I beat the lie detector test

We have a reader’s email today -Part 1-  along with the video of a fit ex-Wall Street guy age 76, in Part 2- nobody’s going to say now that I write for millennials only…

Sam writes:

Max, 
I’m a guy of high standards. Yesterday I took a polygraph test. Guess what ? I beat the polygraph ! The finding: no deception. The question “I beat” was innocuous in my opinion: “Have you ever cheated on your wife ?”  I’ve been married for 20+ years and a couple of years there was an affair that has since died down. I’ve reconciled it with my wife who, at the time, wasn’t too happy, she went away for a short time and threatened with divorce. In my business, however, being divorce is big no. I can’t have that on my record. We’ve managed to keep it together because our bond was stronger than any discord and moments of infidelity. We worked it through and stayed together. The longer you are together with your partner, the stronger the bonds. People make mistakes but mistakes are part of life. That mistake was corrected, forgiven, and I’ll gladly handle it the same today. 

I have taken polygraphs before, and never failed. I wasn’t going to fail this one. Did not. Here are my tips:

1. Perform well at the pre-test interview. The pre-test interview is their way of establishing a baseline and get you worked up. Easy drill for a good man !
2. Have good, clean standards.
3. Use only “Yes” or “No” answers. Don’t ramble. Don’t backtrack.
4. There are three types of questions: irrelevant, control, and relevant.
5. Answer the control Qs with the same integrity and sanity as the relevant ones. No hesitation.

That’s my story. Stay strong. Be well. 

Hey Sam,

Thanks for your story. You seem to have handled yourself a win. During the course of a marriage, there are roadblocks and stunts, but committed people learn to accept, forgive and let go. That may be the “secret” to a good marriage.

-Max

In the following video, follow the story of James P. Owen, a 76-years ex-Wall Street who wrote the book Just Move: A New Approach to Fitness after 50

From Amazon: “An inspirational speaker, author, and former Wall Street rainmaker, Jim Owen was 70 when he decided he had to get fit. Years of a chair-bound lifestyle were taking their toll. Realizing that the old bodybuilding approach was no way to tackle the stiffness, weakness, and aches and pains that come with age, he set off on a journey of discovery and transformation…Today, Owen is in better shape than he was at 25, and he is a passionate evangelist for fitness as a way of life. He has proved that you don’t have to be powerless in the face of advancing years.”

Note: Video plays only over http://, not https://