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  • Writer's pictureCourtney Kirschaum

You put yourself in danger when you go here

Let’s have a quick chat about an unlikely topic. Meet General George Patton.  You may have some dusty memory of him from a history class.

He was all kinds of a military big deal in his day,  but he has a lesser known claim to fame.

When Patton was in his twenties, he competed in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics – in the Pentathlon. The five sports of this event are horseback riding, swimming, running, sword fencing and pistol shooting. Patton fired his allotted 20 bullets with a .38 caliber pistol.  Other competitors were using .22 pistols. 

When judges examined Patton’s paper target, they saw only 17 holes.

Assuming the missing three shots missed the target entirely, they lowered his score. Patton claimed all of his shots hit the target, but because of his higher caliber weapon, the holes in his target were larger.


The missing shots hadn’t missed the target but went straight through existing holes.  The judges did not agree. If they had, Patton would have won the gold medal.  Instead, he finished 20th.  Next time you're watching the Olympics, note that modern pentathletes shoot at a scrolling target to prevent two bullets from going through the same hole. Moral of the story: If you’re shooting a .38, don’t compete with people who don't have the same firepower as you. It lowers you and elevates them. Do work and work with others who will elevate you, that's Job Hunt School is about. Learn more here. Courtney

 

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