When I was in my 10th grade, a close friend played a trick on me. He began by telling everyone he had recently bought a snooker table at home. This was right after our summer vacations during which we had played a fair bit of snooker. We all enjoyed the game and I was really excited about this new table. He described where he’d put it in his house and his plans for snooker evenings on weekends in great detail.
No snooker evening happened, however. I badgered him for 4 straight weeks and there always seemed a new excuse. It was only after a few weeks that he finally admitted that there was no snooker table – I was the only one who had believed him without question. Why else had he made an excuse every week for 4 weeks in a row? I was the sucker and needed to be less gullible.
I didn’t know it then but this friend had unwittingly taught me an important lesson. Growing up in India, it is sadly the norm to not believe what people say. I’ve observed a shocking lack of follow up (i.e. integrity in action) – promises are often forgotten and, in the rare cases they are remembered, they are delivered either late or lacking in quality. Since tardiness, ego, and a general lack of integrity is the norm, getting work done often requires a fair amount of political maneuvering. Understanding what makes people tick is an important part of understanding the politics in any situation. And, it is impossible to understand what makes people tick by listening to what they say. It is all about listening to what they do.
I clearly wasn’t ready for this lesson after the snooker table incident but, ten years and many burnt fingers later, I finally understand what I failed to understand back then.
In the “A Song of Ice and Fire” / “Game of Thrones” series, there is a lovely saying – “words are wind.” Words are wind means that words are as fleeting as the wind. So, don’t bother about what someone says. Instead, watch carefully as to what they do. This is a deep lesson because this discrepancy between words and actions isn’t necessarily about nasty intentions. I’ve met some really nice people who were just unable to match their words and actions. The most common reason I’ve found is that humans often adopt various facades to disguise their fears and insecurities. As a result, they’re caught between being who they pretend to be and who they really are. I am guessing it is possible to eventually get lost among these various facades and forget who you really are. Or, it could just be a lack of courage to be who they really are. That would mean facing up to the resistance and that powerful force – the fear of failure. And I know people who’ve unwittingly made it their life’s mission to run from these forces. Over time, this results in a large discrepancy between who people believe they are and who they really are. I’m sure you have enough experiences of several annoying folk who consider themselves perfect and infallible – so I won’t labor this point.
It is tempting to get into judgmental mode. So, let me get straight to what I think are the implications for us.
First, really pay attention to what people do. Don’t listen to them talking about family life and priorities – just look at their calendars or how they spend their time. Don’t listen to them talking about the importance of parenting – look at their relationships with their kids. Don’t listen to them talk about self control – look at whether they’re able to exercise self control over food, tobacco and alcohol. Over time, these actions will drown what they say. This is a big lesson and one I’m only learning now (better late than never I guess).
Second, disregard first impressions. A natural implication of the point above is that first impressions are useless as they are based almost entirely on what people say. For example, a close friend actually actively guards herself against folks who are eloquent. Take time to get to know people. Watch what they do. Watch the little things. Really understand them.
Finally, use this understanding to identify and spend more time with like-valued folk. Life is short and we all have limited time to make this world a bit better while having fun and sharing happiness in the process. It is too short to spend time with jerks and people we actively dislike. In some cases, we dislike people because they are jerks and in most cases, it is just because we don’t “fit.” That’s okay. As long as we’re working hard, learning, and doing good, different styles and approaches are welcome. It takes all kinds to make the world.
Andrew Carnegie clearly agreed – “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.”
A Learning a Day 