There are many terrible people in the world.
Gossips. Cowards, Bigots. Fanatics. Cheaters.
The lazy. The dishonest. The passive-aggressive. The violent.
New York Jets fans.
Men who wear Gucci basketball sneakers.
People who shout out at live performances when the name of their hometown or college is mentioned by the speaker.
Right-wing Republicans who worship Ronald Reagan while refusing to acknowledge his record on immigration, taxation, government spending, and compromise.
But I’ve always felt like there is one quality above all others that is the worst, and oftentimes the most dangerous:
The large, fragile ego.
A large ego can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how the possessor of that ego wields it. But either way, a large ego isn’t inherently terrible or especially dangerous.
A fragile ego is certainly the best thing in the world, but if it’s not oversized, it’s often only limiting to its possessor.
But the large, fragile ego is a terrible and dangerous thing, particularly when the person possessing the large, fragile ego is in a position of power. These are the men and women (but mostly men) who think highly of themselves but are unable to endure criticism of any kind. These are the egomaniacs who also desperately need to be loved. Adored. Cherished. Admired.
This is a terrible and dangerous combination.
These are the people who ultimately prove to be vindictive. Vengeful. Unpredictable.
They are administrators and managers and politicians and bosses who will love you one day and hate you the next simply based upon the tenor of your support. They are the leaders who shift their position with public opinion as often as the wind. They are the ones who often ask (or require) others to publicly support their decisions even while knowing full well that these subordinates do not. They are managers incapable of doing their own dirty work. They are administrators who prey on the weak and promote the most frightened, agreeable, or easily swayed individuals.
I think of them as over-inflated balloons. Handle the enormity of the stretched rubber the wrong way and it will pop.
They are also terrible and dangerous because of their prevalence. They exist in frightening large numbers. I have known many of these cretins over the course of my life, and I’m sure you have as well.
Worst of all, there’s no fixing them as far as I can tell. They are eternally despicable. Forever fragile. Endlessly pathetic. Permanently damaged. No amount of instruction or training or life experience will correct this tragic flaw. They are terrible right down to their bones.
Avoid these people (mostly men) like the plague.
Vote them out of office.
Transfer out of their division.
Leave their work group as quickly as possible.
Never marry them.
Do everything you can to keep these people out of your life and out of power.
