Professional Jealousy vs Paranoia (classic/dud? I dunno)

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Prompted by a few things/issues.

1) Hey, this person posts this on this message board, you should sack him (and give his job to me)
2) Your band's great, but I'm better than your bass player
3) What the hell, getting paid for jumping up and down and that, no problem.

It seems that a certain amount of defensiveness is part and parcel of professions where an "anyone could do this" image is implicit (wrongly usually: Anyone could do it, perhaps. Anyone could do it well or better, no).

i.e. Actors, Dancers, Writers, Musicians, Artists (sound/paint/other)
(no-one ever says that to Nurses, for example).

Is there a notion of pulling up the drawbridge after onesself?

mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 30 April 2004 08:14 (twenty-two years ago)

(I'm glad that's added. I typed that in three times, and the lousy browser dropped it each time! the second version was better, but there. you have mark 3)

mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 30 April 2004 08:15 (twenty-two years ago)

as number one has happened to me it can be pretty funny. the heat and heart of the message board is an isolated thing. people doing so just look -- well sort of sad and creepy. i have seen the emails. ha ha.

doomie x, Friday, 30 April 2004 08:30 (twenty-two years ago)

(It was the one I was referring to, obv. but without naming the names, that's not for me to do...)

mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 30 April 2004 08:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I never got 1. I *really* never got 2, in fact quite the reverse. Got a lot of 3.

A long time ago, I used to be quite a target on this board for that sort of thing. I feel a lot of relief that I'm just not involved in anything that provokes it any more.

Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 08:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I also feel quite icky for posting that. It's bringing up a load of stuff I'd rather forget and making feel very annoyed at other posters when I'd hoped that we'd both grown up and forgot about it.

Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 08:51 (twenty-two years ago)

2) I got, and funnily enough the people I had my stagnight do with, requested my leaving the band when I got back from honeymoon (Didn't care, was bored of playing ska covers to the same pubs )
3) was me, the Turkey showgroup. The defensiveness was the other dancers. Got on great as friens with them, but was told on the qt that they would never 'work' with me if it wasnt a) in Turkey, b) my sisters group. The following year, I did no dancing, but still put shows together, which was perfectly acceptable to all...

mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 30 April 2004 08:57 (twenty-two years ago)

1. Luckily I know where some colleagues post stuff anonymously, so if anyone ever objected to me, bringing that up might equalize the situation. Actually, I know it would, the colleagues are largely reasonable and those that are not can be blackmailed (kidding).

2. I'm trying to discount professional jealousy from people I do not deal with on a professional basis. If you'd been paying attention you'd realise I get enough of that in the workplace.

£ (best typo ever, I'm leaving that). I don't begrudge people who get any kind of artistic success, so long as I know it's down to them and not some puppetmaster or minion. I hate people who pull ladders up after themselves and hope I'm not one of them, but lately my priority is myself, which will be understandable to anyone who has ever needed help from me. I need to position myself better to be of more benefit to others.

suzy (suzy), Friday, 30 April 2004 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

#3, lately my attitude has been not "anyone can do that, that guy's a jerk" but "if anyone can do that, why aren't I doing that and finding worldwide success on the comedy stage?"
I have been known (to myself and those close to me) to harbour an inordinate amount of (un)professional jealousy and embitterment. lately, I've been trying to rewire those impulses so that they spur me to work harder, better, whatever, instead of wasting a hideous amount of time/energy being searingly angry. It seems to be working.

The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Friday, 30 April 2004 14:00 (twenty-two years ago)

No 3 was more "Oh you're good at that, I'm sure I can do that too"

In response to well trained people making it look easy...

mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 30 April 2004 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm very jealous of the teacher down the hall who has those painted apple clothespins labeled "graded" and "ungraded".

damn her.

Ask For Samantha (thatgirl), Friday, 30 April 2004 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I never got any of that. I can fix Dyson vacuum cleaners better than any of you fux0rs, & Kate is 10 x better at playing guitar than I am har har.

Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 30 April 2004 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, but yer pedals are cooler than mine, Pash. Grrrrr. ::shakes fist::

Super-Kate (kate), Friday, 30 April 2004 14:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Dyson makes vacuum cleaners?

The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Friday, 30 April 2004 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, but you have a NEW JAZZMASTER, and I can't afford a new pink sunburst daisyrock "elite" (£250) gah.

(nb, "prunes and custard" pedal available from here: http://axeandyoushallreceive.com/ - beware. this site is even more argh than that analog man one. I just bought that rising sun fuzzbox from him, and he delivered quickly!)

Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 30 April 2004 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to say it's a different dyson, but actually WHO KNOWS??

Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 30 April 2004 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)


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