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Never would I have thought about some of the topics such as Self Deception. The unique way I have hindered myself is the self-deception that if someone else does a task it is trustworthy. An example is if I take my truck to get something done requiring the wheel be removed, I just trust that the lugs are tight upon being done. However, if I do it at home I would break at least one lug due to over tightening. How did I overcome this hindrance? In this instance I started carrying a torque wrench in my toolbox. The owner’s manual states a given torque. I tighten to that torque and no more.
I found a way around one instance but there are more. Self Deception can be very destructive to even someone with healthy self-confidence. The mine is better habit can get expensive. Being happy with what you have is not a bad thing. The rub comes in when, as an adult, we either fool ourselves into believing a lie in such a case as to hold us back from greater good. We can also get into the keeping up with the Jones type lifestyles where we can not be happy with what we have and continually strive for the status symbols of society. Perfect example is a guy I worked with. Gary would make statements like “I only have the best! This was and still is the most ridiculous thing that could be said. You see, I knew what the man made a year. I couldn’t afford the best and he was farther in debt than I was. Now, with the scene set, I was able to find a deal on a Chevrolet Suburban. It was nice, ? ton, 4 wheel drive, big block v8, and red. At the time Gary was driving a Lexus. After I drove the suburban to work the Lexus had to go. It was not a week till he was rolling in with a black Tahoe. What was his need? By his own admission he couldn’t justify the purchase to his wife. Well, Gary has the best and a major loan to go along with it.
This is a spiraling decent into debt that eventually will lead to a lot being taken away. Hindering our thinking can be monumentally dangerous from the point of living beyond our means. Resistance to Change and Stereotyping could both cover the next incident. I was working for my family business, which was founded in the mid 50’s. With this kind of life span there was an abundance os things that had time to grow. Unfortunately there was a mixture of old employees and “Kids” of whom I was the latter. One morning an older employee and myself were loading a forklift and machine on a truck to take to a job site.
Now the observation I made about the safe way to chain down the load was not a suggestion that was the core of the problem. The real problem was the other employee was resistant to change in the fact that he was worried his job was in jeopardy. He didn’t want to loose a position he had become comfortable in. At his advanced age changing and finding another job was the most difficult thing he could try. Needless to say this man was apprehensive to begin with. We had the forklift chained but the machine we were going to set for this job was just sitting on the forks.
A quick maneuver to either side would send the load off to the side and probably off the truck completely. I said “Judge, let me get another strap and throw it across the machine. ” He didn’t see the need and stopped me from getting another strap out. Now, I’m paranoid especially where safety is concerned. If 2 straps will do I use 3. Upon my insistence of strapping the machine he answers me with” Youngin, your not going to tell me what to do! ” This is where the Stereotyping comes into play. Instead of being careful and erring on the side of caution as soon as I opened my mouth his mind was made up that I was trying to tell him what to do.
To him I was a stupid kid that had no idea as to how to do things. In some instances he was right. However, this was not one of them. This assignment wants a resolution to this issue. The resolution to me does not stand as changing minds or stereotypes. To me the resolution is to remember this and learn from it in my daily life. What did I do? I walked away and refused to go with him. I briefed my uncle, who owned the company at the time, and went to do something else. Pick your battles, some are simply not winnable.