There’s a jerk inside all of us: we roll our eyes when someone in line has a complicated order, curse at little old ladies who don’t drive fast enough, and sneer at people who are just too happy. Over time, that snark kills our productivity and poisons our relationships. Here’s how to keep your inner asshole in check.
There’s a difference between being occasionally sarcastic and a little derisive in your head, but when negativity becomes your default reaction, you have a problem. You may have had a wake-up moment, much like Anna Holmes, founding editor of Jezebel, had when she realized she was sneering at someone for no reason other than that the person was happy. Here’s what she said:
Just rolled my eyes at a woman skipping happily across 42nd Street. Then I realized I’M the asshole. — Anna Holmes (@AnnaHolmes) May 31, 2012
How about a quick check. Do you:
- Roll your eyes at every “hipster” who, by most accounts, is just a person trying (successfully or not) to dress fashionably?
- Primarily complain about how horrible people/things are on Facebook/Twitter?
- Get angrier every passing moment that you stand in line at the grocery store, or have to wait for your check to arrive at a restaurant?
- Find you’re constantly frustrated with coworkers who don’t “get it?”
- Comment angrily on blogs, videos, and other web sites (usually beginning with “ummm” and ending with “just saying?”)
- Feel like it’s okay to be a complete jerk, as long as you’re “witty” about it?
Sounding familiar? You may have a problem. We sat down with Roger S. Gil, marriage and family therapist, and clinical psychologist Dr. Jeffrey DeGroat, to determine when enough is too much, and what to do if you have a snark problem.
via Lifehacker
