, Stuhoo said:

That hire was almost as bad as a certain university's basketball coach hire.

[Stuhoo 80,711]

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

[Stuhoo 80,711]

[Hovadipo 56,125]

notre lame lol right guys?

[Stuhoo 80,711]

[go iu bb 5,974]

1 hour ago, Stuhoo said:

Notre Dame suspended their men's swim program for the year because of gambling by a large number of the athletes. Are they the only sport on campus which did that? Highly doubtful.

[Dave from Dayton 3,212]

1 hour ago, Stuhoo said:

 

The beloved movie Rudy, teaches a disastrous life lesson

I'm not a big fan of the movie Rudy. 

It's supposed to be a story about how with enough hard work and determination you can do anything. Except what you end up with is a story about a guy that doubled down on his weaknesses, toiled for years at a sport he would never have the physical stature for, and was given a pity spot in the last game. The silver lining is that in the process he managed to overcome his dyslexia and get degree from a great school. 

This is the problem with following your dreams. Sometimes our dreams run contrary to our natural abilities. We'll never know because the tragedy of Rudy is that he never pursued something he had a chance of being exceptional at. 
 

True mastery of a craft comes at the intersection of our abilities, our passions, and our desires. 

Rudy is an example of how limiting beliefs can take many forms in our lives. Sometimes they cause us to pursue a passion that we have not a hope and a prayer of ever being good at...." "They obscure from view what we could be great at and block us from developing into our greatest selves. Rudy was robbed of this self-discovery and was carried off the field never knowing what his potential would have been..."

The above are excerpts from the writing by someone else and posted above by Stuhoo.  I disagree with most of the premise of the post.  It is an ok movie.  But I liked that this guy had a dream...actually a couple of them.  Remember, he wanted to be on the team.  He got on the team.  He also wanted to graduate from Notre Dame.  He graduated from Notre Dame.

The writer posits that he got to play in a game because of pity skews what really that was all about.  He got to play on one game because his teammates liked him, respected him and appreciated that his dedication also helped them to grow.  

And contrary to the article, he did not throw his life away pursuing a dream that he was unfit to attain and make his own.  He achieved his goals, both of them.  Also he gained a bunch of lifetime friends.  He also opened many more doors for whatever his future visions might be, he learned a lot about himself, earned the degree and achieved two of his dreams while a young adult.  

Now, he can dream and pursue other goals using what he has attained and learned as a young adult.

Should women be kept unseen, at home, making babies and not going out into the world to pursue other vocations and helping society?

Should Helen Keller not have been allowed to pursue her dreams?

Should Stephen Hawkings not be a professor of theoretical physics?

Should children with learning disabilities be allowed to excel and possibly use that as a strength?

Should those of different races and cultures not be allowed to pursue happiness and strive to improve in accordance with their dreams?  

Should the disabled or those less fortunate with less opportunities to improve their lot not pursue 'above their obvious station in life'?

Why is someone else trying to put other people down when they pursue a very difficult quest.  Let Don Quixote be Don Quixote.  It is exactly who he is.

I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
No, I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I wake up in the morning, fold my hands and pray for rain
I got a head full of ideas that are drivin' me insane
It's a shame the way she makes me scrub the floor
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more - Bob Dylan

 

 

 

 

[Naturalhoosier 15,434]

TF is happening here?!

 

#pissonnotredame

[ALASKA HOOSIER 11,276]

F the Irish!!! not the real ones across the pond. just the wannabees

[AZ Hoosier 7,127]

Cignetti's going leprechaun hunting this evening...

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,164]

Rudy really does suck

[ALASKA HOOSIER 11,276]

[ALASKA HOOSIER 11,276]

[ALASKA HOOSIER 11,276]