People spend a lot of time worrying about other people

posted by Jeff | Monday, April 17, 2006, 2:55 PM | comments: 7

I had a recent conversation with a friend who was telling me all about how another person thought this and that about me, and came to all kinds of wild conclusions about who I am and what I care about. I'm generally not one to care about what people think of me, but I find it disturbing that anyone would care at all. I'm really not that interesting. And the scary thing is, it seems most people do this.

Let me start by saying that I spend almost no time thinking about other people in the context of what they might be about or what they do. I don't care. Close friends, I mean the people I really care about, yes, I do think about them, but primarily in ways that I can help them. Beyond that, I don't have the bandwidth to devote to such lines of thought.

But what's with people that spend time talking shit about other people they don't really know? That kind of thing gets back to me from time to time, and it usually has something to do with me and CosaterBuzz and what a dick I am or something like that. They seem to think it's the center of my life and all I do. If you know me, you know it's probably not even in the top 10 list of things that I care most about.

And this got me to thinking... are other people one-dimensional? By that I mean, do they not have a broad perspective about what life is all about? I'm not talking about how many hobbies or interests they have, because I'll be the first to say I'd rather do two or three things really well than a lot of things average. But do they see life as this large-scale, diverse, rich experience? I do, and maybe that's why I don't spend much time thinking about or talking about other people.

I don't know. That all sounds kind of vague, but maybe you know what I'm talking about, or maybe you do it yourself. It just strikes me as wild that people would come up with this detailed and wholly speculative profile of me, when I can't even do that about myself despite having access to, well, my life!


Comments

Kara

April 17, 2006, 7:17 PM #

Sigh. I completely get your drift. Where to start?

CoasterBuzz is a great community, but quite a few people obsess about things WAY too much. I feel sorry for those people for many reasons, and the fact that they can't see that you're not at all who they peg you as is right at the top of the list. To that I say, their loss.

As much as it shoudln't frustrate you, I, or any of your close friends- I can say it does for me. It pisses me off when people question why I'm friends with you...but when they do they get a face full of me telling them how idiotic they are for doing so. I also find the people that get along with you because "OMG you're the webmaster of CoasterBuzz" ridiculous as well.

I guess I'm totally thankful for Julie because , obviously, we all get along great and she loves you as a person for who you are- it's awesome that I know that her friendship with you is genuine and not because of "who you are (or aren't) online." Sometimes I just get sick of my Coasterbuzz acquaintances obsessing about your life so much.

I know we've talked about this, but I just wanted to leave my 2 cents.

April 17, 2006, 7:26 PM #

Wow. That's something. A college student giving up 2 cents.

Since I'm now downsized, I'll take the 2 cents anytime.

MrScott (look for me picking up cans next to trhe road)

Jeff

April 17, 2006, 7:39 PM #

I guess maybe that's the part I didn't quite connect, that it's about "the guy online" for a lot of people. The only people I can think of among my close friends that have even visited CoasterBuzz more than once I suppose are you and Mike Jandes. Brother Freeze, Timmay, Mary, etc., have no idea.

Of course, the other thing is that people still object to me making a business out of my hobby, but that's yet another issue for another post...

Neuski

April 17, 2006, 9:15 PM #

I think the obsession from your jealous "acquaintances" is just another con of being in the limelight, even if CB is a small one. On a related note, my Jeff Putz Fan Club had three members join last week.

Onceler

April 17, 2006, 10:42 PM #

I think the obsessions stem from the very root of the enthusiast culture. Many people in this chosen hobby can't enjoy it or have fun with it. For those people, it is about how I am better than you because I have ridden this or how many times one has ridden something. I think this has a lot to do with them obsessing about you. Their enthusiast mindset carries over and infiltrates the rest of their lives.

I do love how much effort some people put into this online hatred or virtual wars they perceive. Wonder what would happen if they put that much effort in things that actually mattered?

CPLady

April 18, 2006, 1:52 AM #

I don't think it's just CBuzz or enthusiast related. I've been on the receiving end of such bullshit myself. Of course, I don't give a flying fuck what "acquaintences" think of me. I'm used to the "bitch" moniker and it doesn't both me in the least because my true friends know who I am.

It always amazes me, though, how many people on CBuzz really think that's all you do. Walt falls into that same category with some of them as well. So one dimensional you put it. Which makes me wonder why they'd get so pissed that you make a little money off it...if it WERE all you were doing, you'd be living out of a cardboard box.


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