Hello my cherished outlet. Today I come to you rather defeated and low. Why charming potato, why so low?

I had dedicated most of my 20s to self development books, speeches and idealistic philosophies. I wanted to be a part of a workforce that had a vision, that cared about its people but the more I work the more the capitalistic bullshit starts to engulf me. Vision, purpose, people are a things of the past – nowadays its either make money or be invisible. OH and the politics, don’t get me started on the dog-eat-dog culture companies seem to thrive off.

There use to be a time when wide-eyed, rose tinted glasses were seen as the epitome of passion and optimism, it feel like day by day it’s the opposed. The more passionate you are the more you look naïve and a FOOL. The world today seem to praise the pessimistic, brutal and outright asshole-ish people. Is it because we’re getting desensitised to our surrounding and are losing the basic care we once shared? (in the western hemisphere anyway) OR is it because this sub-species of assholery gets pressure from depriving pain onto others? (psychology tells me this is likely true)

But CP what kinds of toxic behaviour are you talking about exactly?

Well, my beloved readers, I’ve created a list of the types of sub-assholery that I (personally) have come across in the professional environment in my many years of working. I’d be curious to hear if you’ve had the same – you’ll know you have because an image of someone will come to mind when you read the below.

1. The Saviour – Beware of this type, They like to SEE chaos from afar. They watch as things unravel around them until it cant possibly go on and then BAM they appear and save the day. Just like the magically, as though they could have prevented it all along.
   
   
2. The Gaston (from beauty and the beast) – Usually spotted from afar. This particular breed’s ego is above everything else. Anything cannot possibly go on without them. The whole wide world would in fact cease to end if they weren’t involved in things. More often than not, the world actually runs a LOT better when they aren’t around.
   
   
3. The Big-Brother – Natural habitat is the office space. They are always watching. Got up for a toilet break – why did you take 7 whole minutes? What’s planned for your day today? Why did you take 4 whole meetings extra to get it over the line? Did we charge for that extra 10mins? These creatures like to pride themselves on impeccable detail but unfortunately most the detail amounts to nothing as the real value is often being overlooked.
   
   
4. The real-estate Agent – This breed is a cocky one. IF you’ve never dealt with an estate agent be grateful. This breed is a Gaston on steroids usually because they get a level of attention the others done (for one reason or another). They mean business they talk the talk but walking is not their forte. Its about reputation for them not outcomes. Does this make ME look good? OH look we’ve lost their attention already. . .
   

And so my dears, concludes the list I have thus far sampled.

Why does that mean passion is dying then CP?

Let me explain. These four breeds are the breeds I have come across time and time again in every environment I have ever worked in. My experience is vast (long story for another day) so you can say I have been around. These creatures, at least professionally are unbearable. Logic, Creativity, trust is not something that resides in them and thus is many a time is crushed. In addition to working WITH them, most of us will have the unfortunate outcome of working FOR them. Most of my leaders in the lifetime fit very nicely within the four arch-assholery types.

This then leads to the rise of an unbelievable amount of unhappy workers in the work force, stress, un-fulfilment and overall destroying of passion. Lets be real, if you defeated time and time again, trying to be a circle peg in a square hole, isn’t it a matter of time before you too bid your passion goodbye and almost succumb to being an arch-asshole yourself?

The other rare quality breed that relentlessly pursues their passions anyway, well my fellow potatoes, I commend you. You are braver potatoes than I. (for now). I hope I come back to this space to write more about you brave types but alas, for now – this is my take on why I think that passion is slowly being grinded down and we’re at great risk of loosing this wonder magic.

Feeling pessimistic today,
CP x