Maybe it is the borderline in me, but I view those around me as belonging into two groups.  Either those around me are worthy of my respect and are able to stand on their own two feet as worthy friends, acquaintances, or adversaries, or they are are on their knees waiting for someone to take advantage of them.  I’ve written before about what leads to my respect.  I have not written what leads to my disdain.  There are leaders and there are followers.  There are the strong-willed and the weak-willed.  There are the reapers and the reaped.

There are those around me that simply do not have the makeup necessary to garner my respect.  Maybe they do not have the intelligence or maybe they have not had the life experiences necessary to act authoritatively.  I have no empathy nor sympathy for those that are unable to get the most out of this life.  It is not their fault, but the result is the same.  They are merely weeds ready to be pulled and I’m putting my gardening gloves on.

On the other hand, so many on this planet are content to let their lives go by without reaching their full potential.  They depend on the strength of others for their own survival even though they could tap into their gifts to make them leaders and forces to be reckoned with.  I don’t necessarily believe that such people need to tap into the Machiavellianistic tactics that some of us employ, but there should be a drive to make the most out of their own abilities.   Too many stunt their own growth for artificial reasons.   For one like me, this simply does not compute.  If one is unwilling to do what it takes to rise above the herd, then are they not but a sheep?  What good are savants if they don’t make use of their gifts?

I understand that the species cannot survive if everyone is cunning and cutthroat.  I understand that intelligence lies on a bell curve and that not everyone can be a leader.  However, there will always be those that are driftwood in my eyes.  They have a necessary place on this earth, but no place at my table.

Image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.  Use of this image should not imply endorsement by the image author, Tom Burke.