Teardrop

[ehowton]

The wife and I watched the first disc of House (M.D.) Season 4 last night, and while I was disappointed that this season continued in its power-rangers-everyplot routine, it also got me thinking about my friend who, despite Dr. Gregory House being a fictional character (who would likely have been kicked to the street living as a junkie long ago) attempts to, in his real life, mimic the hostility and demeanor of Dr. Crankypants.

He thinks its cool. He thinks it helps create an aura of respect around him. In truth, he's an idiot.

As many times as I've tried to explain that the character's abrasive idiosyncrasies are tolerated because he's a genius, and that my friend is not (ergo he'd likely be seen as just an annoying prick) he really feels that there's something to be said for acting like an ass. Gruff, aloof. Angry. These are not traits young people need to enter the workforce with, yet they see these traits as being successful on television, and therefore choose to emulate them.

Early police shows exploited the whole "procedurally challenged anti-authority cop who gets the job done" persona for decades. Something innate to us longs for the underdog to buck the system while simultaneously being applauded for doing the right thing - casting 'rules' and those who look after them as the antagonist. Here's the thing - if you suck at procedure, challenge authority, and suck at your job, you'll simply be fired that much more quickly. We're talking about the real world here.

I'm good at what I do, but I don't think for a moment that if I chose to maliciously ignore safeguards that I wouldn't be fired. Trust is important in any working relationship, and no, "knowing your stuff" is not enough to overlook obvious flaws such as blatant disregard. And while I'm mildly amused at the antics Dr. House pulls, living in the real world myself, I often shake my head in disbelief that there are people who wish to emulate this tremendous asshole. No, its not cool, and neither are you.

I cannot seem to reiterate enough that not only is this a work of fiction, it only works because he's a genuis! Hell, I'd like to be a drunk billionaire playboy throwing money around, buying and crashing exotic cars and bedding a different movie star every night. IT WOULDN'T WORK BECAUSE I'M NOT FILTHY RICH. See? If I became an irresponsible lush I wouldn't be able to keep my job, my family, or my freedom. I'd be thrown in jail. If you can understand how it takes being a billionaire to act like a billionaire with no repercussions, how come you can't see that if you're a garden-variety idiot who acts like Dr. House, people will despise you and you'll never succeed?

No one likes a dick. You don't like people who are rude to you, or despise you. Why do you think it would be cool to be one of those people? I don't understand. Someone is going to knife you in the back and not think twice about it.

Comments

[melancthe.livejournal.com]

Interesting post, thank you. I don't appreciate this attitude either. I know a couple of people who think it makes them super-cool and LOL EDGY to behave like an unpleasant twatwaffles to all and sundry - frankly, it just makes me think they're incompetent at even the most innocuous social interactions. Always being objectionable doesn't make people see you as a misunderstood genius.

And I speak from personal experience here: I used to think that being a bitch would make people respect and admire me. It never did. Now I work at being charming and friendly, except under circumstances of extreme annoyance, and it's been far more successful than anything else ever was. I've been working at putting my extra attribute points into charisma. ;)

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

I've gotten where I am today with equal parts of working hard and maintaining a good attitude. Most of my assignments and subsequent promotions weren't due to my vast amount of knowledge. On the contrary, due to maintaining a positive attitude in the workplace under a variety of conditions.

If I were just a dick to everyone, I'd likely be delivering pizza's for a living.

[melancthe.livejournal.com]

Just so.

The reason I get assignments is because people know I'll be pleasant and professional at all times. If I wasn't, I wouldn't get anything. I can't think of a single occasion in my professional life where rudeness would have been of any benefit to me; I was even polite to Mr Staplehead.

(Hey, I have a great idea: let's see if we can be EVEN MORE self-congratulatory than we've already been. ;) )

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

I have never known you to ever be anything other than pleasant and professional.

[galinda822.livejournal.com]

Gee! It would only take me one guess to figure out who this "friend" you're referring to is. It might just be a lucky guess though. :)

What you said here is exactly what baffled me so much about "Super Cunt"! How in the hell does she keep her job? She's House with breast. Actually, she's worse than him.

I just don't understand some things. *eyeroll*

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

She crossed my mind as well during the authoring of this post. I mean, she wasn't even good at her job yet she walked around with an air of undeserved respect and was rude to the point of asininity. And lets face it, she doesn't even have her looks to fall back on.

[galinda822.livejournal.com]

You're right...she wasn't good at anything except being pure evil. lol

Karma baby, karma!

[drax0r.livejournal.com]

I'm good at what I do, but I don't think for a moment that if I chose to maliciously ignore safeguards that I wouldn't be fired. Trust is important in any working relationship, and no, "knowing your stuff" is not enough to overlook obvious flaws such as blatant disregard.

So explain my continued employment.

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

You're the real-life embodiment of Dr. Gregory House. Your eccentric idiosyncrasies are tolerated because you're a genius. See how that works?

They'd fire me in a heartbeat.

[glodowg.livejournal.com]

I didn't know you had a job !!!!!!!!!!

[drax0r.livejournal.com]

Give it a few weeks, I may not.

[glodowg.livejournal.com]

Somewhere you will be. I have faith!

[galinda822.livejournal.com]

BTW...excellent choice of music!

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

I owe it all to Mandruid.

[galinda822.livejournal.com]

His music taste is very eclectic.

[glodowg.livejournal.com]

Why didn't you title this "Tomas is an Ass"?

Beating around the bush is atypical for you.

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

Recent polls (http://ehowton.livejournal.com/209609.html) have shown a more adversarial approach toward me when I call him out by name, though in all honesty anonymous, directed posts about him (http://ehowton.livejournal.com/217403.html) have also turned up similar feelings of discontent toward a majority of my readers. In this particular case however, I feel the attitude is more prevalent amongst an entire group of people rather than localized around one individual despite the fact its how I chose to begin.

Readers can better identify with a single, flawed individual as a representation of society or cultures as a whole.

[glodowg.livejournal.com]

I rarely respond when you post of "him" because it is just not worth getting worked up over.

However, all I could read in this post is about him. Perhaps I should reread and remove that point of reference.

I oft feel that the younger generation has a "you owe me" attitude. I never quit took it the way you have. Perhaps, again, I need to change my reference point.

hmmmmmmmmmmm

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

On the contrary, you rarely respond at all, though I'm always delighted when you do. The topic came up again today about adding him back into the mix, but I realized its me who has the problem, not him. You see, I've enjoyed the serene interaction with other adults since he's been banned, and discovered that I am the one at fault when he comments. I don't like who I become when he begins his dance of asininity, as I am unable to ignore it. Every other time in my life that I have been faced with such irrevocable turmoil, I simply choose to separate myself from that which afflicts me, and this shouldn't be any different.

Generation Y (or as celtmanx likes to remind us, Generation "Why" as in "Why do I have to work for a living") is something which has been discussed in great detail within the annals of this blog - mostly in the comments though there are a couple of entries on it (http://ehowton.livejournal.com/tag/angst) as at one time I had a rather wide-range of readers. But as my journal often imitates life, friends come and go.

[texas-tangent.livejournal.com]

I like that picture of House.

Personally I am basically ambivalent as to the matter of adding him back to the mix.

I completely understand why he would be unsavory around here.

You can only ever do that which your heart leads you to do anyway.

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

Adapt. Overcome. Improvise. Its the only solid course of action.

[texas-tangent.livejournal.com]

Do you do them in that order or is that independent on the way you are feeling that day?

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

So very true! It often doesn't go that smoothly, does it? I usually end up tossing a bit of 'grousing' between all the steps myself, not that it helps.

[(Anonymous)]

Actually I found grousing to be very therapeutic in some cases. Other cases, it is better to just let it drop and push it far from your mind. That way any malingering bad thoughts can do no more harm. After time has passed it becomes easy to recollect what has happened and come up with a new and better solution. I know that you do not toss and turn at night about this decision, it is just something that in your head, must be reconciled sooner or later.

He has done much harm to some people here. Not physically but emotionally and that takes a much longer time to heal. I can see where some people would not want him to join in the discussion again. It helps me to be ambivalent toward it all now because my belief in whether he should or not will not help you decide. That is the reason why earlier I said that only YOU can make that decision.

Time has passed. Has enough time passed to "let him back into the fold"? Who knows? Some people he did unforgivable things to and it will take them time to forgive and forget. I know that solution is not as easy as it sounds because I had to do it myself, Toward family nonetheless, Friends are a different matter. Only you know how good of a friend he has been to you. You also have to figure the amount of time that you two have been friends. How many chances did you give him to change his behavior? Anything that has played into your joined past as friends would have to be considered as well. His attitude as well would have to be evaluated. Has he changed or is this an act to just be accepted again? Is he willing to not cause the trouble that got him booted to begin with?

I know that in the end the punishment will fit the crime. Even with punishments though, Most of the time, they do end. Unless you like beating a dead horse. If that is the case then carry on!

[texas-tangent.livejournal.com]

The above comment was mine. For some reason it did not show. OOPS

You knew it was coming...

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

Re: You knew it was coming...

[texas-tangent.livejournal.com]

I did, I did indeed.

[glodowg.livejournal.com]

you rarely respond at all

Ahhh, see I do not feel the need to respond just so that you know I have been here. I try to reserve my comments to something that contributes or a humorous jest. I am a woman of few words!

[catttitude.livejournal.com]

No, he is what comes out of an ass.
Yes, he is poop.

[celtmanx.livejournal.com]

Are you talking about me again???