Bad Apples

One of the harsh realities of life is that sometimes things do not always go our way. Sometimes we are treated unfairly. Sometimes bad guys actually win. Sometimes what goes around does not come around. As we transition from youth to adulthood, I believe there is a part of all of us that knows these unpleasant truisms are just that: unpleasant and true. We don't like talking about it or even acknowledging it. We do not even like saying it out loud or sharing this awareness with our friends and loved ones. Yet it is a harsh reality - much like waste, selfishness and cruelty - that not only exists in the world, but not always is stopped, checked or reversed. Furthermore, there are even those who live their lives as not-very-nice people who do not-very-nice-things and do quite well, thank you very much.

I am not just talking international terrorists or world leaders who are corrupt or who make decisions that lead to the needless deaths of thousands of people. They are in a league all their own. Rather, there are what I call every-day people who are our neighbors, co-workers, or even relatives who simply live their lives on the wings of bad intentions, selfish behavior and lies. While more often than not, people around them come to recognize these jackals for what they are, despite this, sometimes the unsavory characters of life are able to do what they do any way and not suffer any meaningful consequences.

The kind of bad apples I am talking about are not good communicators simply because what is behind whatever it is they are saying or, in some cases, selling is false. Communication, at its best, is inclusionary. It involves making and maintaining viable and sincere connections with others. These individuals are not interested in that. They wish only to make life better for themselves and if it is at the expense of others, then so be it. Realistically, ways to deal with communicators of this ilk is to never give them any credibility; remain aware of what drives them; and remember how they may mistreat you or others is all about them - not you. These coping mechanisms may not always lessen the pain the bad apples inflict or counter they damage they create, but they do help drive home the value of honest and well-intentioned communication.