Friday, June 09, 2006

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em...

...is my motto-of-the-moment.

Today, I might hurt someone's feelings. I may whine, complain, make promises and commitments I'll ignore if I change my mind later.

If so, I expect you not only to approve and support my behavior, but do whatever I demand -- no matter what it costs you, no matter if it hurts you -- because it is what I want.

Whether you're a part of my personal or professional lives, don't you dare expect anything from me. Don't you dare hold me to the standards I profess to adhere to. Don't you dare suggest that I should have any consideration for you, should deliver on my promises, should go out of my way for you.

After all, isn't what I think I want right now more important than anything else in the world?

It must be. After all, it’s the philosophy people seem to follow when dealing with me....

Love me. Respect me. Give me what I want. And when I disappoint you, hurt you, give nothing in return and back away from my commitments, remember that it's my right to do only what I want, only what's easiest, and no more.

I'm told I should accept it when I encounter this attitude in others, so I'm joining the crowd. Why should I try to be better?

Or does that self-centered credo apply to them only, and not to me?

Sadly, I don't think I'll be able to maintain this resolve for much longer than it takes to hit the "publish post" link. I can feel it evaporating already.

After all, it's not "do unto others as you wish, and expect them to do right unto you without question."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

OK, so this is where you're posting now. Nice page, sorry I haven't visited sooner. I guess I've been isolating. Being jobless eats great steaming piles of groat clusters. I hope you are moving through your own trials as smoothly as possible. :)

I'll be back. :)

John0 Juanderlust said...

It applies to them only. I have it on good authority, that is how it works. You didn't get a permit and neither did I. We didn't qualify for some reason.
Ever since they knocked Zeuss out of the top spot, things have taken a turn for the worse.

MrScribbler said...

Was afraid you'd say that, bro.

They must use indelible ink with that "rejected" rubber-stamp....

Anonymous said...

Read John Steinbecks The Winter of Our Discontent and look at Ethan and put yourself in his place. I know that I have been pushing this book, but trust me, if you look you will see yourself and be shaken. One line from this book when Ethan was considering setting aside his high ideals temporarily has been imprinted on my heart and one you should consider:

If I opened up that door, could I ever get it closed again? I did not know

Just remember that you have to know what is most important to you and you have to be able to look yourself in the mirror at nights. If you hate that type of person then know that you will hate yourself and in that situation who else could possibily love you?

MrScribbler said...

Devin -- I don't hate anyone, really. In a way, I feel sorry for those who are so self-centered as to believe that they can act this way.

Of course, I pay the price immediately -- and in some cases for a long time -- when they act as I've described. Eventually, they'll be hurt as well, but I take no satisfaction from knowing that.

There was more than a small element of sarcasm in my saying I planned to adopt the selfish attitude. I couldn't do it.

But I wish others found it equally impossible. Then I wouldn't have felt the need to write this post.