“Everybody gets found out.”
In short: David Millar is a British road cyclist who rode 12 Tours de France and won five stages. In this Success Secrets clip from his London Real interview with Brian Rose, he answers a question about what to tell athletes who reach a point where they could choose to cheat: stay on the straight road, because he believes you will be found out.
Brian sets the scene: an athlete begins competing for enjoyment, then faces injuries, expectations, fame and money, and may arrive at a fork in the road. He asks what David would tell them to do.
David says veering off the path means you may never get back on it, that the shortcut may bring riches but not a good life, and that the worst judge is the one in your own head.
Key takeaways
- Stay on the straight road. David says to stick to what you believe even when you cannot see for clouds and fog.
- Veering off is hard to undo. In his view, once you leave the path left or right you may never get back on it.
- The shortcut can bring riches, but not a good life. He says you might get away with it for a while, but it leads to mental health problems.
- You will be found out. David says everybody is found out, even after death, and finds that a terrifying thought.
- You answer to yourself. Athletes and performers compete with themselves, so knowing at 60, 70 or 80 that it was all a lie makes you your own worst enemy.
The fork in the road
Brian notes that athletes can start for the love of the sport and later feel pressure to stay competitive as they become more famous. He points out that a British team with a “we don’t do that” culture helps, but that injuries and expectations can still push someone towards a bad choice.
Why David says you get found out
David argues that the cost of taking the wrong road is living in a lie. He is firm that crime does not pay, that everybody gets found out, and that the thought of it catching up with you is terrifying even if you tell yourself you will get away with it.
Competing with yourself
Brian adds that the best athletes and performers are in competition with themselves. David agrees: if you know in later life that it was all untrue, you will be your own worst enemy and will pay for it.
Who is David Millar?
David Millar is a British road cyclist who rode 12 Tours de France and won five stages. He spoke to Brian Rose on London Real, and this clip is a short piece of advice from that full interview.
Frequently asked questions
He tells them to stay on the straight road and not to cheat, because he believes everybody gets found out.
He says you might get away with it and get some riches, but it will never be the good road and can lead to mental health problems.
It is a Success Secrets clip taken from his full London Real interview with Brian Rose.
