I’ve discovered, more often than not, when someone asks you for your opinion, they really don’t want it. Instead, what they’re looking for is an affirmation of the opinion that they already hold, and therefore anything that you might say to the contrary is nothing but noise to them. What’s strange to me, however, is that these same people will then believe your opinion to be wrong, you to be inept in some way, and will go right on believing that they are completely right.
And it’s not as if I’m not guilty of this. I am a very opinionated, very brash individual who doesn’t mind sharing my thoughts, which could be a reason that not many people think to ask me. I am very blunt, I say things simply, and I ignore the fluff that others might choose to dress up an answer or idea to make it more pleasing to the ear. Instead, I say what I feel honestly, and in the most no-nonsense manner possible.
Apparently, that’s not the way it should be done.
I’ve been told repeatedly that I’m not allowed to do this. I can’t just say what I think. I can’t just tell someone that I don’t like their ideas. I can’t defend my position logically, and I’m supposed to flinch, and change my views on a whim to match whomever I’m talking to, regardless the situation. Apparently, this is the norm of social protocal.
The thing is, I’m not completely ignorant to the nuances of sociality, or even the subtle intentions of acts and ideas. It’s just that I more often than not choose to ignore them, unless I feel it’s important to follow them. If someone needs something from me, all they need to do is ask. I will do my best to come through. But when it comes to hints, conniving questions, guilt-ridden statements, or any other type of socially-acceptable re-phrasing that I’m supposed to be able to interpret, I leave the babel fish in the shot glass, because I don’t want to deal with it.
I refuse to waste my time and energy striving to perceive what other people want to say, but are either too shy, too afraid, or too entrenched in social appropriateness to say out loud. We were given voices to speak and ears to hear, and not taking advantage of that situation seems like a precious waste of prime facial real estate.
It’s not that I’m stupid. It’s not that I’m absolutely cold. It’s that I’m sick and tired of the unimportant crap that people see fit to wade themselves through day in and day out. We grow up believing in light and dark, knowing the clear difference between good and evil. Throughout all our lives, however, we are convinced, and convince ourselves, that there are many differing shades of gray, and that true black and true white don’t really exist. But eventually, we can stand back, and realize that we were simply squinting our eyes, blurring the image, and that the world really is as black and white as it was when we were young.
Scoff if you like. Call me a fool. I really don’t care. This is the domain of my opinion, and I will say it as I see it.
And there’s nothing that’s going to change that.
- Karratti
September 16, 2009 | Categories: Life, Social | Tags: appropriate, blunt, brash, guilt, proper | 1 Comment »
This past week has been quite a trip for me – The result of a profound lack of sleep, an inordinate amount of work, and an unsurprising lack of time. Now that I sit here, on the cusp of yet another week of new adventures, I find myself at the low point of this roller coaster that metaphorically represents my life.
This past week I worked almost fifty hours at my job, all of it while I was at home, performing a one-minute menial task repeatedly 2,954 times. At the same time, I’ve got a script deadline for the pilot that I’m working on, (self-inflicted), that is coming up faster than I can anticipate. And in the middle of that, I produced my first college volleyball game broadcast, which was an unbelievable rush as soon as things got started, but which took up most of my daylight hours that weren’t already being filled with classes.
As I look back, happy that things are out of the way, but still a little annoyed that they took so long, I have a chance to appreciate what happened. Yes, I was on edge for most of my waking and non-waking hours for the better part of the week, but I made it through alright. The stress was good, and it forced me to do work that I’ve never done before, forced me to think on my feet, and gave me some definite new perspectives.
Succeeding has also given me a powerful rush of confidence that I don’t think I had in me the week before. I feel almost like I can conquer the world, that I can climb any mountain thrown in front of me. And perhaps that’s been a lot of my problem.
For so long, I’ve been allowing myself to just float, to take life a little at a time, and not worry about what time I should be getting up in the morning. But as I think about it, I really need to start moving. I need to force myself into the stress of a schedule so that I can get things done, not whenever I get to them, but on the deadlines that I set. I need to set goals for myself, and I need to start accomplishing them.
I believe that the challenge that stress can bring, or perhaps it’s the stress that challenge can bring, I believe that it is good for you. Sure, there are plenty of times when you believe that you just don’t have what it takes to finish it, but a way will come. Maybe it’s a friend that knows you could use the help. Maybe it’s an unexpected break that comes your way. But then again, maybe it’s just the willpower and vitality inside of you that finally screams “You can do this!” that forces you to push harder than you thought you could, and come out better than you ever knew you would.
And when you do, pat yourself on the back, smile and sigh with satisfaction. Then, get right back up and do it again.
- Karratti
September 7, 2009 | Categories: Entertainment, Life, Work | Tags: challenge, goals, stress | Leave A Comment »
