Ben Franklin said that all people want to appear reasonable. I agree with that statement, but it started me thinking. Actually, I have been thinking for a long time. I mean it started me thinks about what most people think about themselves. I have come up with a list. I have enough material here to write about for a while.
Most people think:
Most people think that they are good looking. Studies show that one out of three people would be considered ugly. So... look to your right and left. If you don’t see ugly, guess what?
Most people think that they are a “people person.” This bugs me. Not everyone can be a people person. I believe that people persons are rare. In my own experience, people who claim to be a people person are not. Being a people person is not a title you may bestow upon yourself. It is granted to you by people who know you. However, most people want to be thought of as a people person. People persons are not your every day, average individuals. They have a special talent for dealing with people, and that talent is that they make people happy. That is the way you can identify real people persons; they are happy, their administrative assistants are happy, their bosses and subordinates are happy, and their customers are happy. They also go out of their way to make people happy by volunteering in various programs to help people. People persons visits prisons, help the handicapped, visit the elderly, or help the poor in some manner. If a person claims to be a people person and the people around them are not happy and they do nothing to help people, they are simply wannabe’s.
Most people like to think that they have a sense of humor. They probable do, but not a great sense of humor. I have been a teller of jokes for a long time, and I like to think that I have a great sense of humor. I have learned that most people’s sense of humor is rather thin. A sense of humor is not about telling jokes. Jokesters seek attention and, to some extent, want to make people laugh. I am not talking about that type of humor.
People have a great sense of humor when they can laugh at themselves. They see the humor in everything, even the darkest hour. They use humor to relieve tension and to defuse potential fights or arguments. They never take themselves too seriously.
Most people think they are open-minded. I do not believe that anyone is completely open-minded. We are shaped and influenced by our values. People develop their values and beliefs in childhood and nurture them over years of personal experience. They empower and motivate people and are enduring. Values matter because they help people understand their experiences. Those experiences provide a start point for what to do in everyday situations. I think it would be more accurate to say that people are open-minded within their set of values.
Most people think they are team players. And they are. I have been racking my brain trying to think of a profession that does not require teamwork. Even jobs like boxing require support such as a coach, trainer, and work out partners. A thief might work alone, but that is not a profession. Every job requires teamwork and employers want and need to hire team players. I have never seen an ad for a position that states, “Team players need not apply.”
I don’t think team player is a particularly valuable skill since everyone is a team player. I know many would disagree with me. It is usually an unstated requirement for every job. It is like reading and speaking English for most jobs. If the requirements don’t list English language skills-it is understood. In the past, I have told job seekers not to list team player on their resume if they have other skills. The exception, of course, would be applying for a position on a team such as hockey, baseball, football, and technical teams.
The real issue is how good of a team player you are. As I said earlier, all jobs require teamwork. However, some teams lack good teamwork and are actually dysfunctional. Instead of saying, someone is a team player, it might be better to say they work well with others.
I hope this helps someone.
Most people think:
- that they are above average intelligence.
- that they fairly good looking.
- that they are a “people person.”
- that they have a sense of humor.
- that they are open-minded.
- that they are a team player.
Most people think that they are good looking. Studies show that one out of three people would be considered ugly. So... look to your right and left. If you don’t see ugly, guess what?
Most people think that they are a “people person.” This bugs me. Not everyone can be a people person. I believe that people persons are rare. In my own experience, people who claim to be a people person are not. Being a people person is not a title you may bestow upon yourself. It is granted to you by people who know you. However, most people want to be thought of as a people person. People persons are not your every day, average individuals. They have a special talent for dealing with people, and that talent is that they make people happy. That is the way you can identify real people persons; they are happy, their administrative assistants are happy, their bosses and subordinates are happy, and their customers are happy. They also go out of their way to make people happy by volunteering in various programs to help people. People persons visits prisons, help the handicapped, visit the elderly, or help the poor in some manner. If a person claims to be a people person and the people around them are not happy and they do nothing to help people, they are simply wannabe’s.
Most people like to think that they have a sense of humor. They probable do, but not a great sense of humor. I have been a teller of jokes for a long time, and I like to think that I have a great sense of humor. I have learned that most people’s sense of humor is rather thin. A sense of humor is not about telling jokes. Jokesters seek attention and, to some extent, want to make people laugh. I am not talking about that type of humor.
People have a great sense of humor when they can laugh at themselves. They see the humor in everything, even the darkest hour. They use humor to relieve tension and to defuse potential fights or arguments. They never take themselves too seriously.
Most people think they are open-minded. I do not believe that anyone is completely open-minded. We are shaped and influenced by our values. People develop their values and beliefs in childhood and nurture them over years of personal experience. They empower and motivate people and are enduring. Values matter because they help people understand their experiences. Those experiences provide a start point for what to do in everyday situations. I think it would be more accurate to say that people are open-minded within their set of values.
Most people think they are team players. And they are. I have been racking my brain trying to think of a profession that does not require teamwork. Even jobs like boxing require support such as a coach, trainer, and work out partners. A thief might work alone, but that is not a profession. Every job requires teamwork and employers want and need to hire team players. I have never seen an ad for a position that states, “Team players need not apply.”
I don’t think team player is a particularly valuable skill since everyone is a team player. I know many would disagree with me. It is usually an unstated requirement for every job. It is like reading and speaking English for most jobs. If the requirements don’t list English language skills-it is understood. In the past, I have told job seekers not to list team player on their resume if they have other skills. The exception, of course, would be applying for a position on a team such as hockey, baseball, football, and technical teams.
The real issue is how good of a team player you are. As I said earlier, all jobs require teamwork. However, some teams lack good teamwork and are actually dysfunctional. Instead of saying, someone is a team player, it might be better to say they work well with others.
I hope this helps someone.
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