How to suffer a fool without suffering too much

There are two abilities required to succeed in life – one is ‘to follow the wise aptly’ and another is ‘to suffer the fools gladly’.

……….

Wherever you are and whatever you do, there will always be a fool around you. But that fool won’t be just fooling around plainly, he will always be making life difficult for you – one act at a time. He would be busy corroding into your enthusiasm and creativity, passing satirical comments, listening selectively to suit his judgments, and talking at a pitch that is hard to match (forget about exceeding).

He will be more than happy to fight petty battles and win arguments which he himself would have initiated from his amazing ability to create one out of the blue. He will always be full of contradictions, unpredictability and inconsistency. However, he will spot each of these things in everyone around him, to quote it at just the right time to sabotage someone’s budding self-confidence, and to reinforce his already inflated ‘sense of self’.

Now, there are three ways to deal with this creature. First – pity him for what all he must have lost due to this special talent, while attributing it to factors that must have been beyond the control of the poor fellow. Second – see the utility of it by looking for the points in his usually inane remarks that you can use to improve yourself. And third – by seeing him as the agent sent by the almighty to test and better your will-power & patience.

Whichever you choose out of the three, just remember that…

……….

It is at best a ploy to address your own angst, because in any case… he gives a damn to it. 🙂

About Sandeep Atre

Dr. Sandeep Atre: • Counseling Psychologist and an internationally recognized ‘Emotional & Social Intelligence’ Expert, with experience of more than two decades in helping people ‘sort out’ and ‘excel in’ intrapersonal and interpersonal matters. He holds a PhD in Management and a Master’s degree in Psychology (www.dratrecounsels.com). • Founder of Socialigence – a venture specializing in development of ‘Social & Emotional Intelligence’ and its offshoot interpersonal skills through workshops and an award-winning online course rooted in neuroscience and psychology (www.socialigence.net). • Author of two books related to his domain, namely - “Understanding Emotions Logically” and “Observing Nonverbal Behavior”; and third book on various aspects of life, named “Two Paras of Everyday Wisdom”. Moreover, the collection of his Nazms and Ghazals is published as a book titled “Baat Jazbaat Ki”. • Corporate Trainer, with experience of close to two decades. Has conducted 150+ workshops/sessions for 50+ organizations & institutions like CSC, Cummins, Piramal, Ranbaxy, Lupin, Bridgestone, Michelin, Eicher, Maruti, Force, Idea, Airtel, NBHC, SBI, HDFC, L&T, Zydus, Thapar University, Banasthali, Narsee Monjee, Symbiosis, IIFM Bhopal, Azim Premji University, Nirma, Welingkar & IBS Hyderabad. • Co-Founder and Director of CH EdgeMakers – a leading ‘Coaching and Training’ organization of central India for more than 24 years. He has trained close to 100 thousand students for ‘Soft Skills’ & ‘Entrance & Recruitment Preparation’ (www.ch-india.com). • ‘Management Speaker and Orator’. Has featured at platforms like TEDx, IIM, IIT, NIT, CII, YI, CII-IWN, TCS, IMA, ICAI, ECA, ISHRAE, NEN, Sahodaya, Aditya Birla Education Academy, Round Table, LinkedIn Local, Rotary International, MP State’s Teachers’ Training, Academic Staff College DAVV, Police University Rajasthan, Police Training Academy Indore & more than 100 institutions. • Member of noted associations and boards. Has been an ‘Executive Committee’ member of Indore Management Association. Associate Editor of IMA publications. Governing Council Member of Banasthali University’s SBBJ Centre for Research in MSME & Promotion of Entrepreneurship in Women. Executive Member of IMS, DAVV Alumni Association. Member of Rotary International’s ‘Group Study Exchange’ team to Minnesota, USA. ESI Coach with FWSA Australia. Note: For glimpses of work, watch YouTube Channel ‘Dr. Sandeep Atre at Socialigence’.
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