So, I have had to deal with stupidity in other attorneys, multiple times. I have had to deal with arrogance, even more than stupidity. But, today took the cake. It was the biggest waste of time in the court ever.
I was sitting at my desk in my jeans (thats right, I wear jeans to work, every day unless I have court, take that), and the court called saying I needed to get down there ASAP because there was a hearing going on that involved us. So, I put on my emergency court clothes, and head down. No file, no referral, nothing. I don't actually have this case, and my client, the State, doesn't care in the least what happens, so you can imagine my enthusiasm to get right off to court.
When I get there, I am acosted by an attorney that is equal parts stupid, arrogant, and self-deprecating. Every single question he asks me could have been answered with a quick 5 minute phone call to the agent over this matter. But no, he prefers dealing with 'someone of my astute abilities' (at that point I dry heaved a little). Irony was, I couldn't answer any of his questions. They aren't my area, I don't know, and even more importantly, there is no conceiveable way I could have cared less. I told him *BUM BUM BUM BAH* the AGENT could answer all these questions. Through the entire thing, he keeps saying stuff like, "I know I'm not that smart, so I can't understand this, if you could explain to me ______" To which I would continue to answer, no, I don't know, you'd have to ask the agent, who actually has that information.
Here's the problem. He doesn't think he's stupid. I know he doesn't think he's stupid. So, the self-deprecation could only be one of two things. Either he a) thinks that I am stupid enough to believe him, so I will do his work for him, or b) he is fishing for compliments.
Most of the time that you run into self-deprecation, it is b. But in this case it was clearly a. He was lazy, and more than a little stupid, but he really thought if he kept up this poor me act, that I (as a sub par lawyer, I mean really, I just work for the state), would do all his work for him.
Either way, I hate self-deprecation. Its only basis is arrogance.
I'd like to stab him in the eye with something. Preferably something much larger than his ocular cavity.
5 comments:
While I won't argue that this dude was not arrogant, I think it's over-generalizing to say that all self-deprecation is rooted in arrogance.
Some people just think it's funny to make fun of themselves. Just sayin'.
I guess I draw a line between joke self-deprecation (which may also be fishing for compliments), and actual serious self-deprecation.
It may be an imaginary and totally made up line, but I'm drawing it.
You think you're so cool cause you wear jeans to work? I wear pajamas to work! (No, Mom, I'm just kidding. I don't really)
Of course, I'm just a sub-par guy who works for the state. I suck. But I can spell "astute".
I don't know what you're talking about with spelling.
I swear it said "estute" the first time I read it. Never mind. I just work for the state.
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