Sorry, you ain't the center of the Universe...

Well hello, stranger

This is a short little rant about people who believe the world revolves around the. I believe we all know a few such people. I leave you with a question at the end. I think we can all wonder about it sometime. I mean everyone gets a bit too self-centred every now and then, and we need to keep ourselves in check!

This rant was inspired by Aunty Lolla and her unhealthy work environment, as well as my experience with students and their entitled mindsets. It forms part of "Stories with Lolla".

"Who do you think you are?"

A co-worker told me one day, that I should start owning my space and stop allowing others to walk over me. The conversation started with students pushing us around to fit their schedule, while we, the lecturers are forced to shut up and fall in line for them. After I started saying no and owned my space as a lecturer the students fell into place. Well not all of them but it is a start. Too little confidence is just as bad as someone who is too self-centred. And oo we have a lot of these types of people in the world!

I enjoy people-watching. It's not as creepy as it sounds. See people-watching can tell you a lot about someone and the type of person they are. Body language and ways of doing things give away someone's confidence, just like that 🤞. It's amazing how we give away so much of who we are without saying a word.

We hear from a young age that we must speak with confidence, act with certainty, proof our worth. Go through life with confidence and you can achieve all your dreams. And if you don't, then other people will misuse and abuse you.

The other side of the coin is also true. Some people are so confident that they think the sun sets when they sit down. I do not aim this at those who are confident and fill their place in life nicely. No, it's those people who think they deserve more than anyone else under the sun. Those who will look down on you from their throne that no one approved of. Those who will kick you when you are down, just to prove that you are less than them.

It's those big talk, smart talk, living in a small world type of people. You know, the longer they talk, the bigger their ego gets. The more you listen the more extreme the stories get. "I once met the Queen and the Pope and Lord Farquaad at a Casion in Vages". Sure, Fred, you did... They are convinced that others are worth less than them, stupider than them, easily manipulative and gullible. These types of people are full of themselves and will end up believing their own stories and lies.

It's the kind of people who kiss themselves in the mirror before they go to bed every night. The ones that force you to treat them differently than the man on the street, because they are "better", "smarter", "more handsome", or "from a greater family". They believe the world belongs to them, they are entitled. My grandfather believed no one is more valuable than another, we all die and suffer the same faith. Just because you were placed in a box to "be better and look down on others" by society, your degree or your family, doesn't mean you have to live that way.

I have met a lot of entitled people in my life, some are family, others were friends, co-workers, the guy at the grocery store who held at an old lady... It is at times like these that I want to stand in front of such a person and ask "Who do you think you are?". It can go either way. The person may realize "hell, I am not the centre of the universe..." or we can stand there for five days and listen to the person tell me how 'special' they are.

Oo, please I don't have time for such type of people!

Now comes the question. "Do you have confidence in yourself and your achievements, or do you believe the rest of us are just peasants?". Isn't it lonely up there on your wobbling throne?

Thank you for joining in on this rant. I hope you don't have to deal with "BIG EGO" people every day! Stay safe and warm.