EMULATION EXPERT

Rich Dad, Poor Dad is a best-selling personal finance book written by Robert T. Kiyosaki. The book contrasts the financial philosophies and habits of two father figures in the author’s life—his biological “Poor Dad” and his mentor “Rich Dad.”

Through practical lessons and anecdotes, Kiyosaki emphasizes the importance of financial education, investing, and building assets as keys to wealth. He advocates for thinking differently about money and encourages readers to pursue financial independence by developing skills that aren’t traditionally taught in school.

I read Kiyosaki’s book several years ago and learned that I’d adopted a bit of his savviness going back to elementary school. Robert Kiyosaki mentions in his book several times that the best way to be successful is to emulate or copy those already there. I put that bit of wisdom to work for me early on in fourth grade.

Larelia Sadler sat in front of me, and she always scored high in written tests, especially math, where I was a slow learner. I learned that I could emulate her As and Bs by simply copying the answers I didn’t know. It was more survival for me rather than anything else because no kid wants a bad grade.

In car racing this is known as cheating, with winning only invalidated if a racer’s caught. The late Dale Earnhardt was a professional at this trick along with many others such as A.J. Foyt. The list of those caught with their hand in the cookie jar is miles long.

Cheating in car racing is quite common, often taking the form of bending or breaking rules for a competitive advantage. Teams may use illegal modifications, hidden technology, or even subtle adjustments that go unnoticed to gain an edge.

In many cases, the thrill of competition and the stakes involved lead participants to push the boundaries of what’s allowed, making enforcement and detection an ongoing challenge for racing officials. Teachers in school have that same problem, especially now with the electronic age.

I was never caught, but unfortunately, a guy sitting behind me came up on the short end of the stick from “emulation meltdown.” On that day, he thought I was getting all the right answers, but unfortunately, the person in front of me was on the same academic level as him and I. All three of us flunked.

I stopped copying in Junior high when the risk of a swat or a trip to the principal’s office made the act a bit painful, along with the embarrassment of others finding out, especially parents. That still didn’t stop some guys. I suppose they eventually ended up in prison or elected office.

I did use Robert Kiyosaki’s advice in an intended way where real estate is concerned and it paid off for retirement purposes. The $9.95 I forked out for his book back then was money well spent. Emulation also helped me come in first place in a go cart race with friends.

I observed a track employee reach back and disable the engine governor while driving, letting his machine speed past paying customers. Copying this procedure, I cheated and easily won that race before being barred from the track.

Something tells me that Earnhardt and Foyt never had that problem. Perhaps their arms were longer than mine and they didn’t have to totally turn their heads around, which was a dead giveaway!