Do you work in sales? Do you work with someone who works in sales? For years I worked in the residential mortgage industry along side hundreds of salesmen and women known as Loan Officers. Despite the officer title, they couldn't all claim to have any authority of significance. A more apt description or title would be Loan Pusher.
I have to be careful, because my parents were loan officers for many years while I was growing up and were very honest people who wanted to help others get the right kind of loan that suited their personal situation. But as the real estate economy evolved the Loan Officer type went from a person who was looking out for your interests to someone hoping they could sell the product that would yield the biggest commission, thereby becoming Loan Pushers. Now I'm not saying all salespeople are dirty scoundrels, but I am saying that many of them have a few things in common with each other, and with a certain kind of WoW player...the BEST DPS ON THE REALM dude/dudette.
Aggressive, overconfident, vocal, self-congratulating, and master at reminding everyone of their uber awesomeness. That describes half of the salespeople I have ever met and a subsection of wow players as well. What makes my curiosity peak is that the loud tend to not only congratulate themselves, but other loudies. But ya know when that one guy who you know believes a bit too much in himself comes over to you and says:
"Bobby (cause that's your name), you are the best salesperson here, really! I've never seen someone as smooth or capable. Keep up the good work."
The problem with this compliment, it's completely fake. You know what I'm talking about; those people who aggressively try to make you feel extra special but you know it's completely disingenuous. Don't lie to yourself, you know the kind of person I'm talking about. The other day I saw one of these people in WoW, and I saw right through it.
What proof have I, you ask? Well let me see if this makes any sense to anyone but me. If I'm wrong so be it, but I know what I believe. There was one particular fellow who was talking a lot of trash before a certain fight in Baradin Hold. And I mean a lot of trash. It was textbook overly aggressive, vocal, self-cocky sort of whipadoo that makes you want to leave the auto show room the second he breathes his alcholol breath (from "lunch break") in your face. But we all just wanted to finish and get out of there.
The fight commenced, and I believe this particular individual ended up approximately fifth or sixth in total damage and dps. Not bad but not the top. Well that didn't stop him from claiming the top spot, in a round about way. He congratulated the top two damage dealers for their uberness, and talked about how those two, in combination with himself, could quite possibly be three of the best players on the realm. He would have been better "if only" he didn't mispress a button that totally threw off his rotation.
Oh how I wanted to leave, I needed to vomit after all that he was saying. What was more disturbing was how one of the top two played into his fantasy. Bad move. I felt bad, not for his stupidity or poor manners, but for the players that outperformed him, and by a significant margin. Now maybe your asking yourself if I was one of those silent damage dealers who outperformed him? I am not claiming such a thing. I was healing. Anyway, I did the smart thing and dropped group and went on my merry way leveling the various new faction reputation as slowly as I possibly could manage. I don't really enjoy a cock fight.
Positivity
As I don't intend for this post to be a complete rant, I wanted to make a point and congratulate thsoe silent damagers for remaining silent. I have no doubt that they were well aware of their own performance as well as this salesman, they were confident enough and secure enough in their own skins that they dismissed this player as the hooter he was. Most of the group were silent, did not endulge in the fantasy as only one did. And I think that's a good sign. There are plenty of trolls out there, and plenty of trollers of those trolls, it's nice to see that on at least this occaision that the majority allowed the trolls to feed on their own delusions rather than feeding them more fuel for the fire.
There are a lot of stupid people, not unintelligent, simply unwise in that they say the wrong thing at the wrong place and time but don't understand why it's so bad. But I think there are more people capable of biting their tongue and doing what should be done, ignore the ignorant.
Congratulations and thank you to all the Silents out there, those who don't feed the trolls or their cousins. Any more loudies and next thing we know we'll be selling mortgage loans to our guildies.
Have a wonderful weekend!
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