Most people remember where they were when O. J. Simpson’s famous “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit” trial of the century ended in a not-guilty verdict. I was one of the millions of people who were astonished by that decision. Of course, I wasn’t in the trial and have to trust that the jurors came to the best decision they could with the evidence provided. DNA analysis was in its infancy then and the police made serious mistakes in handling the case.
But it is my personal opinion that a gross injustice was done that day to Nicole Brown Simpson, Ron Goldman and their families. Unfortunately, I feel a bit more qualified to comment on such an event because my brother was murdered in cold blood, shot multiple times by a neighbor because he was building a shed in his backyard (legally, I might add). The neighbor didn’t like the noise, so he took a semiautomatic handgun and waited outside my brother’s house early one morning and shot him multiple times as he was leaving for work, and then my brother’s 23-year-old daughter, Kristin, when she came outside the house to see what had happened.
Kristin managed to survive the shooting, but the trauma and pain led her to a drug addiction that ended her life as well. Fortunately, the pile of dog sh*t who did this to my brother was convicted, imprisoned for life and eventually committed suicide in his cell. Justice? I don’t think so. Nothing can make up for the loss.
In the O.J. case, the families had insult piled on injury with O.J.’s disgusting act of publishing and profiting from the book If I Did It, which detailed how he might have killed his wife and her friend Ron Goldman. O.J. continued his flagrant misbehavior with several arrests, including on charges of battery, burglary, armed robbery and kidnapping, frequently joking about the murders.
These kinds of incidents reveal that life is far from fair, with some of the vilest, most malevolent offenders seemingly getting away scot-free with the most unconscionable, evil acts. Gross injustice. If you’re running a business, it’s very common to get royally screwed over and betrayed by people who you’ve done nothing to and may have even generously helped.
Early in my business, before I knew how to hire and manage people, I had 5 of my 6 employees turn on me, led by one who appointed herself ringleader of my demise. I’ve learned that bitchy people are fantastic recruiters, turning a good team bad in short order, which is why it’s super-critical to quickly get rid of anyone who smells “off” (my sour-milk story).
Over a period of about 8 months, I had to fire the ringleader and 2 of her cronies for blatant insubordination and intentional sabotage, coupled with a refusal to do their job or show up on time. She then took my client list to a competitor, which required a lengthy, ugly lawsuit to force a cease and desist. Another quit without notice when I fired her 3 amigos. The last of the lot was caught using the company credit card for thousands of dollars in personal charges (theft). ALL of this was 100% my fault for hiring them in the first place and then allowing the situation to devolve to that point. My stupidity doesn’t mean that I deserved what they did to me, my reputation and my business.
Of course, my tale of woe is nothing compared to what some of my members have had to go through in their businesses. The list is LONG of seriously dirty deeds good people have had foisted upon them by their business partners, employees, clients, competition and vendors. Everyone has experienced more than one gross injustice in their lives, and it’s easy to think the bastard who burned you or committed the vile act got away with it. Truth is, no one gets away with anything. Karma is a ravenous bitch who will most certainly take her pound of flesh. Let her have it, but be very, very careful not to allow your ego and the need for revenge drag you down with the person who wronged you. As my mentor Kennedy often says, “Where’s the profit in that?” I’m going to tell you: there isn’t any unless you’re the lawyer handling the case.
To be clear, legal action is absolutely the correct and appropriate response in some instances involving real theft, crime, egregious contract violations and reputational damages. But in most cases of being wronged, the best thing you can do is take your lumps and walk away. The need to settle the score can be all-consuming, with lawsuits sucking precious resources and the back-and-forth of the fight a giant, unproductive distraction. Yes, I’m sure you are wholly and completely justified in your outrage, bitter over how you were abused and absolutely correct that THEY are in the wrong. You did not deserve what you got. I get it.
But as Nelson Mandela once said, holding on to resentment is like drinking poison with the hopes of killing your enemies. I’ll leave you with one more thought…
There’s a scene in the movie The Social Network where Zuck’s attorney is advising him to settle the lawsuit brought against him by his business partner, Eduardo Saverin. Zuck is enraged, wanting to fight, pointing out that he invented Facebook and how outrageously unjust the lawsuit is. She counters his argument by saying that no matter what actually happened, a jury won’t be sympathetic, and he could end up losing a lot more if the case goes to trial, because a jury makes decisions based on what they perceive when they look at a defendant – physical appearance, speaking style and likability – not on the facts of the case, particularly if there are “holes” in it. She delivers the best line when she says, “Pay them. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a speeding ticket.”
As you continue to aim up, the best you can do is be careful about who you place your trust in and who you surround yourself with to minimize the opportunity for people to abuse you. No matter what you do or how diligent you are, nothing will shield you entirely from the flaming arseholes, crooks and black-hearted bastards who walk among us looking for their next victim. Be alert.
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