Jerkfaces.
So, the past few weeks have been spent mindlessly grinding on the various projects I have. My biggest outlet socially has been *shocker* social media. Being active on Facebook and Twitter is pretty fun, and manages to keep me from slipping off of the face of the earth entirely.
However, I do encounter the numerous assholes I've met across my years, and man do they infuriate me. But, there's a little saying bouncing around the internet that I've quite taken to heart. I don't know it off of the top of my head, but in so many words: "If someone does not enrich your life, then they're not worth keeping around."
I see enrichment as allowing the possibility to grow. I welcome disagreements, and I welcome friendly debate. I'm not in the mood for sycophants either, to be honest. While I like being told that I'm right and great and awesome, they also serves to stagnate my growth as a person. Really, that's my most basic mission, and I'm tired of the people in my life who hold me back one way or the other.
Take, for example, one gentleman whom I've been 'friends' with since college. We were never close. In fact, he irritated me constantly whenever we were around. Something about his inherent need to be right no matter the cost, his lack of tact, among other things. For instance, deliberately ragging on Judaism simply because a girl was Jewish, and he enjoyed getting a rise out of her. When she got upset, he'd accuse her of being overly-sensitive, then say that he had absolute right to talk about what he did, because at the very least he challenged her beliefs.
Problematically, he didn't challenge them. He just spat on them. To me, there's a difference. This guy likes to argue for the sake of arguing, and I can tell that his goal is not to enrich, but simply to prove that he's right. I do feel sorry for him, for the crushed, tiny person that he is. His ego is enormous, and it's wounded constantly when he asks himself: "Why won't girls sleep with me?" or "Why can't I find a girl to love?"
Sorry buddy, it's because you're a disgusting human being. Not physically, but spiritually/emotionally. You radiate negativity, and you attack people without the slightest concern for their feelings. Then you feign apologies later. I never fell for it, and I won't start now. I don't need you to constantly prove you're better than me.
Here's a conversation bit, journal:
I claimed that I can tell the difference between real violin and fake violin on recordings. Someone pulled up a song, and I said they sounded real. He immediately went scouring the internet to see if someone took credit for the track. Evidently no one did, meaning it must be fake.
Him: "Those violins were fake."
Me: "So they were. I guess I was mistaken."
Him: "So I was right."
Me: "You were. Good Job."
Him: "And you're a violinist."
Me: "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Awkward pause.
Me: "That you're better than me?"
Him: "No."
Me: "Then why go through all the effort to prove me wrong?"
Him: "Why're you getting upset?"
Me: "I'm not, really. Just annoyed that you constantly go through great lengths just to challenge me. I don't see what you get out of it other than proving to yourself that you're better than me."
Him: "Whoa, whoa, I was trying to show you that those were fake violins, that maybe your ears aren't all they're claimed to be."
Me: "It's a recorded instrumental track. It's not a synthesized track, btw. I just chose not to call you back out in public."
Him: "What're you trying to say?"
Me: "That I don't need to prove to the world that I'm better than you. I don't think I'm better than you. I don't claim to be better than you."
It's been pretty nice purging those people from Facebook.
However, I do encounter the numerous assholes I've met across my years, and man do they infuriate me. But, there's a little saying bouncing around the internet that I've quite taken to heart. I don't know it off of the top of my head, but in so many words: "If someone does not enrich your life, then they're not worth keeping around."
I see enrichment as allowing the possibility to grow. I welcome disagreements, and I welcome friendly debate. I'm not in the mood for sycophants either, to be honest. While I like being told that I'm right and great and awesome, they also serves to stagnate my growth as a person. Really, that's my most basic mission, and I'm tired of the people in my life who hold me back one way or the other.
Take, for example, one gentleman whom I've been 'friends' with since college. We were never close. In fact, he irritated me constantly whenever we were around. Something about his inherent need to be right no matter the cost, his lack of tact, among other things. For instance, deliberately ragging on Judaism simply because a girl was Jewish, and he enjoyed getting a rise out of her. When she got upset, he'd accuse her of being overly-sensitive, then say that he had absolute right to talk about what he did, because at the very least he challenged her beliefs.
Problematically, he didn't challenge them. He just spat on them. To me, there's a difference. This guy likes to argue for the sake of arguing, and I can tell that his goal is not to enrich, but simply to prove that he's right. I do feel sorry for him, for the crushed, tiny person that he is. His ego is enormous, and it's wounded constantly when he asks himself: "Why won't girls sleep with me?" or "Why can't I find a girl to love?"
Sorry buddy, it's because you're a disgusting human being. Not physically, but spiritually/emotionally. You radiate negativity, and you attack people without the slightest concern for their feelings. Then you feign apologies later. I never fell for it, and I won't start now. I don't need you to constantly prove you're better than me.
Here's a conversation bit, journal:
I claimed that I can tell the difference between real violin and fake violin on recordings. Someone pulled up a song, and I said they sounded real. He immediately went scouring the internet to see if someone took credit for the track. Evidently no one did, meaning it must be fake.
Him: "Those violins were fake."
Me: "So they were. I guess I was mistaken."
Him: "So I was right."
Me: "You were. Good Job."
Him: "And you're a violinist."
Me: "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Awkward pause.
Me: "That you're better than me?"
Him: "No."
Me: "Then why go through all the effort to prove me wrong?"
Him: "Why're you getting upset?"
Me: "I'm not, really. Just annoyed that you constantly go through great lengths just to challenge me. I don't see what you get out of it other than proving to yourself that you're better than me."
Him: "Whoa, whoa, I was trying to show you that those were fake violins, that maybe your ears aren't all they're claimed to be."
Me: "It's a recorded instrumental track. It's not a synthesized track, btw. I just chose not to call you back out in public."
Him: "What're you trying to say?"
Me: "That I don't need to prove to the world that I'm better than you. I don't think I'm better than you. I don't claim to be better than you."
It's been pretty nice purging those people from Facebook.