Pluses and minuses

We all have weaknesses. It's only natural, we're primitive beasts called men. We all have that one soft spot that goes against all the common sense, logic and experience we've gathered. Such a weakness can get us into trouble, and can cause us to lose credibility and respect.

That weakness can be a fondness for alcohol, a love of illicit drugs, a gambling habit, an inability to control your debts, being unreliable, an incapability to keep your mouth shut, having a sex addiction, or being a brute who idolizes Mussolini. I'm not immune.

As much as I practice what I preach, I have a weakness too, and it's always been the sight of an angelic brunette with legs that can melt butter (and at times that weakness spreads to Eastern European blondes with racks that would make Costco blush).

Though said brunettes can cause my most primal urges to get the better of me, I can still keep it my pants. It's a habit that won't destroy me. Sure, I have mistresses, but they are all kept firmly under control so that it does not affect the rest of my life. I especially keep my "weaknesses" away from my businesses, so that the two never cross paths.

So I have some habits -- some bad, some good -- but I'm smart enough to know when a habit gets out of control and has the potential to wipe me out. Some people can't make that distinction, so this article is for you.

Sign of weakness

A bad habit proves you have weaknesses and a lack of discipline in some aspects of your life. How that habit controls your life shows how disciplined you are. But we can't get away from the fact that you are still weak and vulnerable in one area of your life. I've covered the dangers of appearing weak before.

Having the appearance of weakness makes you a target for your enemies. They have found a loophole in getting to you. By having a bad habit that can destroy you, you open yourself to being exploited. Bad habits also affect your reputation.

When you lose control (i.e. you can't help but gamble when you hear the faintest sound of cards shuffling), it takes a toll on your reputation too -- you are seen as fallible and a potential liability. In my world, liabilities end up in the East River. You don't want anyone to think you're unreliable and unsavory; putting doubts in people's minds about your reputation is bad for business. It also has a snowball effect. Imagine if my enemies think my brunette/leg fetish is out of control.

They think they found a way to wound me. Next thing I know, these cafones start sending every auburn-haired girl with a great arse in the county my way, until I put myself in a compromising position and they have a safe way to take me out. I've done it to others; why couldn't it happen to me too? Breaking down the habits

Alcohol: Booze can go from a nice accompaniment to a meal to controlling everything you do. All it takes is one moment with the wrong alcohol, at the wrong place, and at the wrong time to open your mouth and say things that will haunt you for a lifetime. Then you'll have a real reason to drink. Recovering from the damage to your rep caused by the bottle can take years.

Drugs: Like alcohol, they make you lose control, logic and reason. Unlike alcohol, they can be a more expensive habit and unlike being found face first in a pool of your own vomit, you end up in the can for dealing or doing the junk. Drugs screw with your brain, which is why the cocaine lords in Colombia don't touch their own supply. Like alcohol, by the time it's doing you enough harm to destroy your life, you'll be too souped up to do anything about it.

Gambling: The problem with gambling is that it doesn't take long for your gambling debt to eventually land in the hands of people you don't want knowing your name. You become known as a degenerate and you add no value to your life. In fact, you end up destroying everything of value in your life because the vig is so high, you can't help but sell off your liver to pay off the juice. Debt is a great way to destroy even the strongest of men.

Sex addiction: When your penis is making decisions your brain should be making, it's inevitable that you'll make a stronzo out of yourself. Sex and an addiction to women can cloud your judgment, make you easily influenced by a pair of T&A, and eventually burn associates who will look at your obsession with the opposite sex as a good scapegoat to screwing you over, or questioning your decisions and rationale.

Being a big mouth: Not being able to keep your hole shut can be a very nasty habit. Not only do you risk saying things you shouldn't, wrecking your reputation or being perceived as untrustworthy, you can screw someone up the arsehole pretty badly. That could cost you big time, unless you like wearing cement shoes.

Getting over bad habits

Look, I'm no freakin' therapist over here, but there are some things you can do to get rid of the bad habits. I know it's not easy, I know it takes time, willpower, love, hugs, and a good shot across the head, but be a man, grow some testicoli, and get it done.

1- Be aware of your problem

If you are getting beaten up, losing your friends, end up in the hospital more times than Michael Jackson, max out your credit cards, or are always told what a jerk-off you are, maybe it's time for you to go up a hill for a few hours to get some perspective on your life. If you can't see that something is wrong, you're hopeless. If you need people to point out your stupidities, you have no chance. Either open your eyes or get out of town.

2- Be disciplined, not half-arsed

If you don't put all your effort into coming correct, you're doomed to fail. Like anything in life, things done half-heartedly end up being sloppy, inferior, and prone to breaking under minimal stress. Don't be a fool, don't waste your time, own up to your faults, and change .

3- Change your circle of friends

Unfortunately, too often we are a product of our environment, and if that environment is rotten, guess what happens to you? Stop hanging out with losers and people that are a negative influence. If they don't add value to your life, they are sucking it away. Friends either help or hurt, otherwise they are just strangers. A wiseguy that purposely got out of the business is not going to get too far by hanging out with wiseguys still in the business, is he?

4- Sabotage yourself

Sometimes, we need the crap beaten out of us for the truth to sink in. Sometimes we need to be taught a tough lesson in order to learn. So maybe you need to set yourself up for some severe consequences that will scare you halfway to Bangkok to get your life back on track. Turn yourself in, rat on someone connected, screw with the wrong guy's wife; do whatever it takes for you to hit rock bottom and wake up.

Zero sum game

Like every bad habit, you are essentially playing poker with your life. Your bad habit makes you happy, it brings you a little bit of a thrill, you can feel like a winner after, but it can also screw you six ways to Wednesday (and to a back room for a beating with a bat). In the end, you have to ask yourself if the pleasure of the habit outweighs the risk it poses to the rest of your life, and take your chances if it does. As much as I love brunette tail, it's a zero sum game.

I know that, for all the pleasure they give me, they have plenty of downsides. I love to gamble on prizefights, but not enough to sweat if I lose big. I love a good wine, but not enough to lose my composure by overindulging. Control your bad habits or, better yet, get rid of them.

We're human and we're imperfect. It doesn't take much for a vice to highlight those imperfections, so why not do something about it? Capisce ? Watch your backs and keep your noses clean.

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