Chris Bennetts | Christopher Bennetts

This was originally posted on another blog of mine in early 2009 when I first become aware that Evan had included me on his hate site against Philippines Rotary. It was an appeal to him I made before I realized his true motivation as a cyber stalker seeking attention. Of course my appeal was futile but I am including it here as the message is still valid and might help someone regain perspective.  See  My Initial Response to Evan

I have been reflecting further upon the subject of my last post A Time To Let Go with the advice I would give the person that there comes a time to let go.

I am reminded of Sun Tsu who advised us to “choose your battles wisely” and “do not fight battles you cannot win”.

This really applies to the guy I wrote about in the last post.

I wonder why he has become so obsessed with attacking an organization.  What makes it pointless is that even if there was a chance of some sort of victory there is no prize waiting for either victor.

He considers himself a whistle blower and in general I applaud anyone exposing corruption or wrong doing.  If he had a purpose or ultimate goal it is lost in the content of his vitriolic website and I suspect he has long since lost sight of it anyway.

In contrast I recently saw a movie about an inventor who waged a 25 year war against a corporation that ripped off his invention.  The guy eventually won and received a huge payout and the recognition that he wanted.  Along the way the corporation had offered him several million dollars to settle but on principle he demanded acknowledgment for his invention.

His great victory came at a high cost to his personal life and emotional well being. It cost him his job, this marriage and even his mental health as he spent some time in a mental asylum when he had a break down and became delusional.

Was the 25 years of struggle worth it?  Well he did eventually win and received the recognition he wanted as well as massive financial compensation.  He also won a huge victory for the common man demonstrating that a goliath cannot just trample all over them without being challenged.  We can all be thankful that there are guys like him willing to fight for justice.

I think most people would say his struggle was worth it despite the personal sacrifice, but do we really appreciate the true cost of that sacrifice.   Twenty five years is a large portion of the average person’s life and to spend that in a bitter and struggle and it would have taken a huge toll on his health and well being.  I am talking about 25 years of unhappiness. No amount of money or recognition can get that back.

The movie is called a Flash of Genius and about Robert Kearns, Inventor of Intermittent Windshield Wipers who took on the Ford Motor company and others.  He died in 2005 of brain cancer complicated by Alzheimer’s disease at age 77.

Sadly despite the apparent vindication and $30 million dollar settlement he never got what he had sought from the beginning which was the chance to run a factory with his six children and build his wiper motors.  In 1990 he said “I need the money, but that’s not what this is about, I’ve spent a lifetime on this. This case isn’t just a trial. It’s about the meaning of Bob Kearns’s life.”

I have actually met another guy that fought and won a life long battle with a large corporation.   In this case a large Telecommunications company.  He actually won a $10 million dollar payout after the best part of 20 years and like Kearns it has taken a toll on this guys life.

The victory and money has not brought him happiness.  He still wages the same war against the telecommunications company assisting others.  For him it is an obsession and one that does not seem to bring him much joy.

So back to the advice of Sun Tsu to choose your battles wisely and avoid those you cannot win.  It is my contention that you should also consider the cause, prize and ultimate cost of victory as there may be some battles you can win which may not be worth the effort.

With the battle I undertook I was able to re-evaluate with those considerations and make the decision to let go and allow things to run their natural course.  I have had professional advise that the psychopath will eventually lose interest and abandon my ex-girlfriend and child when there is no game to play.  I am sure this is a strategy Sun Tsu would approve of.