briskskipper71 said:Seriously, why on earth do you care so much about what other people think? I mean, what actually changes if everyone knows you nailed it, or if they think you totally flopped?
At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is how you see yourself. If you truly believe you’re a total loser, it won't matter if every single person in America stands up and calls you a genius—that inferiority complex is going to stick around and just eat away at your soul. Sure, praise and validation from the crowd can give your ego a little boost, but once you realize it doesn't actually mean anything, you'll see. You can live without being popular, but you absolutely cannot live without self-respect. Once you get that, your whole sense of priority shifts.
It’s honestly sad, but so many people who obsess over success are constantly comparing themselves to others. Or even worse, some people just love knowing that someone else failed so they can feed their own bitterness and enjoy watching someone else struggle. I remember running into this old acquaintance after ages, and he pulls out his transcript right in front of me with this nasty little smirk on his face. He looks at briskskipper71 and asks, "Are you still stuck in college?" I told him I only had a few finals left to go... and he just gives me this even more crooked grin. Then he asks if I'll even graduate before I'm thirty. I just told him, "Probably not, but I'll be Mr. Scientist by thirty-one." Honestly, the guy was such a wreck that I actually felt embarrassed for him...
...because, let's face it, people can be a pretty corrupt race—dirty and just plain mean....
Don't get ahead of yourself. Look, I’m good. I’m not going to cheat you, steal from you, or lie to you—unless we're playing something like Call of Duty and things get intense. Then I’ll turn into that Hobbit from Lord of the Rings and start screaming "my precious" twenty times in a row. 😲
Morgan Bishop4 said:I'm with you on that... if I run into a friend I haven't seen in forever, I'm definitely asking how school is going, since that's pretty much their entire personality right now... plus, it's way less invasive than, like, "so how's your love life?" or "are you guys fighting again?" Ugh... I only dive into relationship drama with my inner circle... asking about college is just general small talk and doesn't have to be a competition...
I mean, I'm not going to ask someone "what's up" just so I can measure their life against mine, or check in on their relationship hoping things are going worse than mine...
Sure, there are certain types of people—you know, the gossipy ones—who would ask those things just to have something to talk about later... but if it's a friend, an acquaintance, or family... it's totally normal... it's basically the same as asking "where are you working now?" or "how's the job treating you?" blah blah blah...
In other words, you're out of questions.
Maybe try something like... "Hey. You look incredible. Heading to the Metallica show?" Or whatever works, depending on what they're actually into.
Why do people always ask those mindless, pointless questions that serve absolutely no purpose?
It’s the same every time. Honestly, being asked how college is going makes me want to gag. Even when I’m absolutely crushing my classes, that question is just nauseating. Why? Because there's no winning. If I say, "Man, things are going great," I feel like an arrogant jerk who's just bragging about passing every exam. I don't like starting conversations that way. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But if I say, "Exams are killing me," then people just give me that patronizing pity, saying stuff like, "Hang in there, it'll get better." Either way, I already know exactly how the conversation is going to end. It's totally predictable, and honestly, it's just a terrible way to start a chat.
So, my boyfriend and I were out running errands the other day when he ran into an old friend of his who works at a local Target. We ended up chatting for a bit. About five minutes in, she asks me how college is going. I just gave her the usual: "Oh, you know, hanging in there... trying to find the motivation to actually study. The usual struggle." Then she hits me with this: "See? I didn't go to college. I just work at Target." Or something like that. That was the vibe.
Now I feel like an idiot just for bringing this up. Look, it’s not that I’m judging people based on what they do or who they are—that's not my style. It’s more that, honestly, some women probably just make up these scenarios in their heads. It's a general thing, really, whether you're talking about college students or established professionals like us. But in reality? It's just not true. 🙏
For fuck's sake... stop asking me those damn questions about college!
bluewalker33 said:The absolute worst part is when you deal with jealousy from those distant relatives... like some random aunt or cousins out of nowhere
It’s not that they aren't there. 😁
When I first started college... my aunt was basically screaming from the rooftops about how "my little girl is going to university! She's doing this and she's doing that!"
And I’m just sitting there, watching everyone's faces. People are working so hard to act polite and sweet, but inside? They're thinking exactly what any normal person would: "I couldn't care less what she enrolled in. Just leave me alone. Why does this matter?"
Isn't that just how it is? 😁
