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Originally Posted by LoganSnake
I immediately assume that said person is stupid, closed minded, greedy and generally does not do anything without having an ulterior motive.
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How solipsist. Good that you mentioned greed, though. First:
I've found it is far easier to start with the assumption that the other person is Just Like You (TM) and work to figure the differences from there as necessary instead of assuming all that emo stuff from the start. After all, nobody is a Beautiful and Unique Snowflake (TM). We're just humans doing. Anyway, that approach has served me well in the business world, mortar attacks, and various intimate relationships. Sometimes you get hurt.
If it helps, imagine yourself stranded on the can in a public restroom and needing a roll of TP from the dude in the next stall.
Pretty hard to be a Jason Bourne "everybody is my sparring dummy" hombre in that situation.
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I Wanna Talk About Me / Greed:
The Pfft, My Shit Don't Stank (TM) attitude pervasive among my college-educated, BMW-driving, $12 Jack-and-Coke peers is utterly disgusting. I find myself succumbing to its bullshit occasionally, too... I'm not much better, I've just been smashed by the travel hammer a few times. I figure this attitude comes from an ignorant mindset focused on the desire to experience increased levels of material excess as well as turning people into things. I'm starting to see why this is how the middle class is affected by Merton's "Classic Strain" and Agnew's subsequent "General Strain Theory." Looks like college is good for something... if for nothing else than showing the odd machinations of what we want to do in life and how we go about doing it. Conformity breeds the rebellion mask, ritualism breeds the apathetic heart. Blah-blah... basically, people with the aforementioned attitude need to reevaluate what and who they have in their lives if they are to find value in intangibles... these things that can't be floated on their Platinum MasterCard.
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Experience often cultures an individual. Attitude is everything.
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Originally Posted by Henry Rollins, Untouchable
Oh well, ya know, you're walking down the street and an assassin came out and blew your leg off, okay, you're a little upset about that and so you're a rotten piece of shit to all your friends because of all the bad luck you've suffered. Well, what's even better than that is letting all of your trials and your tribulations and all the shit that damn near killed you, and all your rough times turn you into a stronger person. And strength isn't like just being more mean... strength is being more kind. And that's why you see like, a guy who's been to prison maybe, he's been through the wringer there and instead of just all going like: "Hey, muthafucker!" he's just like: "Hey, man... how ya doing?" 'cause he doesn't have to be yelling and screaming and gettin' in your face 'cause he's already been locked down in the hole in the middle of nowhere for 30 straight days, so his experience kinda broadened him, made him a little kinder.
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Yeah, that.