One Personal Rule I am Keeping in 2023

 

 

Everyone makes their own personal rules and boundaries. Some decided to quit smoking, drinking, and wasting time on video games. Some made rules to learn something new whether it be instruments, career skills, or cooking recipes. I wrote this article back in 2022. It was mid 2022 and I thought about making one rule for myself. It took me awhile to come up with one. However, a few moments later, I thought about many situations and personal experiences that I was able to resonate a lot.

Any wild guess?

It was to Never ask someone two things : Job or salary.

 

Never ask someone two things : Job or salary

 

Fame and social status are equivalent to drug. Once you experienced either one of them, you rarely desire to return back to the mediocre you were before. As a neophyte in the arena of huge fame, money, and popularity, I am no expert in it. This input is just a reminder for myself after observing the world around me. I have been thinking about this lately and I thought I would write it down.

 

 

 

I personally do not like being asked what I do for a living. This is not even the grotesque part. I hate being asked how much I make a month. This is not even close to being reserved or ashamed for the honest living I do. In my personal opinion, no part of these questions remotely display the candor of wanting to connect at a personal level. In the past, it used to be a way of getting to know each other (Ice-breaker if you will).That also used to be my go-to questions to anybody new I met. However, in my defense, the world back then was just another whole world.

 

 

 

Things have changed. Now those question becomes the embodiment of all the judgement and the level of respect one should give towards another. I do get it. Things have changed. Nowadays, social status, huge network, and a whopping amount of money can easily put one on top of the ladder. It is a short cut to success. Quote such as, “Show me your friends, I will show you your future” is very detrimental to the way we see the world, let alone our surroundings. The quote comes from a very famous individual which I cannot seem to remember now. Our brain automatically alert us to look at a person based on money and status these days. You don’t even recognize your brain is doing that. Most of the time you cannot control your thoughts and perceptions, at least it is very hard.

 

 

 

No one is against anyone building social networks, pursuing what one wants at all cost, and chasing the money. Those all are perfectly normal and as a human being we all should strive for. However, the danger lies when you start looking every individual as a set of opportunity, imaginary price-tag on top of their forehead, and a piece of asset. Every corners you look can seem perfect, but the earth is still round. Let me caveat that. The danger lies when our success mentality become a way to put down another.

 

 

 

The world can be a weird place some time. People who have nothing to say, say the loudest and nothing to offer, give abundant. I have met the most generous people in my life, and yet they have nothing to offer monetarily. I have also met very rich and many higher-ups, but they have nothing to offer except lust, and money. Money does not change someone. It only reveals who one really is. All I am saying is money and social status cannot be factored into making genuine connection with someone. Everyone should be treated with the same level of respect be it janitor, teachers or CEO of some corporates.

 

 

 

This is just my opinion and I do not expect much from anybody as well. I know I will be asked from time to time about my career and salary at my first encounter with many new friends and relatives. Sometime those questions make me feel like I am constantly tattering on the edge of being let down or judged. I do not expect much from this society. I also know damn too well that I can never judge a person based on the kind of questions they ask or topics they bring about during conversation. So, I guess every time I get asked what I do for a living, it circles back to the question I often ask myself of

“ what is better than giving an honest answer, right?”

Side note: Those questions are perfectly reasonable to ask once there is a certain level of closeness and equal respect established between the two individuals. But I would still try to avoid in any conversation if possible.