Why Do People Makes Their Lives Hard?
Usually when I hang out with people, be it my colleagues, friends from varsity or simply old friends from school time, this particular phrase will often be spoken at least once:
“Meh, life sucks“
True to a certain extent, initially I thought.
Today I arrived a little late to work, and decided to have my own solitude by having breakfast alone. I purposely go to the San Francissco cafe located near my office because usually my colleagues don’t visit this place. Saves me from accidental “hang out”. Don’t get me wrong though, not that I am anti-social or running away from them, just that once a while it is nice to be on your own enjoying yourself as your partner.
Naturally, when you’re alone you tend to think about stuff. So a thought come to my mind - why do people often makes their life harder?
There’s a lot of instances where I benefit from these people. I felt bad at first, but after a while I realize that it is not my fault. I bought my Zen Vision:M player which retails for RM1199.00 for a mere RM600.00 (with 10 months warranty still!). How? Desperate students. I am really amazed that they are willing to loose that much cash as long as they can get some of it back - so they can eat. Making their life hard by trying to be on the bleeding edge of technology? Or to be perceived as “cool” by the peers?
Another strange example is this morning while I am boarding the ERL (it’s a train). For those you are not used to this train, it have a door where you need to press a button before it will open, unlike the Komuter, Star LRT or Putra LRT. So there’s this couple who chase the door before the train stopped and jabs the button many times (while running). The thing is, the button wouldn’t activate unless the train is in complete stop. So in the end the door stops right in front of me and it’s open, I got in first, along with bunch of people and the ‘chasers’ got in last and have to stand. Cute.
My favorite example is my HR dept. They have various cut-off date for the very same thing - Claims, Allowance and Shift Tracker. Before every cut-off date, we are to submit the very same shift tracker (it is basically your work roster). I don’t understand why they have to ask the same thing on three different time of the month, when the information that we will submit is the same. Why can’t they make it only one specific date of the month where everything can be submitted, thus minimizing THEIR own workload and headache.
Being kiasu and paranoid at the same time also lead to people making it hard for themselves. Take the statement below:
“All claims are to be submitted latest by 24th of each month, and the payment for the claim will be included in the following month’s payroll”
Then came Abu (example), asking me:
“Ross, did you get my claim form I submitted last week?”
I said “Yep, I submitted to the HR already, why yeah?”.
“No lah, I didn’t get the claim on the pay this month mah”
I thought “Oh noes. Here we go”. I asked him “You submit the claim last week right, and the recent pay we got is for this very same month, isn’t it? They already say that they will pay it on the following pay right?”
“HOW CAN LIKE THAT!!? They don’t understand we all need to pay for bla.. bla.. bla.. Unfair.. exploiting employee.. report to bla… blaa… wanna quit… find another job…“
WTF is wrong with this guy? “Dude, they already say that they will pay you on the following month. They said this in the induction, in the offer letter, in the recent e-mail they sent. Which part of it you don’t understand? Did you even read?”
“Oh yes ah? Hmm.. like that nevermind lah. Thanks ah Ross”
Man.
So here, I got one question. Why do people make their life harder?
[...] Naturally, when you’re alone you tend to think about stuff. So a thought come to my mind - why do people often makes their life harder? (more…) [...]
I guess it warrants them the opportunity to complain.
When they complain, there are stories to tell, there are things that makes them look victimised, hence making them look good.
I don’t mind hearing people complain when they feel absolutely frustrated, but not when they do it on an almost constant basis, or whenever I meet them.
At the end of the day, these people just seep at my energy, and being a natural pessimist, it already takes a lot just to keep myself at a positive level. So I get away, and they get hurt, and they bitch some more.
Heh.
[Reply]
Oh, forgot about one thing.
A lot of people need to achieve this invisible ‘cool’ level.
[Reply]
Stress is like caffeine. Some people can get addicted to it. I know my mom is.
[Reply]
[...] Why Do People Makes Their Lives Hard? 05-09-2007 [...]
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