#BigParentingIdea — The Jerkhood Is A Transmittable Disease

After having met many jerk doctors and jerk lawyers I started to wonder how the jerks of these professions become jerks.

I wondered why the people who represent these professions (professions in which the human touch should be at the very center of every interaction) so often are complete jerks, or at least their patients / clients view them as such.

Here is a theory I’ve come up with.

How to become a rich and powerful jerk?

Simple.

First, your family needs to sell you on the idea that what matters most in life is getting best grades, being best in school, win every contest, be teachers’ favorite, choose a profession that is perceived as prestigious (doctor, lawyer), graduate from the most prestigious university/ college, join the elite, buy a house in an expensive, snob-like residential area, find out who the Joneses are and always try to have better attributes of the rich than them (keeping up is for the weak), treat people who you meet on your path as a piece of shit, except for those who are at least as “good” as you are (i.e. graduated from the same elite place/ live in that same elite area/ are in the same elite profession).

For the most part this will happen automatically, so you don’t need to worry about it. It’s enough that the people around you are jerks and continue doing what they’ve been always doing. Just live your life like they live theirs.

Then you need to buy into this philosophy of jerkhood.

No worries. As we tend to accept the reality of the world that is presented to us, you are guaranteed to soak up everything the people in your social circle believe.

Then you need to work hard toward becoming a rich and powerful jerk.

No worries. Your parents will do everything so that you not only graduate but get your PhD from a prestigious university. Your career will take off. You will probably work for a number of rich and powerful jerks throughout your career and alongside a bunch of other future rich and powerful jerks. So you’ll will have the perfect opportunity to apprentice in the art of jerkhood.

Your parents and other experienced adults will tell you that this is normal. Part of the process. So you’ll quietly accept the fact that the people you work for are jerks and that you are also meant (not ‘doomed’) to become one of them.

And what if what you really want to do in life is not going to make you part of this elite?

No worries. You probably won’t have enough time to think what it really is that you want to do in life. Besides your parents will make sure that you don’t do anything “stupid”. They will “have your back”, so to speak.

They know best what will make you happy and they pay for your education so you’d better appreciate the chance that you have, because not all children are that “lucky”.

You will also hear that “your parents are more experienced/ have been longer than you in this world and thus know better” or some similar cliche.

“Well, that sounds reasonable.” you tell yourself and do what you’re told.

Then you need people who think just like you. This also should be pretty easy because they are drawn to the same places and things as you are, so you will meet plenty of like-minded people who will help you believe that your life philosophy is the coolest one on Earth.

Fast forward 10 years.

You are part of the elite. You work for a major company, maybe even have your own practice, live in this awesome residential area, drive a brand new BMW, Mercedes or Porsche, your kids attend a private kindergarten where they’re being trained to be future Ivy League graduates, every year you and your family have a fantastic vacation (you know, one of those snobbish destinations that all your friends like so much).

Isn’t life beautiful?!

There is one problem though. You hate your job and believe that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.

For as long as you can remember you were instructed that you have to choose a prestigious job/ profession (only one!), graduate from the best college and join the elite.

Thus it never occurred to you that you could switch careers. You’ve bought into this predominant lie that you need to be this one thing your entire life.

Besides you sacrificed so much in order to be in this place, your education cost a fortune, your peers and the people in general respect you, your parents are so proud of you, your children attend this Ive League preparatory course offered by this top-class kindergarten. And to top it all you have golden handcuffs and any change would be very hard right now.

You count the years until retirement and save up as much as you can so that you can “enjoy” life even more when you finally don’t have to work anymore.

But for now you want your patients / clients to also know that you hate your job and the best way to convey that message is to act like a jerk.

So when they leave your office the first thought they have is “What a complete jerk!”

Congratulations! Now you are a rich and powerful jerk.

How to live being a jerk?

That’s easy too.

You tell yourself that from as early as you can remember you worked hard to get to this point. That’s all! You will find out that this simple, short sentence will always calm your disturbing thoughts and provide a justification for your jerkhood.

And because it’s so simple and easy we can find jerks left and right in these so called elite professions.

Being a rich and powerful jerk is easy. Why? Because those jerks have zero awareness. And awareness is the hard part.