The Blame Shame

This is a little inspired by the previous post.

Let’s look at a hypothetical situation. But interpret it metaphorically… please. Oh look, just humour me for a second.

You are driving along a main stretch of road. You travel along this road nearly everyday, as it is the quickest way to your destination. Sure there is a slightly longer way by a couple metres, but that defeats the purpose of getting from point A to point B.

Everyone knows a straight line is the way to go.

However, along this road is a bit of a dip – a spoon drain, if you will. Sometimes you don’t notice it and you crash right over it, a loud thump from your suspension the reward for your flighty attention span.

This seems to happen every day, too. It is doing untold damage to your car.

Do you

A) Blame the Department of Transport for laying a spoon drain in the most idiotic of places. You write a letter to the Minister, and gather signatures from their constituents.

or

B) Be a bit more attentive in your driving, believing that the damage on your car could’ve been avoided with a bit more alertness. Maybe you take the slightly longer, yet smoother, road.

Okay, it is a crude metaphor, but it’s Friday and I can’t think of anything else right now.

Anyway, my point is, most people I’ve known would have chosen A. Well… insofar is that they like to blame everyone but themselves, and expect everyone to bend and bow to their whim.

(If you look at that situation literally, most people would probably go around and choose B. Car parts are costly and maintenance is expensive. However… with the cost of fuel these days… Anyway, current economic climate is not my point)

Okay, so the analogy is false. My point is that it is far too easy to blame everyone else for the woes in your life.

The reason people don’t get promoted is because of that arsehole upstairs. The reason that guy has the hot girlfriend is because he’s rich. The reason friends leave us is because they’re jerks.

It’s not because you weren’t the best person for the job, that he spoke kindly and had an intelligent conversation with her, or because you did something wrong… oh no.

It seems far too easy to blame some force which is beyond your control.

Because, hell… if I got the promotion, the hot chick or the abundance of friends, I wouldn’t blame the knob upstairs, my bulking wallet or everyone else’s good nature… oh no.

I’d be patting myself on the back for a job well done.

However, it was said that good leaders are the ones who look outward when things go right, but look inward when things go wrong.

So, basically… if you read on this blog that I’m thinking that I might be to blame, it’s not because I’m being pathetically morose, insipid, or some poor-bugger-me parasite.

It’s because I want to consider all possible… er… possibilities.

Right before I blame everyone else anyway.

I never said I was a good leader. Damn stupid upbringing not giving me leadership qualities…