As he is a self made man, I respect LT's accomplishments. I also respect his training ethic. I don't dig trophy hunting, personally, but he idolizes the Teddy Roosevelt type and he romanticizes the late colonial era so I can understand his mentality. He has surrounded himself with people who will put up with his braggadocio because they want something he has or can bestow on them or because they like the feeling it gives them to be around such a forceful personality. That is the sort of person it takes to compete in a tough market. He's not on my list of dinner invitees, though.
Zieg
Well said. Truly.
Over the years I have worked with a lot of very successful people that are as obnoxious as hell. Some good ideas, their obnoxious bragging and self centered ways got them noticed and in the game. And maybe a factor was that so many were waiting for them to fail. But what keeps them in the game is their continued ability to deliver on their claims. The best of intentions and dedication can't guarantee that. Only luck, skill, determination, dedication and more luck can do that.
This thread has caused me to think about Lynn and his silliness in marketing. For me, this thread has made him less offensive to me as a marketing shill. CS is his company and and has his hands unashamedly all over it. Regardless of all the moral tears shed over him being a hunter and fisherman, the screaming from desk/cubicle "operators" that can't stand his testing methods, and the disgust over his designs, he presses on flying his own flag. I have never heard him say anything nearly as vitriolic in response to his detractors as they have said about him.
He has found a way to do what any marketing genius does, and that is to keep his name out there in the public eye.
We are a strange group in America. We like eccentrics (unless they aren't successful, they they are just weird), we admire and adore terribly successful people of all stripe and occupation. We respect and glorify our athletes, we honor and revere our titans of business, etc., etc.
But only as long as they act the WE think they should, conduct themselves in the way WE think is appropriate. And after reaching certain heights, they must develop a sense of humility and thankfulness to "all the people that got them there". To be popular, they even need to stick their toe in the dirt, hang their thumbs in their pant loops and say "aw shucks" every once in a while. Yessir, we like our successful people to have a sense of humility about their success, no matter their sacrifice.
I have to say though, that his marketing techniques are successful NOT ONE SINGLE person I know has ever seen one of his "offensive" videos. Or any of his videos for that matter. I am part of a knife carrying profession (construction) and I hunt, fish, hike, and always have a couple of knives on me and knives are almost always part of the conversation. All the boys like my American Lawman but they don't know Lynn, aren't aware of his antics, and wouldn't think of taking the time to look him up to watch a video. I have described the videos, and my boys just aren't interested. Maybe it is kind of a select group that takes his videos so closely to heart, I don't know.
To me, they are just knives. Or in Thompson's case, knives of all shapes and sizes, swords, shovels, baseball bats, sunglasses, throwing stars, spear points, and on and on.
Robert
