Tuesday 24 March 2015

"I don't like new people coming"

I have a list of the top ten best famous people in the world. There are two qualifications to be on that list. You have to be worthy of my approval, and in some cases, adulation. And you have to be alive.

Stephen Covey was on that list until recently, but because he died he had to go.  I have just replaced Covey with my latest adulatory obsession, Stewart Lee. But because of the characterisation of his act, he sometimes refers to the character "Stewart Lee". I'm not sure which one has made it onto the list to be honest, and it has set up quite a self-indulgence in my mind, bordering on the pathetically delusional.

Today, I qualified to be a 16PF administrator. Don't all cheer at once. I suspect few people ever fail the assessment, but I gave it a good go. Safe to say I'm all primed to use it productively now though. But, when I was putting on my act for the assessor, I wondered if it was me getting the accreditation or the character of "me".

But then I said the most profound thing I have ever said in my life, although it too was probably said by my character and not by me. My own 16PF score, (and I know it's mine because the character of me has not completed a questionnaire)  indicates I trust people very easily. By some people's reckoning too easily and too often. But I'm not going to moderate that, I'm going to keep doing it, because it feels nicer for me.

The character of me, well he likes to be on the moral high ground while the person taking advantage thinks they have exploited me. Because morally, he's taking you to the cleaners. I'm a lot nicer to be around than my character, although I also claim to be really honest, and yet it's somehow a bit dishonest to be claiming to be honest while I also allow this character to stand in for me sometimes. Verging on moral bankcruptcy.

Before you dismiss all of this, have a think about all of the characters you are playing. I'm quite happy with mine, because every night we all have a virtual meeting to debrief the day and plan tomorrow. And it doesn't get much more authentic than that.

Maybe I could have the character of me on my list.

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