When I first moved to the US, I was 10 years old. I didn't know the language, I got bullied and picked on for being hispanic, I didn't understand the culture and missed my friends back home dearly.
Fast forward to 2001 when I moved back to the states, and I was dumbfounded. It took me a while to figure it out. I figured maybe it was the social circle I was with. Maybe I had just romanticized the time spent in the south.
But then I moved back to the south. Now here I am, 9 years since I left Georgia thinking: these people are racist, xenophobic, devoid of sophistication and intellect...
But at least they'll tell it to your face.
What ever happened to the stern, but polite good-ol'-boy who didn't beat around the bush? What ever happened to saying what you mean and meaning what you say? Where did the opinionated, yet respectful cowboys go? Why have people forgotten that you don't have to agree with me for me to find you respectful and of having tact?
Living in California, it was easy to blame the smug attitude and worse manners, but here? Of all places? Maybe it's a global phenomenon? Back home everyone's afraid of getting mugged so they'll act the part of a tough-guy... or tough-woman for that matter. Women will talk to you like they're your big brother. Instead of the pleasantness Venezuelan women have always been known for, now they curse at you worse then the guy she's married to who's standing next to her.
But that's a third world country! When you're trying to survive, fending off would-be attackers and doing your best for you and your family, that's understandable. But here? In the US? Where people spend longer planning their vacations than they do enjoying it? Where people have the luxury of being depressed? In a country who's military budget is greater than most nation's GDP combined?
I'm not asking for much, am I?
Is it really that hard to tell someone you're not interested? Practice with me: smile... ok, fine smirk. Smirk and tilt your head a bit while saying "Thank you, but I'm not interested" See? Was that hard? If you want to be extra polite, you can even put your right hand on your chest while you say it.
"Oh noes! The evil salesperson kept me here for over 2 hours!" exclaims the timeshare presentation attendee, who was clearly informed that they only needed to stay 90 minutes. You couldn't get up? you couldn't, in a calm and mature way excuse yourself and ask to leave?
Is it really that hard to push a single button on a website that will "politely decline" for you?
A button... Seriously?
A button.
We've become such pussy-footers, so easily offended, so indecisive and meek that people have started businesses out of alerting your ex-boy/girlfriend that s/he is just that... your ex... via facebook.
For God's sake people, grow a pair! You don't have to be rude to say what you mean, it's called being assertive. You'll be amazed at the results it yields.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
First Post!
I've created this blog solely for the sake of sharing thoughts my mind has generated over the years, as well as crowd-source my need for stupid-checking said ideas. My best friend has been extremely helpful with this, but I've nagged for far too long for it to be remotely reasonable. So, here goes my first post:
People want to be lied to.
Yes you do, admit it.
Do you want to know all the intricacies of the chemical reactions and how it affects your physiology every time you take a pain killer? No, you just want the pain to go away. Does your boss want to know what you're browsing while you work? No, she just wants to see you busy. The cop on the side of the road, seeing orderly traffic. The supervisor of said cop, sending him out to ensure orderly traffic. The busy parents who want a babysitter but don't want to do a full background check. The client who is impressed by their impressive powerpoint and fast talk, instead of your sincerity about how long the job will really take. The CEO who expects better results from the R&D department by giving them more money. The shareholders of the company who demand higher earnings without scrutinizing over the fundamentals of the company. The shoppers who put their sprees on credit and pretend things aren't that bad. The masses of unemployed people voting for a candidate because he promises more jobs.
It's sad, but we live in a society that wants to be lazy. Finding out the truth takes time, it takes work. If the truth hurts, then we're made of glass.
Hell, I'm lazy. But even in my laziness, I lie to myself.
I call it efficiency: I always look for the shortest line, the quickest path, the macro script that will cut the time it takes for me to make the report by a third.
If we're all high on the bliss of ignorance, how am I lying to myself?
...
I rationalize. Yeah, that's it.
The emotional decisions, the failures, all wishfully dissapear under the banner "It wasn't meant to be": 6 of the scariest words I kept hearing as a child. I grew to resent them, yet here I am blaming God's plans instead of my lack of conviction, my lack of courage, my lack of repeated effort.
Oh, here's another one: I live in the future.
A million and one ideas that would be profitable businesses, or even species-altering changes... yet too lazy to do anything about them and lying to myself that there's still time. I refuse to lie to myself, I won't be another smiling cow in the slow line for the guillotine of old age.
And thus it hurts. It hurts to see yourself for what you really are. Knowing your own limits is one of the pinacles of being a man, and to know thyself is to know thy Lord, right?
Why does it have to hurt?
People want to be lied to.
Yes you do, admit it.
Do you want to know all the intricacies of the chemical reactions and how it affects your physiology every time you take a pain killer? No, you just want the pain to go away. Does your boss want to know what you're browsing while you work? No, she just wants to see you busy. The cop on the side of the road, seeing orderly traffic. The supervisor of said cop, sending him out to ensure orderly traffic. The busy parents who want a babysitter but don't want to do a full background check. The client who is impressed by their impressive powerpoint and fast talk, instead of your sincerity about how long the job will really take. The CEO who expects better results from the R&D department by giving them more money. The shareholders of the company who demand higher earnings without scrutinizing over the fundamentals of the company. The shoppers who put their sprees on credit and pretend things aren't that bad. The masses of unemployed people voting for a candidate because he promises more jobs.
It's sad, but we live in a society that wants to be lazy. Finding out the truth takes time, it takes work. If the truth hurts, then we're made of glass.
Hell, I'm lazy. But even in my laziness, I lie to myself.
I call it efficiency: I always look for the shortest line, the quickest path, the macro script that will cut the time it takes for me to make the report by a third.
If we're all high on the bliss of ignorance, how am I lying to myself?
...
I rationalize. Yeah, that's it.
The emotional decisions, the failures, all wishfully dissapear under the banner "It wasn't meant to be": 6 of the scariest words I kept hearing as a child. I grew to resent them, yet here I am blaming God's plans instead of my lack of conviction, my lack of courage, my lack of repeated effort.
Oh, here's another one: I live in the future.
A million and one ideas that would be profitable businesses, or even species-altering changes... yet too lazy to do anything about them and lying to myself that there's still time. I refuse to lie to myself, I won't be another smiling cow in the slow line for the guillotine of old age.
And thus it hurts. It hurts to see yourself for what you really are. Knowing your own limits is one of the pinacles of being a man, and to know thyself is to know thy Lord, right?
Why does it have to hurt?
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