No. I am not talking about myself. I am talking about other people. You know how you meet some people and instantly your hackles are raised? You get a sense that there's something just not right with this person. I met a person like that tonight.
In my 37 years on this planet I've learned it's best to simply avoid people like that. Don't try to engage them. Don't try to fight them or get sucked into their black hole of despair. It's best to simply smile at them and walk away, knowing that it's them, not you, that has the problem. I've learned that people like this want others to join in their despair by bringing you down.
When they enter the room, it's like all of the oxygen has left the room. When you tell a joke, they look at you blankly. You smile at them and you're greeted with nothing other than a blank stare. Others have told me to stick it out, try to make it work. But my gut is telling me it's not worth it. My gut is telling me to run away so that I am not forced to spend the next ten weeks with this person. My experience has been to ignore my gut at my own peril. It's been a hard earned lesson.
I also practice this at work. I work in sales and prefer to do business with happy and well adjusted people. You run into people like this occasionally in the line of work. And frankly I think it's better to say "I'm sorry. Doesn't seem like our two companies are right for each other" and walk away. If there's one thing I've learned is that if people are difficult in the buying process, they're going to be just as difficult down the line when you try to fulfill their orders, get the contract signed and get paid. It's money not worth taking. There are other people who are more than willing to give you their money and do it with a smile. Life's too short to deal with people like this.
So I am in the process of trying to change things so I won't have to do with this person ever again. Sometimes it's just not worth the hassle and frustration. I have to ask myself, is it worth all the pain of dealing with this person in order to get what I want? I'm at a stage in my life where I have the luxury to avoid people like this. It's a wonder what having money does. It gives you enormous freedom to walk away from things that don't make sense for you.
But I guess this goes back to what I have said before about turning down jobs that don't seem right. The things that bug you in the interview are going to become huge fucking obstacles if you decide to work there. So weigh your decisions carefully. Sometimes it's just not worth it.
