Some things seem hard in life. When we meet a jerk, our reaction is to label them as such. They don't fit our expectations of how someone should behave. We want to control them and 'fix' them.
And we fail, and so they continue (in our opinion) to be the jerk they so obviously (to us) are.
And we tell other people about them "you know that guy we met last week? Yeah, that one, what a complete jerk, hope I never meet him again"
And the message is passed on.
We say the same about annoying customers too. And we pass those on at network meetings (always quietly and in complete confidence).
When we get home, we sometimes reflect on this. We know in our hearts there's something wrong. If someone calls someone a jerk, what does that make them?
I do this often. Make judgments about people. Sometimes I share them with close friends. Sometimes I remember that it makes me just like them.
It's one of the reasons I invented the compassion weapon. It allows me to see the people who reflect who I am for what they really are. People. Humble people with problems.
It's taking me years to retrain myself, but it's worth every second. We are all truly equal under the skin. The differentiation to our jerkiness is down to the internal pain we all suffer from one way or another.
Next time you come across a jerk. Remember compassion. It will change your life.
I write about life and business every day in the Science of Copywriting Facebook Group. It also helps people write more persuasively and build their businesses. Here's the link. It's free: https://www.facebook.com/groups/scienceofcopywriting/