Social Question
Do you do anything to please someone else? How many someones else?
This question is kind of a tip of an ice berg and you can take it as far as you want. I’m wondering how many people do you want to please. You can try to count, but that’s probably not possible. What is more interesting is if you could name the spheres of people who you want to please and talk about why you want to please them and what you do to please them.
For example, I want to please my nuclear family. So I work so we have resources and I spend time teaching my kids and talking to them and thinking of things that might be educational and fun for them. I do so many things for my wife I don’t even know where to begin to talk about it.
I try to please people at work by serving my customers well. I want a good reputation because I want people to think well of me and I want job security.
I do things for the neighbors, but in a pretty minimal way. I want to be liked and I don’t want trouble with them. I want the neighborhood to be a pleasant place.
I do things for my extended family. Right now, even though I’d rather not, I’ve agreed to be the MC for my father’s 80th birthday party. I have to interact with many of my parents friends to organize some story telling. I want them to think well of me, so I am trying to be organized and professional as well as I want to be clever and funny as an MC.
I care about my country because the happiness of my family and friends and neighbors depends on my country doing well. I try to be a good citizen. I vote. Sometimes I work on campaigns. Sometimes I work on community projects, although not very much.
I have friends in different communities. I want my dance friends, in particular, to like my contributions—mostly music and stories about dance—but also dancing. I’m toying with the idea of learning how to make a documentary so I can tell their story as an insider would tell it, and maybe bring us some attention and support.
I am going to a gathering for my college tonight. Not quite sure why. Maybe I’ll meet some nice people. Who knows? Maybe I’ll just have a night out with my wife.
And so on. I mean, there’s fluther—I do a lot to try to please jellies. I’m not on Facebook much, but many people are. Why? Who do you please there? Where else do you try to please people? How do you please them? Why are they important to you?