I'm going to show the world I'm smart

So here is a gripe I have with people (I know another one).  So this is something I see all the time on TV when I am watching I hear something to tune of 'This is going to prove to people I am smart/great/awesome/etc.'  Well here is the problem, the thing that will 'show them' is never actually related at all.

So here is the complaint tonight, the Amazing Race has Miss Teen South Carolina, you know 'the Iraq' girl.  So anyway tonight she was like 'I want to make it to the top 3 to prove I am smart.'  So first of all being in the top 3 doesn't make you smart.  If there is anything reality TV has taught us is that smarts have nothing to do with winning.  In fact the only things correlated with it are cunning and luck (and in the case of Survivor, people skills).  Additionally what is more funny is that about 4 weeks ago she got lost because she couldn't read a map.  I mean, if you look at someone and say, 'hey you made it to the end of that TV show, you must be smart' then you should just smack yourself in the head.

I think this all derives from everyone's inability or lack of desire to reflect on oneself.  If you look at this situation in the above paragraph from the outside you will say of course there is no correlation, however if you look at it from the inside (if it was you) what would you say?  Of course making it to the end would reinforce your idea that everyone under estimates you and how this is just proof you are beyond awesome.  I mean really think about it.  Would you think that way.

So here is the major problem, how do you recognize situations where you are reinvorcing some idea in yourself that is improper.  I think the biggest problem is recognizing when situations and actions are correlated and when they are not.  For instance if you want validation that you are a good basketball player would the fact that you just solved a mathematical proof validify your basketball skillz?  Of course not, however what if it is baseball and you just scored a homerun?  Is that similar enough to verify your opinion?  Is it valid?  I think there is also a problem in the opposite direction, can something reinvorce a bad decision about yourself.  For instance if you think you are terrible at programming and you get a pile of bugs against your code does that mean you actually are bad?

This seems to be a skill that many people lack.  What is more interesting is the more theoretical question of whether one can evaluate themselves and whether or not any evaluations are correct.  Also can someone else evaluate you (I mean we do it all the time, tests, evaluations, etc.)?  These are interesting questions however back to the original premise, no getting into the top 3 doesn't make you smart, it makes you in the top 3.  Period.

What is wrong with people?

So, I am in a frustrated mood tonight.  Just in general so I am going to vent about idiotic people.

So in our apartment complex there is a rule that you cannot put anything in the hallway between the apartments.  The hallway is outdoors and connects the apartments to the stairs and the elevator.  Well we are right next to a grocery store.  So people bring the carts back to their apartment.  This I have absolutely no problem with.  Technically the carts are not to leave the parking lot however if you bring it back, I won't complain.  However they never bring them back.  They are just thrown into the hallway.  I remember one morning I got up and it had been placed right up next to my door.  A clear violation of the rules and the law.  (It is illegal to block a fire escape path.)  So I am sure most people can already see why this pisses me off so much.

When you move in here you sign the agreement which says you will obey these rules.  What really gets me is I have reported this a million times and the company has not done anything to fix the situation.  This Sunday I actually caught one lady take a cart from the pile in the hallway and use it to go shopping, then she came back put it back.  Not only that but she didn't stack it, you know so the carts take up the least amount of space.  So it is sitting out in the middle of the hallway.  What kind of person would do that?  The worst kind of person in the world.

I mean come on, this is a clear case of put it back.  It is not like anyone walks into a store looks at a cart and wonders what the fuck it is for.  They don't try to wear it.  Everyone knows how to use a cart.  It is a clear showing of the absolute contempt that person has for everyone else.  There are carts all over the complex because of these people.  It is just beyond my comprehension that someone could be a good person and do this.

I know I rant about this all the time but if you don't like a law or rule, get it changed, don't just ignore it.  There are mostly two camps in the world.  People who follow rules and laws (me) and those that don't.  If you are in the former camp you are a chump if people can break the laws and get away with it.  It is just so frustrating.  I know my apartment complex management is getting tired of me complaining but they refuse to do anything about it.  I feel like I should start just putting my garbage in those carts since placing garbage outside your apartment but not in the dumpster is against the rules, just to see what they will do.

These people who leave the carts here just show a complete lack of respect for other people.  Who cannot spare 10 minutes tops that it takes to return something THAT YOU USED.  It makes me feel like there is a fundamental problem with America and its people, screw that, with people all over the world.  If we cannot just follow the simpliest of rules and respect our neighbors how can we ever make the world a better place?  I hope this lady enjoys hell, I hear it is warm there.

Wait, I should have a place in this course

So I have nothing important to blog about tonight.  I have no energy to blog something complicated.  However I wanted to talk about a really frustrating thing that I witnessed today.

So I am in training currently.  After you leave school and enter the work force you will continually train both for your benefit and for a check box on your manager's commitments.  Some training is good and some is bad.  My training this week is putting me to sleep.  It makes me feel good to know I can still learn things on my own though.  I am probably too knowledgeable to get a LOT out of the course.  Little victories in life is what all people have to look forward to once they graduate.

Anyway, when you sign up for the course it specifically says that if you are not there on time your seat will be given away.  It actually says this in every email they send to you to remind you about the course.  Thus you can show up the day of and get in usually because people just do not show up.  So anyway today two people came in about 15 minutes late and were lucky there were still seats in the room.  The course was just opened like last week so apparently many people didn't get a chance to get approval.  Well anyway, about 2 hours later (about 25% of the day is gone by now) two people walk in right after each other and try to sit down.  The instructor is like, um, 'no leave, there is no room'.  To which the people are like, but 'I am registered'.  The course had run out of books for the course and thus there was no possible way they could have gotten in.

Even though all the emails and websites are like, 'you will lose your seat if you are not on time' these people still went up to the instructor and were like, 'but I'm registered'.  Unbelievable.  If I was the instructor I would not have been that nice to them.  I am sure the instructor deals with it all the time though.  For one the courses start about 9 AM usually.  Which is a whole hour after normal work starting times for other people.  This time is very much in the core hours of work time.  If you can't make it into work by this time there really is something wrong.  I just can't believe people in the world feel like they can just walk into anything and do whatever they want.  Based on the driving habits of people around here I really shouldn't be surprised at this attitude though.  Completely unbelievable.