Analyse This!

I am an Analyst by profession, perhaps that was made crystal clear already. What goes unnoticed is the fact that i have been analysing all my life, particularly people.

I believe after all these years of critical scrutinising of people, i have learned tolerance. A lot of it. In due course i aim to be 100% tolerant of everyone, albeit an exceedingly small minority of my demographic classification that shall always fall short of my patience. In essence, i strive to befriend everyone. Regardless of what they can deposit into my social savings account and the collected social standing each may impose on my very own. I am not simply stating that people should calibrate their tolerance levels after mine. In reality, tolerance and acceptance of others in my psyche is nothing more than modest.

Because what i do is to scan, analyse and sequentially tick off a mental checklist in my head. So and so fits this category, so and so will be a potential friend, so and so is not worth investing time with, etcetera. The past couple of years have seen an evolution in my thoughts. Once in a while i get to step back into my mental state i would be in the past three to five years and then draw a comparison with my approach to situations and scenarios i would have taken today.

I recall this friend of mine who wanted me to model some shots for his assignment. By nature, he was reserved and peculiar. Nevertheless i always allowed some small chat with him in a social environment. It was a Friday night and as a way to thank me he offered to shout me an expensive Japanese meal with constant, persistent inferences to his stagnant social life and the lack of friends to colour his mundane and lonely time here in Melbourne. I told him anytime he wanted to come out, just give me a call. I made discreet offers of a sincere friendship that was not built on expensive meals. Most of all, i made it a point to send infrequent smses querying how life was going with the usual greetings regalia. This has been a crucial advent in my social aptitude.

Now three to five years ago, i would never be in such a scenario. I was hardly accommodating to people too different from me. Firstly i would only talk to those that were talked to; i would invest my time into those who i deem "valuable". I would feel awkward to be seen spending my Friday nights with peculiar characters. Worst of all i would subconsciously overlook a person's presence. You see, making a conscious decision to disregard a person's presence in a room is not as atrocious as doing it without knowing. It simply reflects that it has become a part of you. No one is exempted from this, no one. Every one of us has inserted ourselves into a social bracket of a social ladder of our own design. Just ask the Indians.

The gist of the rubbish i have rambled about is this:

Never assume you are better than others. You WILL be surprised.