Being perceived as a thing

Holy crap, it is HOT outside. I do not wish to be out there. No, I do not. I walked out of the office today and the heat all but smacked me in the face. I couldn’t imagine living in one of the really hot states or countries where the weather is like this often. I guess you would probably get used to it eventually.

On to some behavioral observations.

Lately I’ve noticed people trying really hard to be perceived as something they find admirable. They have fixated on some trait that they want people to notice about them, whether it’s intelligence or wealth or appearance. Then they go at that trait with a fervency that nears obsession.

The exertion manifests in a certain kind of…almost anger. And if the value of that trait or their notion that they possess that trait is somehow threatened, they freak out a little.

Was it happening all along and I just didn’t notice? Or is the heat scrambling their brains? Who knows? I don’t! But I am kind of fascinated by the behavior. There’s a certain level of insecurity there, I think, that makes them grab onto this one thing so hard that their knuckles go white and their jaws clench.

I just want to ask them, what makes you so intent on people viewing you this way? I want to know what the motivations are. What do they expect to gain? I can’t ask, though. People don’t like when I ask questions like that. I guess it’s rude or something. I shall continue to observe.