Some people are just so stupid. I can tolerate ignorance but I cannot tolerate stupidity. Especially when you think you're so smart.
We were having dinner at Ad's classmate's place. It was basically a gathering for some of Ad's classmates from secondary school. Our hosts were a lovely couple with a nicely furnished home. What I loved most about their home was that they chose not to have a television set! It was a conscious decision that they had both made - they didn't want their time at home to be spent zombified in front of the TV. I thought it truly showed the depth of their commitment to each other - a commitment to make this marriage work.
Anyway, I digress. This blog entry is essentially a rant. So back to ranting mode.
One of the guests at tonight's dinner party was Miss High-and-Mighty. Everything went fine until we were having drinks in the living room after dinner. I was chatting with V about my pregnancy and how I had to give up a job offer from EDB when Miss HM butted in. Then began a whole slew of insulting, condescending and essentially stupid statements from her. Miss HM maintained that EDB was a "slave-driver" company. That's ok, a lot of people think so.
I found out I was pregnant the night before I was to sign the letter of offer from EDB. My point: when I went down to the EDB office that day, I still had a decision to make - whether or not to take the job.
Miss HM's opinion given very belligerently - "What's there to decide?"
Of course there's something to decide lah! Whether household income increases by $2k plus or remains status quo depends on my decision! Miss HM may be born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but other ordinary people have to think about money even though having a baby is important!
Miss HM continued in her know-it-all fashion - "I tell you, she'll be so upset when she goes there and slogs for a year and in the end comes out with nothing."
I'm getting really mad now. Urm, have you worked in EDB before? No? Then how would you know? And who do you think you are? You think you know so much about me? How dare you assume and proclaim to everyone that I'll come out with nothing? Sorry to disappoint you hor. I'm not usually the come-out-with-nothing type of person.
Miss HM's final blow - "Even if it's on her resume, so what?"
I really have nothing to say about this. Her stupidity has rendered me speechless.
And look - all the while she's speaking (except for the initial "What's there to decide?"), she's directing the conversation to my husband. Wonderful. Talking about me slogging and coming out with nothing, and my resume and she doesn't even address me!
I'm really pissed off. Really pissed off. I know that ultimately she's really just agreeing with my decision not to take up the offer. But in the course of her conversation - wait, no, that should be proclamation - she completely trampled over my feelings and my pride. Her whole demeanor was like talking to a child. I'm not a child! She thinks I shouldn't even have bothered to apply for EDB in the first place. But of course I knew the job would be tough! Everyone wants a cushy job that pays well, but who's so fortunate as to get that all the time? Of course I wanted a cushy job. But you don't always get what you want, and I'm not as naive to believe that you should bow out of a challenge just because a job is tough.
Can I conduct a mini-lesson in tact and EQ here?
1. Do not assume you know everything.
2. Do not assume you know everything about everyone.
3. Do not assume everyone wants to hear what you have to say.
4. Do not speak without listening.
5. (And for the truly stupid) Do not speak.
