Perception

Frustrating isn't it? Other than the birdie that Jadielady and I see, we can't figure out what the anti-image is. I was thinking about people's perceptions and I came along stuff like this. I'm not hunting down the answer until I give it more time, or until ya'll make some suggestions. So have at it folks. Tell me what you see. But why was I thinking about perceptions? Something a colleague said to me at work. She almost outed me to another colleague which was a result of a conversation she had previously had with another person. Apparently, I may be viewed as not a happy camper when someone "outs" me. That the anger is ME being angry with MY being outed. While I do care to some extent if I am outed, that's not really my concern.

What bothers me more, is the ability of the offending person doing the outing. I question how that person can be so inconsiderate to do that to another person. Gossip is gossip and nearly everyone does it or has done it. We talk to our friends, or people we believe to be friends and the Pert Commercial begins. Why does anyone talk about intimate details of another with anyone. Some of the answer goes back to perception. I know my friend at work almost outed me because she "believes she can" (perception) trust, the person she was talking to. And while I'm confident that the receiving party can be trusted; I'm not confident that same person would approve of the news.

Now here is where it gets sticky. I believe to the point of having the perception that my company is accepting of diverse lifestyles because I read my employee manual and it tells me so (hence I don't trust management and HR, ever). I believe that many - not all - (due to pre-conceived or otherwise perceptions) that my fellow colleagues are accepting of diverse lifestyles. The rub - my overpowering cynical streak believes that given the chance, my colleagues would use any type of information for ill, both purposefully and by accident. You may remember my post about my being a Pessi-Optimist. I believe in the positive but plan for the negative. I believe you can be trusted, but plan for you to be human. To my friend at work - I'm glad that you kept your mouth shut! Why, because I like my job. Now if you can get that other chic-a-dee near you to stop absentmindedly insinuating all the time, that would be a big help. Again, frustrating, isn't it?