You know what's cool about having a codependent personality? You tend to assume the best about people. Ok, I'm making codependency sound a little healthier than it is, really. Because when you're being codependent, you immediately go to, "I must've done something wrong," if someone is a jackass to you. But it does mean that you don't automatically assume the worst of everyone... just yourself. Heh.
You know what's not cool about having a codependent personality? When you realize, definitely, that someone is just a jackass-- nothing you did to deserve it, nothing you can do to change it-- it's kind of a kick in the teeth.
Some people are just not nice. The woman in my writing group who totally slammed another member of the group for poor public speaking skills after the speaker did a really decent presentation that was obviously well-researched and prepared? Jackass. The professor who told a student to "get a grip" when the student asked why nothing had been graded at all and we were about to have a test? Jackass. There are jackasses all around us, and sometimes there's just nothing to be done about it.
In one of those cases of jackassery this week, I stood up for the victim. I calmly stated my opinion backing the person up. I didn't get a response, and I didn't feel much better about the situation afterward, but at least I know that was one bit of jackassery that didn't go unnoticed and didn't let the jackass off completely scot-free.
The other case? Well, I'm a chickenshit. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.
No comments:
Post a Comment