The
title above is a very interesting one for me. Due to my self-diagnosed Aspie traits, my social skills have never been anything approaching normal. I just don’t think in the venue as most everyone else does it seems. Clicking with almost any female was a non-starter for me. I tried it on several attempts but I usually never got very far. So, it totally surprised me when my now wife of 32 years showed an interest in me. I never dreamed I would have a serious relationship let alone get married.
I imagine that those more socially prone have asked themselves the above question in the title on more than one occasion. At least I hope they have. One basic problem is that too many of us settle for what is in front of us instead of waiting for something better to come along and that results in over half of us divorcing and usually making the same mistakes all over again the second and third time. 🙂 Instead of the question above, too many of us probably ask the reverse, “what if no one else comes along?”
Outside of the relationship venue, I personally have settled for what was in front of me far too many times in my life. I regret not having admitted that I was in the wrong profession early on in my career. Instead, I clung to the financial security that my job was providing. It was not until the last fourth of my work life that I finally got into something that I really enjoyed doing. Because I thought nothing better would come along I spent 20+ years of my life in a job I got little enjoyment from. Don’t make that same mistake…
All of us have pity parties at times in our lives. We bemoan that we didn’t get the breaks in life that so many others did. The strike back reaction for many now days is to publically insult those we stealthily envy. It goes like this “I can’t have it so they shouldn’t either!”
I often wonder how the rest of the world see those of us who are born in the US? Thanks to my new friend over at Eudaimonia and Co I am beginning to get a clearer view of that.
It is estimated that the IRS loses about $500 billion yearly due to unreported income. A big part of that amount is from the self-employed who simply pocket money without putting it on their books. Except for the fast-food franchises and of course the local Walmart, the small town I live in is pretty much local businesses. When I go to the hardware store, more often than not, the cash from my small sale is mostly just pocketed. I imagine the same happens in small towns across America.
Just kidding of course, but these three characteristics do take a long time to mold into a psyche. Which is harder to obtain? They all take different paths to accomplish. I think the secret behind wit is the ability to see the irony around you and the ability to laugh at yourself and how you react to the world. Or maybe it is just realizing that for the most part life is really just one big joke.
Insight is another matter. Insight is being able to understand different situations and intuitively grasping the best solution. I’m not sure this can even be learned. Either you have it or you don’t. But being skeptical of what you are told is part of this process.