MindThe Beginner

There I was, sitting on a chair in the cafeteria listening to a fellow student bragging about lack of sleep, a hangover and all other things related to “student life” (At least, according to that student..) Although on the surface it looked like I was listening and interested in fact was I really felt a bit sorry for him. He didn’t manage to gather enough points last year to pass so he was back in year one… “I could have made it, if I got up earlier but at least I could stay up till 5 am!” “It must have been that entire bottle of tequila!”. He made all sorts of claims that sound “master” (their words..) on the surface but when you start thinking about them a bit harder are actually well…. just stupid.

I’m quite sure everyone knows someone who took part in this college life. I wonder what those students are trying to achieve, some sort of fame? Perhaps they feel very insecure about themselves and need to boast about what they see as accomplishments.

A big problem with these accomplishments in student life is that most people act as if they are interested in such things. I myself too pretend, just to blend in and not attract to much attention to myself. Sometimes it’s better to keep a low profile. I’m convinced however that there are more people out there who think these accomplishments are really not something to boast about at all. In my mind I can’t help but smile and wonder if the others are smiling as well because of this strange chest-beating game.

So what are accomplishments you have bragging rights about?

That all just depends on who you’re talking with, but in honest truth nobody likes a bragger save other braggers. If a bragger finds another bragger the game can truly begin.The stories take a life of their own, reaching sky high at times. And with the aforementioned issue of pretending we all seem braggers at time so stories soar.. In the heat of the moment the stories become somewhat ridiculous and not very plausible at all. In the strange and twister world of corporate life the bragging actually continues: Cars, trophy wives, bonuses. Materialism of the purest kind.
Now what would happen if all those stories were written down and checked against each other? Or worse, if those written records were to become public? Would your family, your boss or your co-workers be amused? What if those records surfaced ten years from now.

Remember my fellow student? In ten years he just might be working for some IT firm. Wearing a suit and having tons of responsibilities. How would the client feel if they knew he had trouble attending class, getting up in the morning and meeting deadlines because reaching the bottom of a bottle was more interesting. Would all those accomplishments still be so great?

Are there stories others do want to hear?

There are so many things you could talk about with others but it’s always a question if it’s something they want to hear. Now if they know a little about listening chances are you won’t know that they don’t care for your stories. It’s always going to be a compromise unless you share a genuine interest in the topic being talked about.

It’s always a good choice to speak less and listen more… you never know what you might learn about others. People do give away a lot about themselves through smalltalk. (And I give away a lot through blogging….)