MasterPo: Greatness shines through unto itself. It does not need light to shine upon it. With the explosive growth of the paranormal field over the recent years it was inevitable for the age-old argument of who is better at the paranormal to raise its head. It is by no means easy to measure the value of a given investigator or group to the field. Indeed, all paranormal investigators and groups have something to contribute to the field. Ranking one over another is usually far more subjective than objective (though applying a set of standards can definitely help quantify the distinction, but that's a subject for another time). And then there are the motivations. Some in the field are here to do true research into the paranormal. Some see it as a mere thrill and joy ride treating it with all the care of going to a Six Flags park. Some want so urgently to prove it exists, some to debunk (or discredit) it at all costs, and some don't care either way as long as they can help bring comfort to people who don't understand what is happening in their lives. Then there are some parties that want to make a name for themselves and achieve an immediate level of greatness. It is to this latter collection that this article addresses.

Greatness is self evident. Greatness speaks for itself.
"Great" is a conclusion other people reach regarding the persons in question. History determines the level of a person's greatness (or not). People and organizations that are deemed to be "great" are elevated for such consideration because of the work they do and the achievements and contributions they have made.

Persons who are considered "great" stand for something. It is clear and unambiguous what their philosophy is, their methodologies are, what their supporting sources are, and where they stand on related topics. Great people are unwavering in their stand, particularly for truth and openness. Great people make a decision and stand by it, not simply saying what is most expedient for the current audience then change to a different stance for the next audience set or when popular opinion shifts. This is not to say great people are closed minded. Not at all. But when they have come to a conclusion they need more than just another point of view to change their mind.

It follows that great people can give you a clear, well thought out, well articulated and documented (with verifiable references) argument as to why they have their point of view. Great people will accept another point of view, so long as it is also clear, well thought out, well articulated and documented too.
Greatness also comes with a healthy dose of humility. While there is nothing wrong in taking a moment to be proud of one's achievements and successes, the truly great people in history frequently shunned accolades seeing it as a distraction from their work.

Greatness is not self declared. Greatness doesn't seek recognition.
A person or organization is not "great" because they say they are. Persons and organizations can't anoint themselves as "great". Only others can do this. The more a person or organization touts their own greatness the less true greatness they have and the more scrutiny they acquire. People and organizations that rely on repeatedly stating (claiming) all the years of (claimed) experience they have under their belts, all the things they have done, all the people they know, all the ideas they put forth, etc. as justification for supporting their greatness are grasping at straws hoping to be lifted into the light by an unseen hand. Greatness is not on one's resume.

Greatness can not come from simply tossing out ideas like seeds on the wind, hoping one or two will find a fertile patch in someone's mind and take root. It would be nice work if you could get it. But few people get recognition solely for an idea without anything of substance behind it. Great ideas do not exist at face value only. Like a seed to be planted, a great idea needs to be carefully selected from lesser ideas (not all ideas are created equal), guided by logical flow, feed the right mix of fact and hypothesis to warrant its existence, and supported by truth until it stands on its own (or fails as often happens as well).

People who are great rarely seek out the spotlight of center stage (i.e. television, radio, print media). Their contribution to the media is usually behind the scenes as a reference or consultation source rather than the special guest feature of the presentation.

As the paranormal field continues to expand and more people enter the field recognition and award will follow those who have demonstrated true commitment to the field and achievement there in. The glory hounds will at best get frustrated that no one is taking them for the greatness they feel they immediately deserve and will probably leave the field or shrink to anonymity. Or, at worst, will attract a small cadre of like-minded followers that will spend their days patting each other on the back in their own mutual admiration society and then too fade away into anonymity. Either way the question will be answered once and for all.
To expand on an old saying "Do what you love and greatness will follow."

Long Island Paranormal Investigators
http://www.Liparanormalinvestigators.com
Helping the living, the dead, and those in between.

Not saying you... but some people should practice what they preach. If they are in this field for greatness, fame or just the glory... they are in it for the wrong reasons. If you care that you are a good person, only god really knows what you've done in the end. You can't hide the wrong from him.

That was an awesome article MasterPo! I couldn't have said it better myself. There's nothing more aggravating that people that come on here & think that by bragging about who they've met, how many years they've been doing this, how many investigations they've been on, what kind of equipment they have, how many lectures they've done & where they've been that they'll get respect from everyone. That's not the way it works. Like you stated, you can't deem yourself great & being in the field 10+ years doesn't make you great either. There are so many groups out there that are there for the right reasons & don't care if they're in the spotlight or not. It's awesome to be recognized for your hard work & dedication but don't brag about it every chance you get. There are alot of glory-hounds out there & unfortunately are in the field for the wrong reasons. The majority of the groups out there wanna contribute to this field in a positive way. All the other posers really give the hard-working, dedicated investigators a bad name. There are so many out there that think they are the next Jay & Grant... not gonna happen by acting like a pompous idiot.

I agree. There's a group on LI that's only been together for 3 months and just because they have gotten a radio gig they think they can call themselves great! LOL

Look... LIGHT has been around for 3 years +. You don't see our team following TAPS around. You don't hear me or my team crying to be on TV. We're very happy to be just Ghost Hunting and contributing to the field by writing about our experiences and educating those who wish to learn about them.

Talking badly about another paranormal group in your area is definately not a sign of greatness... it's actually pretty shaddy thing to do . Everyone group does things differently, just because you don't like or agree with their way of doing things doesn't mean you're greater than them. People are too focused on what group does what & which group is on tv or radio... if you worried less about others & focused more on yourself & your team, there would be less drama.

All I can say is, teams that bash others or trash talk others... Reap what you sow! What goes around comes around and 10 fold. Karma can be a b*tch!

The best offense & defense to something like that is silence! It has worked for me. I might complain, or vent... but its in our human nature to. But I don't go around trash talking. Never have, never will. Those who focus on an individual or other teams on t.v. or in your region have nothing better to do. They are just jealous of your success. My team has come a long way without the need of hurting others for our benefit. We've come a long way without the need of following TAPS. As I said all we care about is Ghost Hunting, helping people, and contributing to the field in a more professional productive way. Whether it be through writing, learning or educating.

The teams who bash others will sink their own ships with the weight of all that negativity on their shoulders.

You should take your own advice... this to me looks like your bashing a group, just because you didn't mention their name doesn't mean it's right. You've also bashed PRS many many times, it doesn't matter if you like their methods you don't have to air out all the crap you talked. And ontop of that you tooted your own horn... AGAIN about the greatness of YOUR group & how far you've come. Is it me, or do you not see yourself doing that?

I was giving credit to MP for a nice article in reference to my comment. Not bashing anyone. Saying how far a team has come is not the same thing as saying we are great. We all do the same thing and no one else is better than the other person.

The PRS thing is getting old, let's change the tune shall we?

I'm sorry you misunderstood my point. That's not what I meant.

Like MasterPo said "Greatness shines through unto itself"... the few groups out there that are doing the right thing & are being recognized for their hard work without bragging are the ones that are gonna go far in this field. Being on tv or radio isn't how you will succeed.

Agreed!

Well written article MP. Deeper than most things I've had to the opportunity to read recently.

Thank you all for your comments.

Some groups are completely clueless to the fact they're causing friction within paranormal community it's ridiculous. How can people be that oblivious to the trouble they stir up? Specially when it's within your own community, groups that are in the same city/state/area really should be on good terms with eachother not spreading garbage around or thinking you're better than someone else'se group because you've been around longer. That's just so stupid. People need to be careful who they stir up otherwise you're gonna have enemies everywhere you go. From what I've heard, some people have burned bridges just to prove their group(s) are better. Well I got news for those people, being in the field longer than a newer group doesn't make you better, having better equipment doesn't make you better, knowing who you know doesn't make you better. What's the point of being recognized around the country/world if you can't even get along with groups in your own area? People that read this & don't think this article pertains to them... well it does. Who cares if your group is better than another? What's the point of announcing you're great or being recognized as great? I thought this field was to contribute to the paranormal & help people who need it. It's not about fame or fortune!

As I said before and I'll keep saying it until it sounds like a broken record. We all do the same thing. Therefore, no other team is better than the other. We all have the same common goals. For those who go on TV or radio and if that's all you care about, then you are in it for the wrong reasons. How funny it is, when I have tried, over and over to "promote" working together and how some people on this forum were against it. Oh to each their own. Remember those words? That's what makes groups unique and so forth. It does, but working together is also very important in our field. It will get more people to become more open minded. Giving everyone more opportunities to study and research. It helps improve the smaller teams who may have little or no experience. Instead of bad mouthing other teams or gloating you have better equipment, more people, or how long you have been in the field, try and help those people out. the more our field improves, the more our field has a chance at surviving and not fading away. To prove my point a little further to show that it is quite possible. United Paranormal is growing rapidly. We now have several LI Teams under our belt and starting to expand outside of LI. These are people with the same goals and ambition. To improve. Whether its to improve yourself or others. I believe working with your fellow investigator is so vital.

Here's an analogy for ya. I'll use myself as an example. I'm not afraid to admit my grammar is not up to par. I'm no English major here. But I enjoy learning, writing and educating. Instead of sending me anonymous Emails that my grammar needs improving. Why not be nice about it and help support it. I'm willing to learn and listen without having my integrity questioned. There are others out there like me. The same goes for investigating. If someone isn't doing something right. There's a way to approach that person. Without hurting their feelings. Don't bash the people who may lack the ability or knowledge.

Some of you may not agree. But I have changed. I have had things done to me recently that has woke me up to stride to become a more positive influence. I want to be a good role model for those who are willing to learn. I really want to get involved and contribute. There's nothing wrong with thinking outside the box or thinking about the bigger picture, its called having dreams and goals.