Why Paul Stanley Thinks Chasing ‘Out of Reach’ Goals is Idiotic

Love him or hate him, Kiss rhythm guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley has few qualms about sharing blunt opinions. Case in point: his recent (Jan. 27) appearance on Florida’s 98.7 The Gator, where he argued that pursuing unattainable aspirations is downright foolish.

For context (and as transcribed by Blabbermouth), Stanley was chatting with host Big Rig about following ambitions with a confident yet realistic approach. Specifically, Big Rig brought up one of Stanley’s paintings – which he posted to Instagram on Jan. 25 – titled “QTR: Quality Time Remaining.”

The painting also reads, “Live without excuses, die without regrets,” and Big Rig asked Stanley about that mantra and Stanley’s perspective on balancing work, inspiration, self-reflection and the like.

Stanley explained:

In this case, what I can do, you might not be able to do in 10 years or in a hundred years. And vice versa — there’s things that I’m just not equipped to do. If I had decided to pursue becoming a mathematician, I’d be homeless. I think at some point, each one of us has to do some sort of self-assessment — brutally honest — of what we are capable of and what’s out of reach. And if you choose to pursue something that’s out of reach, you’re an idiot.

While that may sound harsh, Stanley’s reasoning is charmingly empathetic and philosophical:

As far as I know, we have one time on this earth, and time is precious. It only becomes more precious as time goes on. So, I think it’s always important to chase something that’s realistic. It doesn’t have to be realistic for the person next to you, but you have to believe that you can do it. I still remember being in high school, and I certainly don’t advocate someone else doing this, but I remember one of my teachers saying to me, “Why aren’t you doing the work?” And I said, “Well, I’m gonna be a rock star.” And they said, “Everybody wants to be a rock star.” And I said, “Yeah, but I’m going to be.”

So you can either delude yourself, which is insanity, or you can give the full-court press to what you believe you’re capable of doing. And the obstacles, you only see them when you lose sight of where you’re going.

You can watch the full interview below.

Blabbermouth also confirms that next month will see Stanley displaying “his latest art collection at Wentworth Gallery locations in Florida, Maryland and Virginia. During the trek, he will present works from his ‘Black Series,’ which features new original paintings, hand-painted guitars, works on metal and more.”

As for Kiss, they’re gearing up to embark on their international farewell tour, known as the End of the Road Tour. Along the way, they’ll travel to Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and Ohio (among other places), and they’ve claimed that it’ll include their final shows in the U.K.

You can purchase tickets here.

Paul Stanley Discusses Art and Ambition with Big Rig on 98.7 The Gator

The Biggest Rock + Metal Moments of 1973