If you’re the same kind of person that I am, you have a difficult time respecting people who don’t take responsibility for their own lives. I truly struggle to find empathy for people who create their own problems in life and then want to complain about them. It’s extremely hard for me to connect with people who repeatedly make terrible decisions and want sympathy for the aftermath. Personally, I would prefer that people are logical and make educated decisions so the rest of us don’t have to hear their bellyaching when things explode. For instance, recently I was hanging out in the office at work when one of my younger co-workers came rushing into the office bawling like a baby. She was being so dramatic that all of us immediately stopped what we were doing to listen. When we finally understood what the problem was, I had a hard time keeping my mouth shut. This girl was crying over her air conditioning at home. Apparently, her central AC system had stopped working earlier that morning when she was getting ready for work. She said she was unaware of cooling system maintenance appointments, and she didn’t have a professional HVAC dealership to call in case of emergency. She was absolutely overwhelmed and had no idea how to survive without indoor air temperature control in her house. The days were too hot and humid, and she was convinced that she would roast to death inside of her home. For a minute, I felt bad for her. I considered helping her find a heating and cooling specialist to fix her busted AC system. When I talked to her for a few minutes longer, however, my sympathy immediately disappeared. As she began to brag about ignoring her smart thermostat notifications for air filter changes and routine repair appointments, I stopped caring about her HVAC crisis.
