Do you have any idea what people think of you? Come on, you know what I mean. Everyone says nice things to your face, but do you have any clue about what they say behind your back, when you’ve left the room, or aren’t present? Think its the same? Care to bet on that? Most of us think a whole lot better of ourselves than our neighbors, relatives or even frinds might honestly declare in private!

You get a hint of this, when you meet someone who’s talked to others about you, and you’re just now being introduced to you. “Oh….so you’re…”. that awkward pause and slight emphasis on your name should tell you they haven’t heard that you’re a saint! No. They’ve heard a more stark and honest recounting of your tendencies and failings, you can rest assured. Sorry.

A rare occurance of this isn’t so bad; if it happens frequently, you probably need to do some work on yourself! Well, assuming you haven’t surrounded yourself with backstabing losers. If you have, you ought to fix that! It’s hard enough to get people to say nice things about you when you are a veritable angel. When you’re a bit of a loathsome toad, you’re just screwed. You can fix that, but it takes effort. If nothing else, stop giving others a reason or a chance to run you down. Really.

Jack