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Have I mentioned recently, that I am a geek? No - really - I am a GEEK. Not just kind of a geek, I am a watch the history channel, haven't ever seen a single episode of Desperate Housewives or Grey's Anatomy geek.
My favorite television shows? The ones that teach me something or that feature people I can relate too (i.e. other geeks, because heaven knows relating to non-geeks takes a great deal of energy and concentration) like Numbers, House and the original CSI.
When I'm at the market, or just driving in my car, I look for numerical patterns in everything. I count jars of pasta sauce on shelves, and the number of lane marker slashes between mile markers. I like - no, I thrive on - any thing numerical and consistent. Math and patterns give me great comfort.
So, where am I going with all of this? I've had several people - recently - allude to the fact that I take things too seriously, and they are probably right. I do take life seriously, and I treat and react to people much the same way that I do to numbers.
I don't do "metered" emotions very well. I am either all in or all out. Some of you know that at times a handful of the comments that are left here really bother me, not so much because they are honest with their opinions, but because I don't understand malicious intent. Logically, I can't come to grips with the fact that some people feel joy in hurting others. I may be opinionated (*cough*understatement*cough) but I attack the idea, not the person, and I see these two things as very distinct and different.
I don't "get" passive/aggressive behavior. It isn't results oriented - it doesn't accomplish anything, and yet I see it frequently, in my neighborhood, in blogs, and in comments. It seems to be nothing more than an attempt to hurt the person - to somehow make them feel less than.
I know I've been somewhat careless with my words in the past, and it might even seem to some of you that this is little more than the pot calling the kettle black, but I can honestly say that I've never left a comment, or published a post, that was intended to hurt or cut down another person.
I don't know, maybe that's the case for everyone - maybe I'm working too hard trying to understand people (one of the reasons I don't do groups well - it takes every bit of mental strength I can muster to try to "read" and appropriately react to the human component). I do know that it sure doesn't seem that some people are attacking my ideas, but rather they are trying to hurt - to cut down. My geek perspective has difficulty in understanding why anyone would continue to read a blog only to get their jabs in. It defies logic.
My favorite television shows? The ones that teach me something or that feature people I can relate too (i.e. other geeks, because heaven knows relating to non-geeks takes a great deal of energy and concentration) like Numbers, House and the original CSI.When I'm at the market, or just driving in my car, I look for numerical patterns in everything. I count jars of pasta sauce on shelves, and the number of lane marker slashes between mile markers. I like - no, I thrive on - any thing numerical and consistent. Math and patterns give me great comfort.
So, where am I going with all of this? I've had several people - recently - allude to the fact that I take things too seriously, and they are probably right. I do take life seriously, and I treat and react to people much the same way that I do to numbers.
I don't do "metered" emotions very well. I am either all in or all out. Some of you know that at times a handful of the comments that are left here really bother me, not so much because they are honest with their opinions, but because I don't understand malicious intent. Logically, I can't come to grips with the fact that some people feel joy in hurting others. I may be opinionated (*cough*understatement*cough) but I attack the idea, not the person, and I see these two things as very distinct and different.
I don't "get" passive/aggressive behavior. It isn't results oriented - it doesn't accomplish anything, and yet I see it frequently, in my neighborhood, in blogs, and in comments. It seems to be nothing more than an attempt to hurt the person - to somehow make them feel less than.I know I've been somewhat careless with my words in the past, and it might even seem to some of you that this is little more than the pot calling the kettle black, but I can honestly say that I've never left a comment, or published a post, that was intended to hurt or cut down another person.
I don't know, maybe that's the case for everyone - maybe I'm working too hard trying to understand people (one of the reasons I don't do groups well - it takes every bit of mental strength I can muster to try to "read" and appropriately react to the human component). I do know that it sure doesn't seem that some people are attacking my ideas, but rather they are trying to hurt - to cut down. My geek perspective has difficulty in understanding why anyone would continue to read a blog only to get their jabs in. It defies logic.
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