Shul Politics- Or Dealing with People Can be Problematic
Hello Party People,
I always wanted to say that, but it just doesn’t roll off of the tongue very well for me, feels kind of stiff.
A number of bloggers have posted recently about their dissatisfaction and irritation with actions (read: people) at their synagogues and offices. The problem is that if you want to attend a synagogue, go to work or do anything with people you have to deal with politics.
One thing that we share in common, regardless of race, religion or creed is politics. Dr. Seuss wrote a wonderful story about Sneetches that addressed this to some extent.
For better or for worse some people are like the Sneetches looking for ways to make themselves feel better about who they are at the expense of others.
It can be frustrating dealing with people like this. There are those who cannot be happy unless they are making others miserable. Those people who cannot be happy unless they feel that they are regarded as being better than others. Their egos require constant and consistent stroking.
The hard part is that sometimes these people end up in positions from which they cannot be extricated, or at least not easily. They are entrenched and we are forced to deal with them.
The question for me always comes down to what am I willing to accept. How much will I tolerate, and am I required to put up with it. Sometimes I really can go around them, I do not have to give them power to upset or hurt me.
Outside of the office I have found that more often than not I can make the decision to laugh at them, albeit not in public. A peacock is just a bird and not of consequence to me. Irritating, but inconsequential.
Life is often about how you act and react.
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