“When people agree with me, I always feel that I must be wrong” – Oscar Wilde

That is a very strong statement. Do you think it has any merit? I basically agree with Oscar. Here’s why:

At retirement age, according to the government, fewer than 5 percent of the population is financially independent of the government for most of their retirement income. That means 95 percent depend on a Social Security system that is meant to be a safety net, not the major source of income. That implies a 95 percent failure rate and that the mindset, opinions and actions that lead to being one of the 95 percent are incorrect.

The government claims that more than 50 percent of the population is obese, only about 15 percent of the population exercises regularly. And, about 25 percent of the population still smokes and uses tobacco products. All of these statistics show faulty thinking and action.

There is still a segment of the population that does not use seatbelts. Their ability to reduce auto fatalities is common knowledge, isn’t it?

How many people do you see in a single week driving while holding and talking on a cell phone. Or writing notes, putting on makeup, or even reading? It is hard to agree with any of that behavior.

It would be easy to continue. Instead of showing intelligence, to me, mass agreement hints at emotional expression instead of sound reasoning.

There are definite plans for becoming successful in business and in your personal life that anyone willing to exert self control and discipline can benefit from.

There is much good, free information on healthy eating and the benefits of exercise. It is difficult to believe the extent of ignorance and denial that still exists.

How much time does it take to fasten a seatbelt? The resistance to this easy way to improve your safety baffles a logical mind. This also holds true for the tendency of so many to try and multi-task as they drive. Be a better time manager on the macro parts of your life and you won’t have to manage the micro side so much. And hands-free headsets for cell phones are cheap and easy to use.

Go through the list above. How many of them do you fall prey to? How are you going to fix that? The answer can have much to do about your future success and security.

Tim O’Brien writes continuing-education courses and presents seminars on stress management.