Paul Stanley recalled that he didn’t try hard at school, and said he didn’t recommend others following his example.

In a recent interview with 98.7 The Gator (video below) the Kiss icon used his story to illustrate an argument about setting realistic life goals.

“I still remember being in high school,” Stanley said. “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 going to be a rock star.’ And they said, ‘Everybody wants to be a rock star.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but I’m going to be.’”

Explaining his position, he commented: “[W]hat I can do, you might not be able to do in 10 years or in 100 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.” He added: “And if you choose to pursue something that’s out of reach, you’re an idiot.”

Stanley said he believed “we have one time on this Earth, and time is precious,” continuing: “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.… 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.”

Watch Paul Stanley’s Interview

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