He is one of very few athletes that captivated me during his prime. Friends and I used to order all of his fights on pay-per-view. We even made plans to go to Vegas and watch him fight at the MGM. We never made it.
Mike Tyson was unpredictably predictable in his prime. We knew he would knock his opponent out before the final round. It was always a matter of when not how.
As his wealth grew, his hunger for dominance seemed to diminish. As with most people who grow up in poverty and find wealth later in life, he became predictably unpredictable.
When backed in a corner against Evander Holyfield, he chewed a piece of his ear off. When defeated by Buster Douglas, his personal life seemed to unravel at a faster pace. His career and personal life had become chaotic.
In the interview I recently read, Mike Tyson admits to have blowing his fortune on drugs, an entourage, hookers, cars, houses, etc.
It's really easy for the rest of us to laugh at these once wealthy and seemingly immortal men. But Mike Tyson isn't the first person to self-destruct at his newfound wealth and fame.
MC Hammer lost his fortune. Countless artists and even actors have. Athletes, too. There are multitudes of lottery winners who have done the same thing. Many business men and women have the same track record.
It's as if chaos ensues when stability is right in their hands.
It would be really easy to say that greed or stupidity is the reason people self-destruct at the mere taste of success. But I don't believe it's the case at all.
I used to watch a show on MTV called Cribs. It was a program that showcased the homes of celebrities. It never failed; every rapper and musician had 20 cars and a mansion decorated with the finer things in life.
I used to wonder why would anyone need so many cars. It never made sense to me that a single man or even a married man would need a mansion with 40 bedrooms.
At some point, it dawned on me that people raised in poverty simply don't think beyond tomorrow. I supposed that most of these people grew up in survival mode and having food on their plate at dinner was the only thing on their mind.
Maybe. Maybe not. It's a theory.
But then I realize that not every person who blows their wealth grew up poor.
And I start thinking... why do some people prefer chaos over stability.
Is it human nature to self-destruct?
I look at my own life and I realize that I am really no different than Mike Tyson or some former lottery winner.
Certainly, I didn't grow up in poverty nor have I ever been wealthy. But if I look closely at the most secure moments of my life, I can admit those were the times I did everything in my power to impede my own success and happiness.
In my last relationship, I did it. She was perfect; perfect for me and I, for her. Yet, I found ways to undermine the health of our relationship. Eventually, she took me back but we wasted two years apart because of my uncanny ability to undermine something good. It was as if I wanted chaos instead of this newfound joy I was tangled in.
At my last job, I made a lot of money. Yet, my bank account has nothing to show for the hard work and the success that followed.
It's like I have followed the same blueprint that Mike Tyson did but on a smaller scale.
I will never quite understand why I have always seemed to prefer chaos over stability. Is it because I had a chaotic childhood? Is it because I have a Type A personality or is my Type A personality a manifestation of the chaos I knew as a child?
Or maybe some of us live by the cliche, "it's about the journey and not the destination"; meaning some of us prefer climbing Mount Everest instead of actually reaching its' peak.
I simply don't quite know why a lot of us can't handle success or happiness well.
I suppose the first step is recognizing the self-destructive patterns. Then, at some point, hope that wisdom settles in.
I read the interview with Mike Tyson and I felt pity for him. I saw a man finally growing up.
And in a strange and quite possibly enlightening way, I saw myself.
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