Whereas before people would sit on each other’s desk chatting, now the cold war and animosity hung thick in the air. We were about a third into the training programme when it had to be stopped.
It took two days of gentle, persistent and very sensitive ‘detective-ing’ to find the cause behind the whole issue. In hindsight, it is laughable. At the time it was not. One lady who was competing against another for the attention of a particular man, had unintentionally drunk her coffee out of the mug of the other.
Based on that, the entire department had split itself into two opposing factions and from there everything went downhill. Our hell on earth is nothing more than our ego we pander to daily. Nothing but ego and insecurity causes road rage.
One day, trying to be a Good Samaritan, I pulled up next to a large Merc and complimented the driver on his car. He smiled. Then I mentioned that his left-rear brake light was not working.
That turned him into a raging lunatic who wanted to know ‘what effing business is that of yours?” I felt sorry for the lady seated in the car with him who had to hear what a ‘forward MF this and MF that” I was. Thank God I was on a motorcycle and rode away fast.
Every argument is driven by the ego. What is war but an aggravation between two people – two people where neither wants to back down? Four out of every five marriages end in divorce – so much for ‘until death do us part.’
The solution, most times can be found in talking it through before the ego gets in the way. Think it through and talk it through while sanity still prevails. Or if someone flies off the hook screaming, you be the one to keep quiet. Remember, an argument needs two people with opposing views. Then of course, it becomes rather difficult to argue against one who invites you to pray about it with him or her, not so? Works … every time!
Errol Clarke – a resident in the South of Johannesburg is a holistic Life Skills trainer of more than 25 years. He has trained thousands of people in many companies, government and prisons. A lifetime student, his empowerment for employment book “Sir, I’m Looking for a Jorb” is due for release shortly.
E-mail: ectn9@yahoo.com or visit www.ectrainingnetwork.wix.com/ectn
