Nice guys probably can't be bothered to finish at all
I've been worrying all weekend - about the ridiculous state of my immune system (must I really eat more vitaminy stuff? do chocolate oranges count?), but mostly, about something a friend said on Friday night. She read a claim - just a theoretical claim, admittedly, nothing to stake your pension on - that "people who like everybody and aren't judgmental, aren't able to judge themselves, and so have no motivation".
"I thought of you," she said.
I find this utterly depressing. It does sound like me. I can even see the logic to it. But I really, really, really don't like it. I always thought that being able to get on with everybody, to see the good in people, etc etc was a great boon and a gift. No, apparently it's a curse. It dooms me to being Unsuccessful. Okay, so I have said many times that I don't actually want a Career, so admittedly I can't really complain about the idea that I might not have one. But... butbutbut... surely I should be able to have one? If I really wanted to? Does this mean that if I want that champagne lifestyle (ooh, yes please), and accept that I have to work for it (bugger, but okay, acceptable) I have to learn to be critical and dissatisfied?
And here's an interesting corollary: should one then be automatically suspicious of anyone who is really successful, because they probably hate everyone, including you? Clearly misanthropy=motivation=success. Clearly. No wonder rich bastards all drive big darn SUVs/superfast sporty gas guzzlers with no care for the planet, or their fellow road users, or anyone else. It's not just because they can. It's because they really are assholes. We don't have to hate them because they're rich (and, usually, beautiful, because they're also motivated to get to the damn gym); we can hate them because, now, we know what they're really like. Aha.
Flaws in the above logic should be pointed out to anyone but me.
3 comments:
See? People do read the Scrivenings. Don't confuse drive and Rich Bastard Syndrome. I know one very nice, really successful person who has Drive but doesn't feel the need to screw other people over. But then the issue is Drive, and i maintain that it's genetic. Either you can't sit still (like me) or you can (like most other people, who curiously relish the idea of weekends and holidays where you Get Nothing Done for days at a time!) Most peculiar.
Mmm, I see what's going on here... Somebody made a nasty comment and now you're writing for revenge. C'mon, you don't like the person who made that silly comment, do you? Which just goes to show that the individual was flawed in their assessment of you and you're so obviously going to turn out to be a rip-roaring success.
Reminds me of the time somebody told me I had no "killer instinct".
I sulked for a day rationalising: "but killer instinct kills" ...
Then I made a point of writing a story about the speaker's murder.
Oh no, it wasn't a nasty comment at all. It was quite sweet really. Just depressingly true. And I do like her very much. (Hi, Pip!) Honest.
I'd like to read that story, though...
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