We recently had parent-teacher conferences, which got me thinking back on some of the policies and procedures of school. Mainly on how to get a decent grade. I keep telling my kid, “If you just turn in all your work, you’ll pass.” Like, he doesn’t even need to ace tests or try hard on the homework. Just turning everything in is enough to pass.
Of course, that’s not to say that he shouldn’t try for a higher grade. I’m only talking about meeting the standard enough not to suffer some shitty consequence (he needs to pass because he’s on the football team, etc. etc.).
What surprises me is that this same exact system is a) everydamnwhere in life, and b) people still think it doesn’t apply to them.
Some Fuckwits Think They Deserve Special Treatment
At its core, the concept of grades is very, very simple. Take a look:
The teacher communicates the expectation.
You turn in your assignments in exchange for a grade.
If you fail to do so, you suffer a consequence.
The consequence is the result of your actions.
This is life. This is how it is everywhere. Literally, children in kindergarten understand this concept. Sure, they will still try to manipulate their way into special treatment. They puke out every excuse as to why they didn’t get the assignments turned in. They’ll try everything in the book to get you to look the other way. Their parents might even try to throw some weight around. They’ll blame everyone but themselves. They’ll say you’re a bitch for doing this (giving them the grade they earned). They’ll piss and moan to the principle.
And sometimes they win. We see this from time to time:
You’re a Grown Ass Adult Who Knew the Expectations
This special treatment seeking doesn’t stop with little kids, though. Some fuckwits never grow out of it. They will try everything they can to get special treatment because they think the rules don’t apply to them (because they’re special). Maybe they claim the rules are unfair to them.
Blah blah blah, yawn.
Get the fuck out of here with that happy horseshit. If you refer to my steps above, the first thing is that the expectations were clearly defined. Being informed of such, the opportunity to whine about the expectations was at the beginning, when they were laid out. This is your time to negotiate, not when it comes time to pay the piper.
So, in short, in most cases we understand what is expected of us. There is an agreement:
You do X and I reward you with Y.
You fail to do X and the consequence is Z.
This is the contract. And in agreeing to this contract, you are bound by it. Again, it’s a very simply process that even a child can understand. My point in all of this is that you cannot fucking complain when you achieve consequence Z because you failed to provide X. Knowing the basic agreement means you don’t get to blame anybody else for getting consequence Z.
It’s your goddamn fault. You are an adult now, you get to own your decisions.
The teacher isn’t a bitch when she asks you to turn your homework in. The teacher isn’t a bitch when she gives you a shitty grade. The teacher isn’t a bitch for telling the principle why you got an F. And the teacher isn’t a bitch for informing the coach, who then pulls you from the team.
Again, this is life. You must meet the expectations of life or suffer the consequences. If you blow them off, say fuck it, and think that this shit doesn’t apply to you, don’t come shedding a tear when you’re punished for not meeting the expectation. This applies in business. With the cops. With your neighbors. With your children. We live in a society, which means you have to interact with other people. The above formula is the same, no matter what the relationship is.
Each party has an expectation, a reward, and a consequence. Remember that. Meet the expectation or suffer the consequence.
And no. You don’t get special treatment.
-Janden
Leave me a comment if you’ve struggled with this.
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This is my favorite Wising, yet. I would love to hear your thoughts on how some people believe they are too special to follow these simple life rules. You know, maybe they feel rules don’t apply because they’re older, richer, and the Gigantic EGO won’t allow someone to accept this concept as a way of life….curious as to how you may approach these special people we may come in contact with from time to time.
Also, forgive the typos. I know it should be principal.