So the bad news is that you have a job with decent compensation, you don't find it a challenge to do a competent job, you can partially control when and where you get your work done, even jerk co-workers are not affecting your job performance, and at age 60 you may be within shouting distance of retirement. But you find jerks and incompetents annoying, very annoying.

Perhaps work is more important in your life than it needs to be; perhaps you can enlarge the context for finding meaning in your life and effectively shrink the part played by work. If you can find some folks that you consider interesting and worthy, who might welcome you to participate with them in projects of mutual interest, then work might be less of a focus and concern.

So, what interests you outside of work? Are there projects or hobbies you have been wanting to spend time with? Can you get satisfaction outside the workplace that might reduce your need or dependence for satisfaction in the workplace?

So the bad news is that you have a job with decent compensation, you don't find it a challenge to do a competent job, you can partially control when and where you get your work done, even jerk co-workers are not affecting your job performance, and at age 60 you may be within shouting distance of retirement. But you find jerks and incompetents annoying, very annoying.

Perhaps work is more important in your life than it needs to be; perhaps you can enlarge the context for finding meaning in your life and effectively shrink the part played by work. If you can find some folks that you consider interesting and worthy, who might welcome you to participate with them in projects of mutual interest, then work might be less of a focus and concern.

So, what interests you outside of work? Are there projects or hobbies you have been wanting to spend time with? Can you get satisfaction outside the workplace that might reduce your need or dependence for satisfaction in the workplace?

Yes, dweste .. I focus alot on my work because of other things than direct compensations like salary. For example, there is a non-profit school for employees and I save BIG money on my kids education. If I take the kids to another private school, I will be paying much more.

But money is not everything. I do like the job itself and even the miscellaneous tasks thrown upon us !!!! If they were not dumped on us in a chaotic way , they offer interesting challenges that I feel to be good for a prepper like me. Those challenging tasks, for example, hone improvisation skills. Sometimes things don't work, and we have do anything to make them work. Or sometimes, I modify/remodel something to be prepared for a possible shortage. I feel immensely happy when something happens and MY modification of the facilities help mitigate the effects.

You get the picture.

The problem in our work is not the miscellaneous challenges, but the jerks who have no common sense. They often complicate problems before you can find a solution to the original problem.

I do have other interests like camping and surfing the net. Lots of volunteer programs around. In addition, even sitting at home isn't that boring for me. I can even plan a "72 hour bug out" / campout in the backyard for the fun of it, if I had a long weekend. That is just one example.

So, my frustration is not caused by the lack of other things in my life, but maybe I am too perfectionist to accept that common sense is not really common enough these days.



Yes, I an amatur-ish handyman. I made most of my bookshelves in addition to my workbench ( used wood scraps left by workers who built my house and made several things out of them). I also do some electric/plumbing work at home. Not much these days . Since I crossed the 55 years mark, I reduced the times I climb a ladder and prefer to hire someone to do it. Anyway, you get the picture.

Edited to add :

These days, I do things closer to the ground LOL. For example, I work in my backyard using cans ..etc. to make stoves and other prepper stuff. <<<<<< This can give you an idea of part of my problem with the jerks. I DON'T like to throw anything, and prefer to re-use/recycle them . And they do not even think before they decide anything.

Good post!

I am several years older than you, so I totally get the change-how-you-do-things adaptations!

Some thoughts, for what they are worth:

See if you can find and spend time with like-minded folks, an apprentice prepper or two, or anyone who appreciates your skills and abilities. Maybe mentor.

Look at jerks a different way: see them as a resource. Maybe they can be seen as mini-disasters to challenge your ability to adapt and overcome? Maybe they can be the source of Dilbert-like humorous how-not-to-do-it stories or lessons for which you can find an appreciative audience [like on this forum or the appropriate trade publication]? Focus on pefecting jerk manipulation and distraction techniques for fun and profit? Is there a reduce-waste or green-recycle program at work that might welcome and even reward your input?

Any interest in climbing the job ladder to have at least part of your job in planning or management so you can head the jerks off at the pass, route their efforts into relatively harmless busywork, or overrule them?

Perhaps you can look a jerks as suffering a disease for which you have sympathy/empathy/extra tolerance, just as you would toward anyone who cannot help how they act, look, sound, - or smell?

A total generalization, I know, but the problem employees ironically are often the ones promoted. Managers keep getting complaints and they want to keep their "good" employees doing what they're doing, so what's the solution? Give the problem employee a promotion and get him/her out of their hair! Typically something you might see in a big organization.

Well, besides the squeaky wheel theory, you might also throw in a dose of backstabbing and brown nosing in there, too.

Don't forget that Steve Jobs was considered a "jerk" by pretty much everyone he worked with and look where he ended up!

Arney , we have a steve-jobs type of jerk , and I have not complained about him. He is very very practical , and no problem is too hard for him. He managed to fix instruments that qualified ( manufacturer -trained) engineers said cannot be fixed.

In a graduation ceremony at stanford university , the late Steve Jobs said to graduating students ( stay hungry, stay foolish). I guess what he meant is to do what it takes to reachg your goals. If "rules" are going to stop you or distract you from reaching your goals, do the foolish thing of ignoring the rules !

That is how I understood Steve's speech. And that is what I like about our "foolish" friendly jerk who never took NO for an answer. The main difference between him and other jerks that others spend their lives making YOUR working time a mess while he spends his time opening gadgets and cluttering our place trying to fix something. I can live with that kind of mess and indeed I have cooperated with him and decided to designate an isolated area for his clutter.

Problem with the squeaky wheel is that I want to live peacefully doing my things and not spend my time complaining or fighting. I will be retiring in 2-3 years and do not want to compete with anyone or bother anyone or be bothered by anyone.

There is no way to survive the issue you're discussing. Eventually, it will creep into your bones, brain, and viscera, and rot your socks off. ;-)

You could always try starting and running your own business. This is very instructive and enlightening.

My story is that, quite a few years ago now, the management of my company decided to institute an Employee Recognition Committee to select and recognize employees of merit.

Within 2 months of selecting the staff members who were to serve on the committee, more than half of them were fired.

dweste , I agree with you on feeling symphathy or empathy toward them. Our boss is very narrow minded. I tried to enlighten him and tell him he is focusing too much on minute details when he has to figure out what he should be doing after retirement. But it didn't work. He is not wise enough to know what is important and what can be ignored.

He often puts the carriage infront of the horse !!



LOL ... I like that

I am trying ..
If I can survive these guys I can survive anything



Exactly !

I have a young man working with us. He is hard working and good listener. I tried to teach him all I know, including some prepper stuff. He is now more competent than me in some areas. I wish him the very best. However, I worry that our unwise boss will cause him to leave because of continuous pressure. Sometimes I use my seniority to cover him when he needs an extra day off or something like that.

There is also another smart young man in maintenance . If you can see it in your dreams , he can make it !! We make a good team imrovizing and making make-shift tools and gadgets to do jobs that otherwise cannot be done.

There is a green recylcing program. Unfortunately, it is focused on general waste like paper and coke cans ..etc. Nothing to do with pumps, computers and the like.



None !!
Besides, satisfaction is all I want. I feel happy when somthing is going to be thrown, and I find a new home for it.

Thanks sotto
It is a bit of a relief to see that I am not alone in facing unreasonable decisions/people.

I hope to be retired before my socks rot .. LOL

I offer this, it may or may not be relevant. When one of my bosses came to me with a top priority that would mean disrupting my already filled schedule and I was already working on 3-4 other top priorities for them, I would make a simple statement, "X, you have already asked me to do A, B, C & D, as top priorities to complete on top of my own regular work. Now your asking me to do E and F. Which project, A, B, C or D do you want me to dismiss so I can fit either E or F because I can't do them all?"

It puts the ball back into the managers court, forcing them to manage. Plus they get to decide which task you can stop doing, thus your not at fault for not finishing it on their timeline.