Competition Man – Thoughts from March 5, 2022

There’s something I’ve noticed recently. I’ve noticed it before, but I’ve seen several great examples of this recently. People of color, on the whole, are nicer and more pleasant than white people. Women and gay men are more pleasant than straight men, but I’ve noticed that for years. Why is it the most privileged among us are the most unpleasant? See the next paragraph for the answer to this question.

I have never been a good example of what most people think of when picturing a straight white man. I never hit on women, think most men behave badly because they can, and I would much rather have a conversation with a woman. The privileges straight white men can easily get I don’t want. Most times, the only privilege is hanging out with other straight white men. Most of them are barely tolerable to hang out with. Why would I treat others badly just so I can hang out with these dudes who will treat me badly? I quite often get knowing looks from other dudes who believe I think like they do. If I talk to them, the conversation doesn’t last long because they realize we have nothing in common except both being straight white dudes.

I don’t know if that last paragraph answered the question from the end of the first paragraph, but the real answer is much more boring than I want to write about. Speaking of cool things to write about, why don’t I talk about my cats. It’s the perfect addition to the last paragraph. Quest and Scout have been right next to each other without complaints from either of them. Scout still stares at Quest creepily, but it doesn’t seem to bother Quest. The three girls still hiss at Quest if they find themselves close to her. They are getting closer to her before they hiss so there is progress. As a cat dad, I care about all of them and want them to care about each other.

I’m still enjoying writing reality denying quotes from fake people for each of the subjects in my book (Reality Acceptance: For Happier and Healthier Lives). It’s the creative outlet I’ve been craving. Most of them crack me up. Hopefully, they crack other people up too. If they agree with them, they won’t see why they’re funny or denying any realities. They probably wouldn’t read my book, anyway. My thoughts on competition, religion, and politics will turn most people away. I don’t say anything that’s not true, but these three subjects attract people who don’t like examining the realities of them. It seems like everything in the United States depends on these three things.

Patti still disagrees with me about competition. She has taken baseball on as part of her identity. Our den is a shrine to the Dodgers and baseball. I know she is a competitive person. Any time we play games with friends, she or her team usually win. The playing is the fun part of the games. Winning ends the fun. I would always rather have a thought-provoking discussion than play a game. I’m always looking for times in the game when I can bring up an amusing story or have a fun conversation. The game just gets in my way.