Originally posted by hammerhead
I just blew up on a guy at work. I'm going to lay down a thread here and i'm going to bitch my side of this thing. Feel free to sound in and join me or bitch back...
In the name of providing a counterpoint, I'm going to take you up on your invitation, bro.

I think you're coming off as an asshole. No, I think you're coming off as a perfectly pompous, presumptuous, priggish, piss-ant putz. But then, I love alliteration. (Like I said, since you asked...)

Follow me for a second here. You see a guy who does nothing more than walking four flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator, walking fro the back of the parking lot instead of parking next to the building, and giving up burgers and fries in favr of soup. And while you're bitching that you see a half-empty glass of water, I see a half-full glass of water. Because the great unwashed majority of people I see take the elevator, park in handicapped spots when they have no disability so they can save a few steps, and live at McDonald's. I see this guy doing something, which is a hell of a lot better than doing what most people do - nothing.

I also see his attitude as reaching out to you for some help and advice. You had the chance to do something positive for someone, and you fucked it up. Realy, man, you did not earn your Brownie points today. Which is a shame, because if you had steered this dude in the right direction, you would be feeling a hell of a lot better about yourself than you're obviously feeling now, and more of us would be patting you on the back instead of bitching along with you. No, his attitude is not lazy at all, it's simply ignorant - he obviously lacks knowledge about what he should be doing. You've got that knowledge, you had a chance to share it, and instead, you acted like a judgmental jackass.

All of you guys who are joining hammerhead in his rant are examples of what the Bible refers to as the dudes who pray by saying, "Lord, I thank thee that I am not like that fat putz over there." (Sorry, folks, don't mean to get into a religion trip, but I couldn't think of a better paraphrase.) I hate to tell y'all this, but the only difference between a fat putz and a thin putz is weight.

Hammerhead, you've got an opporunity to become twice as big a man tomorrow as you were today. And it begins taking a hammer and smashing the hell out of that paper maché pedestal you're standing on and dropping that self-righteous bullshit that you're preaching. You may be thinner than this other dude at work, but you are not better. Frankly, if you were as nasty a sleazebag as you describe yourself here, you owe this guy an apology big-time. Moreover, you owe it to him to help him with whatever advice or assistance he needs to go down the right track toward meeting his goals - if he would even let you do so at this point.

Finally, my bro, grow up. I expect this kind of rant to come from someone who's 20 years younger than you, someone who hasn't been out in the real world, hasn't paid his dues in the workplace, and hasn't had the time to develop quality professional relationships. I would find it hard to believe that you're in your late 30's. Guys I know in their late 30's don't feel the need to get into snapping-fingers-in-a-circle hissy fits when someone comes along that they think is not as good as them.

You said that your colleague is not a very likeable guy? Gee, wonder why . . .

Look, we all need to dump occasionally. All of us need to unload a gripe or two, but you've taken it to an art form. Your message provided nothing of a constructive or positive nature, and I doubt that it even provided you with any catharsis. (Look it up, boys and girls.) Moreover, it was a downer for me. And the only way I can deal with that is to ask if you want a little cheese with your whine. In fact, I found it amusing that you accused the other guy of whining. I remember to this day the very first joke I [ever read in Playboy's Party Jokes: "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw parties."

'Nuff said. Do an attitude adjustment - you will be hapier for it.