Idiot as defined by Merriam Webster’s Dictionary:
- usually offensive : a person affected with extreme mental retardation
- a foolish or stupid person
Jerk as defined by Merriam Webster’s Dictionary:
- an annoyingly stupid or foolish person
- an unlikable person; especially : one who is cruel, rude, or small-minded
Did you see that the words ‘jerk’ and ‘idiot’ both share a common definition? Hmmm…I realize that I call most people behind their backs an idiot and I realize that I have become desensitized to this word. Instead of learning how to stop calling people idiots, I think I need a new word. Like ‘jerk’. Let’s take it for a spin:
Me: “Did you see that? What a jerk.”
Me: “Oh, that guy? He’s a jerk.”
Me: “That person just snatched my parking space! JERK!”
Me: “Did you see the dress she was wearing? Jerk.”
Yes, I think I like it. The hard ‘k’ on the end gives it some pop and if I use it at the end of my sentence, it will be hard for someone to follow with anything other than a ‘yeah’ or ‘totally’.
There are some rules I try and follow, they aren’t too complicated and most will probably keep you from being a jerk.
- Do what you say you are going to do, when you said you were going to do it
- Don’t volunteer to take on a task if you can’t dedicate the time to do it right
- Think outside your own 3′ personal bubble and consider how your actions AND inactions will impact others
- Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me
- Better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you are stupid than to open it and remove all doubt
- Don’t get mad at people who don’t understand what you are trying to say; that might be your fault
- People can’t read your mind so don’t expect it
- Ask people about their families once in a while
- It is your responsibility to ask others for the things you want
- Give people a chance to recover from their mistakes
- If you’re not making things easier, you’re probably making them harder
- Don’t spend time managing the problem, put your efforts into creating the solution
- When given instructions write them down in front of the person whenever possible
- Give your opinion as if it’s fact but don’t pretend to know something you don’t
- Communicating doesn’t just mean talking; it includes listening
- Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, even when it’s that persons job
- Don’t pull in front of speeding drivers because you think they are driving too fast, you’re making things worse
- Don’t misspell someone’s name more than once
- Just because you have been doing something for a long time, doesn’t mean you’re good at it
- Don’t talk to people on your cell phone while you are on the toilet – that’s what texting is for
- If you go out to eat with your co-workers and you make more money, pick up the check every now and then
Thank you reading today’s post. I appreciate it. Cheers,
