Narcissus Would Be Proud

It never ceases to amaze me how much some people love their own ideas.  Conversely, they seem to hate everyone else’s.

This is foreign to me.  I seldom find myself rejecting someone else’s ideas without at least listening to their rationale first.  If the idea is completely abhorrent to you, wouldn’t there be value in understanding the “why” behind the other side’s point of view?  Dunno; maybe not.  Maybe I am an idiot, a sucker, who allows himself to get pulled into the ideas of others.  I do so with the intent of mining whatever wisdom might be found there.  That’s just how I work.

I can live with people who don’t feel the same way I do.  Not a problem.  It would be a tad hypocritical not to!  My struggle lies in the need for some to ensure that others understand that they disagree.  I’ve heard of them referred to as “vampires” because they seek to suck the life out of others.  I find that such an accurate analogy.  I have to give Chris Guillebeau credit for it.  Check out his “279 Days to Overnight Success” manifesto on his website http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/overnight-success/.  Good stuff.  However, I digress.  The point is that I have a hard time trying to figure out what to do with people like this.  My Ego screams for verbal retribution.  I am clever.  I have good ideas.  I am smart.  Why not attack them back?  Then, a higher sense of self chimes in and reminds me that it doesn’t matter.  Let others speak their piece.  Again, more wisdom from Chris Guillebeau: don’t take it personally.  His advice is echoed elsewhere across the internets by those who make a living sharing their ideas.

So, I welcome the challenges.  They make me richer.  I have figured that much out.  Engaging in the debate might not always turn out well, but the process is what is most important.  It’s the journey, not the destination, as the cliche goes, right?  

Still, I can’t help but chuckle when the vampires who love their own ideas come out.  

Narcissus would be proud.