I’m a confident person. To an outside observer this might come across as arrogance. I’ve got no problem with that, and have been called such many times since I decided to become a full-time writer. Interestingly, I was never labeled that much before.
So is it arrogance? Could be. Do I care? Not really. Do you? I don’t know…there are few comments on this site. But then I don’t think I’d want to comment on an arrogant bastard’s site anyways – they might chew my fucking head off!
- Perhaps it’s not arrogance, maybe it’s focus. Each month I set my goals, and more often than not, I meet them. I know this gets under the skin of those who can do neither.
- Could it be that I’m driven, and not arrogant. I see what I want and I go for it, and if you’re standing in my way or trying to flag me down for a cup of coffee then there’s good chance you’ll be run over.
- Possibly it’s just expertise. I know what I’m talking about, and many agree with that. There are lots of people that know what they’re talking about, and I think they’re full of shit. I typically avoid these people and make sure their worldview doesn’t infringe upon mine.
So is it arrogance? Could be. Do I care? Not really. Do you? I don’t know…there are few comments on this site. But then I don’t think I’d want to comment on an arrogant bastard’s site anyways – they might chew my fucking head off!
So I guess I should be less confident, huh? Or is it that I’m just outspoken and not afraid to say what I think? I’m also not afraid to point out hypocrisy or things that might hurt you. And do I toot my own horn? You betcha!
Unfortunately all of these things can be labeled as negative. Interestingly, I find this happens most with people that find themselves taken advantage of, or even more, by those that are frustrated and angered by their own inability to do what I can.
Is that my problem? No. Do I care? No.
The definition of the word arrogant is “having or showing an exaggerated opinion of one’s own importance, merit, ability, etc.”
If you go by this then the successful person who talks up their accomplishments could be labeled as arrogant. Hell, I’m pretty confident it happens all the time!
There’s a catch here, though – these successful people don’t put up flashing lights pointing to how high and mighty they are. What they will do is make it known to anyone that asks. And by golly, if you’re coming to my website then you’re asking for it.
Now, I get accused of being arrogant quite frequently. I get this from people I work for, especially if I try to “help” them by pointing out what they’re doing wrong, how they can do it right, and how they can fix things quickly. Many people don’t want to hear this.
Unfortunately all of these things can be labeled as negative. Interestingly, I find this happens most with people that find themselves taken advantage of, or even more, by those that are frustrated and angered by their own inability to do what I can.
Is that my problem? No. Do I care? No.
The definition of the word arrogant is “having or showing an exaggerated opinion of one’s own importance, merit, ability, etc.”
If you go by this then the successful person who talks up their accomplishments could be labeled as arrogant. Hell, I’m pretty confident it happens all the time!
There’s a catch here, though – these successful people don’t put up flashing lights pointing to how high and mighty they are. What they will do is make it known to anyone that asks. And by golly, if you’re coming to my website then you’re asking for it.
Now, I get accused of being arrogant quite frequently. I get this from people I work for, especially if I try to “help” them by pointing out what they’re doing wrong, how they can do it right, and how they can fix things quickly. Many people don’t want to hear this.
Last November I had an employer that called me arrogant. He’d hired me to format an eBook for him to sell on some platforms, especially Smashwords and the meat grinder they have over there that gives authors such grief. I said alright, no problem, I can do that tonight. He said he’d get me the files.
A day goes by, no files. Three days go by, no files.
He starts to tell me that the woman he had translating the files lost some and now he’s waiting on her. Seven days go by – a full week! He says he’s still waiting. Finally after ten days I say listen, it looks like this job isn’t going to happen, how about we just drop the whole thing and move on?
This particular person was from Slovakia and he got quite angry at that.
I think he’s got some valid points. I’m sure he did want to get this finished, but at no point in the process was he ready. I do think his translator may have lost something, but that doesn’t explain why he’d go days without a simple message saying something like ‘contacted her today, still waiting.’
Does it matter? Not really.
Alright, let’s say I’m arrogant because I can do things better than this person and I make it known. Hell, isn’t that why they’re hiring me? He can’t do something, hires me to do it, then can’t even get his act together to do what he’s trying to pay me to do.
That’s fine, I’ve had that happen many times – you’d be surprised at the level of incompetence out there. Yeah, maybe I’m a little pushy. I’ll admit I’d rather work on my own shit that this shit. And I just hate wasting time dealing with these things.
A day goes by, no files. Three days go by, no files.
He starts to tell me that the woman he had translating the files lost some and now he’s waiting on her. Seven days go by – a full week! He says he’s still waiting. Finally after ten days I say listen, it looks like this job isn’t going to happen, how about we just drop the whole thing and move on?
This particular person was from Slovakia and he got quite angry at that.
I think he’s got some valid points. I’m sure he did want to get this finished, but at no point in the process was he ready. I do think his translator may have lost something, but that doesn’t explain why he’d go days without a simple message saying something like ‘contacted her today, still waiting.’
Does it matter? Not really.
Alright, let’s say I’m arrogant because I can do things better than this person and I make it known. Hell, isn’t that why they’re hiring me? He can’t do something, hires me to do it, then can’t even get his act together to do what he’s trying to pay me to do.
That’s fine, I’ve had that happen many times – you’d be surprised at the level of incompetence out there. Yeah, maybe I’m a little pushy. I’ll admit I’d rather work on my own shit that this shit. And I just hate wasting time dealing with these things.
Sometimes I hear that I’m arrogant from people I have work for me. Nearly always this is someone that felt they got ripped-off somewhere down the line. That cover I got for Florida Sinkholes? Two weeks after I got that the person left a review saying I was “arrogant, and very cheap.”
Yeah, I’d say both of those things are probably pretty damn accurate. So is that a bad thing?
Maybe in La-La Land where everything’s cherries and roses and ferry dusk can be sprinkled on any problem imaginable so it’ll just float away on butterfly wings.
But I live in the real world where things are tough and you’ve got to hammer and claw and bite with still no guarantee that you’ll make it anywhere. I spent 5 years in China and I learned this damn good, and I grew up in Montana, where there’s been a constant battle between man and nature and those that want to control both. They don’t give a fuck about anyone else.
So you can call me arrogant, you can call me confident and you can even call me stupid if you like. I don’t really care. Because I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and it’s either going to work or it ain’t. Whether you want to go along for the ride is up to you. Just don’t get too upset if it proves to be an arrogant decision.
Yeah, I’d say both of those things are probably pretty damn accurate. So is that a bad thing?
Maybe in La-La Land where everything’s cherries and roses and ferry dusk can be sprinkled on any problem imaginable so it’ll just float away on butterfly wings.
But I live in the real world where things are tough and you’ve got to hammer and claw and bite with still no guarantee that you’ll make it anywhere. I spent 5 years in China and I learned this damn good, and I grew up in Montana, where there’s been a constant battle between man and nature and those that want to control both. They don’t give a fuck about anyone else.
So you can call me arrogant, you can call me confident and you can even call me stupid if you like. I don’t really care. Because I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and it’s either going to work or it ain’t. Whether you want to go along for the ride is up to you. Just don’t get too upset if it proves to be an arrogant decision.
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