Which one are you?

There are two types out there -  information seekers and rank seekers. Which one are you?
   The information seekers are out there working it. They take notes in class, they go to seminars and take extra lessons. They read and research. They ask questions.
   The rank chasers do that to a much smaller extent. They get enough to slide by. They often put more effort into buttering up their teacher than getting on the mat. They love buddy-promotions. Some of them get a rank in one system and use that certificate to get one in another system or association and even manage to get it raised a notch or two if someone buys the story that rank in one is worth more in another.
   I personally know a man who now claims 10th black in our system. What's bad enough is I also know he was given his 6th in a promotion on a sidewalk. Where the other subsequent ranks between came from, I don't know.  Once one instructor signs a certificate that they should not have, it sometimes gets used to get more. It's a slippery slope.
   There's another man claiming 10th who says a well-known senior gave him a diploma for high rank. When that senior was questioned about it he admitted he "didn't mean to". Well, too late.
   Then there's the seminar instructor who gets flown in and as part of the package he promotes the host with no test.
    I hear the old excuse that so and so did it, so I did. Remember what Mom said? If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?
   Many years ago I was told I should be one rank higher than I was and that their group would give it to me. I refused and told them that my rank would come from my teacher.
   One of my 3rd degree black belts was invited to teach at another school of a related system. When he got there he was told he'd be introduced as a 5th or 6th. He politely protested and they did not do that. But they did say they'd give him that rank in their system. He declined that as well. That's integrity.
  I've seen lots of people jump at this type of opportunity and it's a shame. The carrot of advanced rank is hard to resist for some. However, it's not just our industry. There's a market out there for mail-order or online doctorates and divinity degrees.
   I remember Huk Planas responding to the question "How long does it take the average person to get a black belt? and he said, "The average person doesn't get a black belt." You can argue semantics on this but you see the point. Less people get to the top. Some just don't have what it takes. We all have limits. The process is what shows us what they are and if there's anything we can do about them. In a society of instant gratification and no losers, we see a tendency to short-circuit the system and now we have self-promotions galore. Where does it stop?