Weekend Reflections: Don't Be Nice To People

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Being virtuous and giving, and trying to lead by example is a waste of time. Openly offering understanding or assistance, and basic compassion to people is foolish. Social assistance in any form is a mistake.

I first reached this conclusion when I worked at Applebees last fall. I took that job seriously when I didn't need to. I covered twice for the most incompetent, rude, and abrasive person I'd ever come in contact with. I was continually scheduled with this person, and while I performed my duties and he slacked and stuttered his way through shifts we still had to split the tip share. The failure was with management in ignoring their weakest link, and under-utilizing their assets. But then again, this is a corporate chain. It's not exactly the type of place where intelligent critical thinking is expected or employed. So I walked out the door.

The issue here for me is not that I worked harder than an immature 19 year old. What's the matter is that as long as systems are in place where the minimum amount of effort can and does yield the same reward as the maximum amount of effort people will not try. Without incentive - reward or punishment - people will  not endeavor to better themselves. Only a percentage of people are naturally virtuous (I aint in that percentage), and only some people are pure evil. The rest of us are in the middle and require persuasion. We want to be swayed. This is how the Catholic Church got away with it. It's not right, but it's the way it is.

People are neutral. They are neither bad or good, smart or stupid (still up for debate). They are malleable and impressionable. Their behaviors and responses are dependent on associated results related to their desires. And even their desires can be molded. Everyone is engaged in gamery with everyone else. And it's not nearly as simple or pure as it "ought" to be.

A few weeks ago my roommate had her $1500 laptop stolen from the house. The unfortunate part about this is that she left in the living room, and we left the door unlocked. This was naive and foolish of us. For almost a year I've kept my apartment door unlocked because I live in a family home. I let the kids who live on the first floor hang out in our hallway to smoke weed with their friends. I thought if I let them know I didn't mind them, and I had no problems with them that they would respect our space as well. There's no way to know who took my roommate's laptop. Was it one of the kids? Was it someone who lives here? Who can tell? What I do know is that leaving the door unlocked was a mistake, and now no one smokes in our hallway.

You aint fuckin with me, cause I'm done.

Granted, there are good things in the world: Puppies, hot guys, cookies, asparagus, hugs, warm towels, etc. Love and friendship and respect exist. But it's been my experience that picking up the slack, giving people the benefit of the doubt, and going out on a limb for others is the fastest and most foolish path to social breakdown. When you give people unearned respect, patience, and understanding they take advantage. I don't believe in outreach, and building, and communication. I've tried all those things, many times. The harder you try with people, the more bold and willing they become to play you. Barring shock-therapy and MK-ULTRA like tactics changing human behavior patterns after the age of seven is pretty unlikely. Only radical stimuli yield radical results. Don't give people the benefit of the doubt. Lazy, shady people will always be lazy and shady. And I say, fuck em.

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