by Sonny Barger
Knowledge, some wise man once said, is power and it’s up to you to go and seek it and use it to your advantage.
Only the arrogant remain ignorant.
25
Learn from the Past, Don’t Live There
Don’t dwell on your bad experiences from the past. They come at a high cost. Value them. Bank them.
As I get older, in nearly every interview, I’m asked about regrets. Do I have any? I have three that come to mind, which is far fewer than most people. Regret is a word whose meaning has been distorted and watered down. So when I say “regrets,” I’m talking about key actions and events that I’ve paid and taken responsibility for.
My first regret is having smoked cigarettes. Cigarettes are clearly one of the most deadly products produced and mass-marketed in this country. They are habit-forming, over-the-counter drugs that up until recently were the products of advertisements that sold lifestyle. Since tobacco is legally grown in eighteen states of the Union, it is an integral part of our economy. It was one of the first cash crops grown when we were just thirteen colonies. But even though I don’t like tobacco and choose not to use it, I believe Americans who enjoy the habit should be free to smoke wherever and whenever they wish. By the same token, though, they should take stock and responsibility for the hospital bills and the health costs that result from their behavior. Not to mention the high cost of cigarettes themselves.
My second regret is that as a result of doing time in prison and because I’d done too much cocaine, I lost my right to vote and bear arms. I hold the Second Amendment in the highest esteem, and I regret no longer having the right to carry a gun in order to defend my freedom and myself.
My final regret is having done too much cocaine during the sixties and the seventies. While I found coke to be far less addictive than cigarettes, it was way too expensive. For almost three years, it was my drug of choice. I loved it so much, I sold it to finance my own personal use. (At least I was smart enough not to become a heroin junkie.) I could spend days, sometimes weeks, binging on cocaine. I had the freedom and at the time I knew exactly what I was doing, which was enjoying myself to excess. At the time I was a user, there were no such things as celebrity clinics and rehab centers designed to wean users off drugs through a steady treatment and support program. You either took a twelve-step program, stopped cold turkey, quit in jail, checked into a nuthouse, or died broke. I’ve been hooked on coke and I’ve been hooked on cigarettes. Cigarettes were a much harder habit to kick. It took the first days in prison for me to stop doing cocaine. It took one day of surgery to stop smoking. Both could be considered extreme cures.
We all live with our own separate and unique regrets and I’ve willingly paid the price for most of my mistakes. Dwelling on and feeling remorse about my regrets don’t do much good. Learning from them is the only thing you really can do. Do yourself a big favor. Put your regrets in the rearview mirror where they belong, ride away, and don’t look back.
26
Truth Is the Ball Breaker
Either testifying in court or conveying a simple message to someone intelligently means arriving prepared, with your facts straight and your presentation organized. I don’t advocate walking into any situation or meeting unprepared or, more important, not properly prepped and coached by the people around you who are in the know. I’ve lived my life trying to be honest and straightforward with everybody. Making the transition into a courtroom or a boardroom, or anywhere for that matter, isn’t that difficult if you have, as they say, your ducks in a row.
But here’s the kicker in your presentation. Tell the whole truth, warts and all. There’s nothing more convincing than someone who speaks truthfully, who tells the whole tale, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Being truthful about both the bad and the good lends credibility to your argument. Look people in the eye when you speak to them because they will be looking back at you and judging your honesty.
And this especially goes for relationships. Both men and women like it served straight up—the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me…
It’s a winding road, so you have to be honest with yourself about the strengths and weaknesses of your presentation. I can tell if I’m getting my message across to someone by watching them carefully and gauging their reactions to the things I’ve said. Can you? If your presentation was filmed or taped, could you objectively step back and evaluate yourself honestly? If it was a movie or a book, would you root for yourself?
No matter how much I may differ culturally from whoever it is I’m trying to persuade, I can always relate to someone who has the courage and good sense to speak up and/or listen for themselves, take responsibility for all their actions, good and bad, instead of ducking and hiding behind silence. That only leads to speculation. What is that person hiding?
I ended up winning one of my court cases by convincing the jury that yes, I wasn’t a murderer. By having my attorney lead me into a lot of details about my life and my many transgressions, the jury found my entire story credible partly because I had prepared my testimony extensively by going over each and every detail over and over. My delivery and my message were clear and not muddled. I answered with confidence the questions that were posed to me. I was easy to understand and relate to, and by simply telling the truth, I even came across as sympathetic.
Whenever you have the luxury of telling your own story, I recommend it, because time and time again, I’ve found that being well prepared and presenting the truth always wins.
27
Nothing States Your Position More Clearly Than a Punch in the Face
Fighting and brawling are believed to be means of expression reserved for gangsters, outlaws, and, well, motorcycle riders. I plead guilty to that. Yet I maintain that you’re unlikely to find a more invigorating and exhausting barroom pursuit than fighting. Fighting is physically demanding, and is a severe test of courage and fortitude. It can be the best way to settle an argument. One thing you have to remember about a good, honest fistfight is that at its best, it’s conclusive, and if you score a knockout, it is final.
I’m not talking about gunplay, knives, or back-alley techniques (though all of those things have their own time and place); I’m talking about mano a mano fisticuffs. It’s a dying art in most circles, though not in mine. Many a dispute is settled with our fists, whether it’s caused by someone who’s had a bit too much to drink and is running his mouth, or by someone who is out to prove their willingness to stand up for themselves, or whether it has to do with an incident stemming from a basic (but temporary) lack of respect.
Fistfighting is a direct and spontaneous form of conflict resolution. It’s sad that it’s not utilized in business and political circles today. Think of the lives and money that might be saved if our leaders duked it out among themselves. They would get younger, quick. Basically, all conflicts could be averted and settled with only a few quick punches. While fighting has its violent repercussions, it’s the best way to clear the air. For those few seconds or minutes, it no longer matters who you are, what car you drive, what you do for a living, or how much money you make. On the streets of modern America, all that should matter is how tough and tenacious you are and how willing you are to stand up for what you believe and say.
Fighting is quick and right to the point. It requires a physical sacrifice, and since pain is involved, it forces people to pick the arguments they truly care about. It also solves a situation quickly and definitively.
Unarmed fighting is an overlooked art and a noble science. It can be your most complete and mobile self-defense system. Bare-fist fighting need not be considered a crude activity practiced by criminals and thugs. European martial arts utilize different styles and techniques. There are closed-fist, open-hand, elbow, and arm techniques. There are also kicking, sweeping, and knee techniques, not to mention head butting. Once two opponents hit the ground, there’s grappling and wrestling. The biggest brawls I’ve fought have lasted a couple of minutes, tops. The greatest
fighters are those who really know how to jump in fast and turn out the lights quickly, using a variety of fighting skills. These are the guys you want on your side if and when the room turns against you.
Granted, all this sounds over-the-top. The point I’m trying to make is that we should strongly consider bringing back the more physical aspects of problem solving. Instead of hiring a lawyer to take care of our conflicts, why not solve disagreements physically, by fighting, wrestling, arm wrestling, whatever physical activity will get the job done? Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton dueled with pistols and they were both lawyers! Physicality involves sacrifice, and if you are willing to sacrifice to win your case and get your point across, then this idea of mine has some merit for you.
I see people solving too many of their disputes with costly and timely litigation (so much time goes by that the passion is gone and you can forget about what the problem was in the first place) and paperwork. Lots of paperwork, with the proper documents having to be filed, stamped, approved, and so forth. At the end of the day, something may be resolved, but the real winners are the lawyers. They walk away with wheelbarrows of cash. I’ve talked to a lot of lawyers, and even they’re tired of all the paperwork and bullshit. The worst part of their job, they claim, is dealing with other lawyers.
Let’s bring back the more simple and direct elements of problem solving. The good old-fashioned fistfight.
28
You Can’t Appoint, Hire, or Declare Leadership
I’ve heard athletic team captains say that they garner much more respect from their teammates if the team chooses them as a captain than if the coach appoints them. You are not a true leader until you’re perceived as a leader by your own people, and not by an executive proclamation. No title or promotion or appointment is going to give you, as a leader, the respect you need in order to make your people forget their own limits, accomplish goals beyond those limits, and do everything possible to succeed together as an organization.
Take, for example, the leaders in various countries. Royalty are those born into their positions as kings and queens. Do the people, the working classes, really respect the leadership of those kings and queens? Notice how a lot of these countries regard their royalty as just figureheads and grant them little or no power to rule.
Titles don’t make the man.
Being a leader is a hassle. An important thing I’ve learned about leadership is that just like the rank and file, leaders need constant guidance and motivation. If you are someone a leader can fully trust and fall back on, take some time to motivate them. By doing this, you’ll find yourself playing an enormously important role in shaping a winning organization.
The best leadership is accomplished by achieving honor and dignity, by becoming a role model. I hear that a lot and it’s true. Leadership isn’t just a matter of ordering and bullying people around. A leader must be an organizer. A planner. A persuader. A person of confidence, a person with self-esteem.
Leadership arises more from how others perceive you than from how you perceive yourself.
29
Take a Pit Stop, Overhaul Your Psyche
Some call it soul-searching. I call it taking inventory. Every now and then, make a pit stop so you can pause and objectively take stock of yourself and your life.
People view motorcycle riders as being strong, decisive, and confident. Women fall hard for men on bikes because they sense both inner and outer strength. They perceive that we’re a determined lot and that we know what we want out of life. (Well, they are right!)
No matter how old you are, I believe that all of us have the potential to be tougher and smarter than we were yesterday. But first, you’ve got to take time out in order to take stock, to figure out what parts of your body and mind might need tuning up. Every so often, our bodies, like our machines, need careful adjustment and maintenance. We might not be in the right groove. We may regularly do a diagnostic check on our bikes, but do we do it to ourselves?
Over twenty years ago, I was on the road to smoking myself to death. I needed to stop and take a breather, but I wouldn’t. I was too stubborn. Fortunately, my friends intervened. By looking death in the face after being diagnosed with throat cancer, I chose the option of reinventing my body and brain into a finely tuned machine as opposed to an abused receptacle for nicotine, booze, and drugs. While I was strong, willing, and able to kick ass, my physical and mental attitudes were not in concert. My mind was saying one thing (Oh, go ahead, you only live once…) while my body was saying something different (You’d better slow down, kiddo…). By making the commitment to live a healthier lifestyle, eating better, working out more regularly, staying fit, and quitting cigarettes, I took a necessary course of action.
Over the years, we all slip a little in the strength-training department. I find it harder to make smart decisions if I’m physically off-kilter. How far off the mark have you physically let yourself go? Shaping up is a process anyone can take on. There are effective strength-building programs and diets out there adjusted to your age, weight, and physical needs and limitations. I know, because I once owned a gym. Fitness was my trade, and it’s remained an obsession.
With physical strength comes mental sharpness. I also find emotional health to be the immediate and natural by-product of being in better physical shape. Self-confidence paves the way for the long-term goals you need to accomplish. Aggressive physical conditioning is like staying sober; it’s an ongoing process, not just a day’s decision. No guru or religious leader told me this. I learned and experienced it for myself.
As part of a tune-up and inventory process, I recommend you turn off the television, pick up a book, work those mental muscles, and exercise that flabby imagination inside your head. Television eats time and tends to suck people into an imaginary world of idiotic priorities. Next, take a couple of weeks (or months) off the alcohol and substances. See what happens. Feel what it’s like to have a clearer head on top of a lighter, stronger body.
There are more than six billion people on Earth today and what did you do to make a difference? What did you do in material terms? What about something you did for someone else? Finally, did you set an example for someone other than yourself? Never write yourself off.
After you get your body in shape, jump on your motorcycle (or whatever it is that keeps your heart pumping), and take a 360-degree look at your world. For at least a day, stop living mindlessly, according to your routines and habits. Think about what you’re doing, eating, and how you’re spending your last few precious units of time on Earth. For an entire day, become hypersensitive to your surroundings and see if you can’t remember what attracted you to this particular time and space, your environment, in the first place. Why are you still here? You might have a lot of reasons to stick around. Your old lady. Your job. Your family. Your friends. Yourself. If you can’t think of a single good reason to continue down the road you’re riding, then you might consider radically changing your direction, wiping the slate clean, and beginning anew someplace else. It’s difficult but sometimes necessary.
For me, it all started with a few minor adjustments, a tune-up, a simple inventory, and then a cold, hard look at my daily routine. By completely taking stock, you’re less apt to do something you’ll regret later on down the line.
30
Be Careful Writing People Off. They Can Be Rebuilt.
If a “basket case” falls into your lap, can you spot its hidden potential?
One of the best things about old Harleys is that they’re virtually indestructible. Old Harleys don’t die; they just go on to become what I call basket cases. There is still something usable but not in the same form. A once-proud classic Harley, after years of wear and tear, neglect, or abuse, is reduced to a box of parts. On the surface, it’s a pathetic sight, a bike in a box. But if you develop an eye for motorcycle potential, you can see past a basket of parts and visualize the find of the century. Short of a complete meltdown, you can rebuild damn near any Harley-Davidson. You
just have to be clever enough to spot a motorcycle’s potential.
I’ve known people who have paid thousands for a basket case because they were able to see that, from the rubble and parts, a vintage rigid frame or a rebuilt classic police bike was waiting to emerge. A bent and rusted frame, the core and foundation of a solid motorcycle, can usually be straightened. It’s not easy, but with a veteran frame straightener, the results can be miraculous. Forks, swing arms, pivot bolts, steering stops, and distorted head stocks can be repaired and brought back up to factory service specs. A competent frame straightener can perform most of these services so that, upon completion, they are virtually undetectable. No cuts, grind marks, or obtrusive welds, just a smooth, sleek, and restored frame upon which to restore your bike.
Then there’s the cosmetic angle to consider because that is what people will see first. Your look. A new paint job can be as elaborate as a showpiece with flames, stripes, graphics, and even murals painted over the original base coat onto the tank and fenders. Or you can take the simpler route, with something as clean, plain, and undetectable as a brand-new stock paint job.
It’s the same case with people. You’ll be surprised what you can create today among society’s castoffs, rejects, and basket cases. If I can see character and toughness in someone, especially if they have true grit, maybe they’re worth restoring, investing time in, or virtually rebuilding.
