I have a co-worker who has to be in every ones business. If he sees me stop and talk to anyone, he must stand right next to me and speak over us about whatever our conversation is. He stays after work and looks through the other sales guys desks to see what they have been doing.
One sales guy ordered some parts from NPD for his camaro. I jokingly asked if the stuff in the box was for me and before he could answer, Joe starts telling us everything that is in the box that is still sealed shut. The sales guy was rightfully ticked off.
I went in to work today and asked if they saw that coke was changing its colors to green and brown. He starts saying that he read that somewhere and proceeds to give a stupid reason for why the color change. I told him he is a chronic liar and that I made the whole thing up. He then argues and says that they really are changing there colors and walks away.
I would really like to do a harmless prank that would call his snooping out. I was thinking of a box loaded with flour that would burst on him when opened.
Does anyone else know this type of guy or have any ideas for a good old fashioned prank?
I've never had to deal with adults like that but as a director at a youth center I meet a lot of teens, mostly boys, like that. It's a very clear symptom of extremely poor self confidence.
My only suggestion is to be careful. Anything you do will cause the guy humiliation cause it's gonna be public. You've already done it once with the coke thing.
One of the teens at the center tried to humiliate the liar, in public, by calling out and obviously proving the huge lie the boy was spinning. The liar exploded and it almost came to blows. So childish... but they are still children.
Now, if you think you can risk it then I'd suggest you keep telling stupid lies to catch the liar up. Start planting interesting evidence in peoples desks. I'd start with invitations to fake parties and then end with fake pink slips.
Do NOT go with anything illegal. No fake pot. No fake weapons. And certainly nothing that will cause this guy to call the cops, because he will call them just to get the attention.
I have worked with him for seven years. I have called him out several times in the past, always the same results. He is a 51 year old know it all. I feel sorry for him, but at the same time he is so frigging annoying. I can best compare it to a mosquito buzzing in your ear while sleeping.
This guy also is an excellent carpenter. I have learned a lot from him. I am the only person who has ever told him how things stand and call him as I see him. This is a guy who is never wrong and seeks praise constantly. I have worked with him on jobs and when you go to the shop in the morning his version of the day before are delusional. He says how glad the customers were of his work and how they could not have done it without him. These conversations never existed. He tells electricians how they should wire a house, plumbers how to plumb the house, and how his dewalt sawzall is better than my dewalt sawzall.(they are the exact same saws)
silver anti seize on the handles of the desk drawers or any thing else he would touch or pull open. that stuff is messy when you don't realize it is on your fingers.
__________________
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I'd probably rig a desk drawer with a can of silly string or similar to spray at crotch level when the drawer was opened. Alternatively, if he is known to snoop while people are nearby but out of sight, set up a really loud fart machine, or even a can of fake fart smell to go off when he opens/moves something.
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Jared
The government said all my vehicle were too old to be clunkers
Better watch those nosy ones. They are usually being more sneaky than you realize, looking for reasons to snitch on someone to get them fired. That is how I lost my job. And if I see that butt-kissing snitch again, there will be blood!
Better watch those nosy ones. They are usually being more sneaky than you realize, looking for reasons to snitch on someone to get them fired. That is how I lost my job. And if I see that butt-kissing snitch again, there will be blood!
Been there also...
Watch out what you do.. People like that can be real cry babies and will go running to the boss or anyone in charge to get you in trouble..
The best thing is keep your distance.. Just stop associating with him if possible.. When he is around just tell the person you are talking to that we will continue this later and walk away.. This way he doesn't have a stage to spew his garbage..
Maybe then he will get the message..
__________________ Don #4 SlackerMaster Chapter Leader of the Massachusetts Chapter
Join the MA Chapter Here Currently own: 2006 F350 Lariat CC Super Duty, 6.0 L Diesel FTE Fraternity OF Blue Max
Being straight up with the guy usually works for me. Take him in private, describe the behavior you (but not others) observe. Ask him if he realizes it, why he may be doing it, if he so acknowledges, and ask if you can help him out. Help him become a better man and you both will be better off.
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Max HP: Classified
Max Torque: Classified
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Best 60': Classified
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Do it right, do it once (perhaps twice if you try to run more than 14psi on stock rods, or if you don't read the instructions properly).
As far as his snooping in ya all's desks.... How about putting notes in them in big bold print saying that he is being watched and recorded, or when he says something really off the wall, ask him to back up his statement with facts. Actually, I don't think that anything is going to help this guy short of therapy. I've seen this type before and a simple talking to never worked, but you can try. I'd love to be proven wrong.
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Michelle's Gottaford
1994 F-150 XL, 300 I6, 4.9 FI, 2wd.
And a 1995 Chevy Metro 3 cyl Hatchback Putzer.
This guy also is an excellent carpenter. I have learned a lot from him. I am the only person who has ever told him how things stand and call him as I see him. This is a guy who is never wrong and seeks praise constantly.
I knew a coworker like this. He was my mentor, 10 years my senior and we became hunting buddies. He always slammed people for dozing off on the job. So one time when he fell asleep with his feet up on the desk, me and the other guys put his gloves over the toes of his boots, piled up all the chairs onto his desk and scotch taped tissues to the brim of his hard hat which he was still wearing. We stood around until he woke up. But it was not worth the look of betrayed friendship on his face when he woke. If there was an an UNDO button, I would have pushed it.
He is never gonna change no matter what you do or say. The adult in me says to be the better man and try and keep your distance from him. The kid in me says have fun at his expense. The coke story is a good one. I have a coworker like that and i think I might try that on him.
I really am glad to hear other people know some one like this. Staying away from him is not much of an option. He is the head of the fireplace department and my helper and I are his crew. I will probably never do anything to ridicule him, but it is nice to think about.
I think on a daily basis at least 70 percent of what he tells me is a lie. It is a mental drain at the end of the day.
Scott, you mention sleeping, he does it while driving. He has damaged about seven company trucks in the last seven years. I have had to bring two tires to him on the side of the road because he was trying to be nosy with his neighbor and hit a drain. Both tires had to be replaced. He has gone through 4 sets of tires for similar instances. He brags all the time about how great a driver he is until I remind him.
I could write a book on my exploits with him.
I will get a picture tomorrow of a truck that the company bought new in 2001. Joe wiped the whole side of the truck along a tree 2 weeks after he got it. We still use it as a spare truck on occasions.
Guys like him are all over the place, and they thrive on the attention they get, and feel that they deserve all they get and more, because, simply put, they feel that they are "better" than everyone else and deserve to be recognized for it. It props up their sense of self-esteem ("People are listening to what I have to say because I'm respected', etc.). So they figure that they'd better keep the talking up, or else they'll lose their audience. And they'll talk to anybody about anything. They'll take every infraction, no matter how trivial, to higher authority; they'll complain about not getting the respect they "deserve" (which they "deserve" because they are smart and experienced and always right); they will lie and twist meanings to show themselves in the best light, and they will see others as being "beneath" them. Even if the other person is their boss/superior/richer than them, etc., this kind of personality will rationalize that to anything except hard work and ability, i.e., they got their position by kissing up or knowing somebody or lies and distortion of the facts and do not deserve to be rewarded for it, while the attention prostitute feels that he has been overlooked unfairly. The attention prostitute is NEVER at fault. He is simply doing his best to share his knowledge/skills/opinions with those parts of the world that are'nt as smart/generous/caring as he is, and instead of the world kissing his... feet, shall we say, he has to soldier on as best as he can and do what he can to right the wrongs he's forced to endure. It's always about THEM, remember.
Fortunately, this sort is easily spotted, and the best advice I have after spotting them is to simply do what you can to ignore them. Nothing you can do will cause them to alter their behaviour, because to their way of thinking, they do not NEED to change. They're always right, remember, and if they do get humiliated, it's simply a case of you lashing out against them because YOU have a problem with the fact that they are so smart, respected, etc., and if you do point out their shortcomings, they immediately go into "defense" mode, and will make things difficult for you.
My advice, although I've been known not to follow it myself in the past, is to simply ignore the attention prostitutes of the world, because even negative attention is attention for them. Every one of this type that I've had the misfortune to come across has never been able to fool all of the people all of the time. In the end, they get exposed for what they really are.
__________________ The American Farmer Feeds The World
Guys like him are all over the place, and they thrive on the attention they get, and feel that they deserve all they get and more, because, simply put, they feel that they are "better" than everyone else and deserve to be recognized for it. It props up their sense of self-esteem ("People are listening to what I have to say because I'm respected', etc.). So they figure that they'd better keep the talking up, or else they'll lose their audience. And they'll talk to anybody about anything. They'll take every infraction, no matter how trivial, to higher authority; they'll complain about not getting the respect they "deserve" (which they "deserve" because they are smart and experienced and always right); they will lie and twist meanings to show themselves in the best light, and they will see others as being "beneath" them. Even if the other person is their boss/superior/richer than them, etc., this kind of personality will rationalize that to anything except hard work and ability, i.e., they got their position by kissing up or knowing somebody or lies and distortion of the facts and do not deserve to be rewarded for it, while the attention prostitute feels that he has been overlooked unfairly. The attention prostitute is NEVER at fault. He is simply doing his best to share his knowledge/skills/opinions with those parts of the world that are'nt as smart/generous/caring as he is, and instead of the world kissing his... feet, shall we say, he has to soldier on as best as he can and do what he can to right the wrongs he's forced to endure. It's always about THEM, remember.
Fortunately, this sort is easily spotted, and the best advice I have after spotting them is to simply do what you can to ignore them. Nothing you can do will cause them to alter their behaviour, because to their way of thinking, they do not NEED to change. They're always right, remember, and if they do get humiliated, it's simply a case of you lashing out against them because YOU have a problem with the fact that they are so smart, respected, etc., and if you do point out their shortcomings, they immediately go into "defense" mode, and will make things difficult for you.
My advice, although I've been known not to follow it myself in the past, is to simply ignore the attention prostitutes of the world, because even negative attention is attention for them. Every one of this type that I've had the misfortune to come across has never been able to fool all of the people all of the time. In the end, they get exposed for what they really are.
Boy did you hit the nail on the head..
Great post...
Couldn't have said it better myself..
__________________ Don #4 SlackerMaster Chapter Leader of the Massachusetts Chapter
Join the MA Chapter Here Currently own: 2006 F350 Lariat CC Super Duty, 6.0 L Diesel FTE Fraternity OF Blue Max
Guys like him are all over the place, and they thrive on the attention they get, and feel that they deserve all they get and more, because, simply put, they feel that they are "better" than everyone else and deserve to be recognized for it. It props up their sense of self-esteem ("People are listening to what I have to say because I'm respected', etc.). So they figure that they'd better keep the talking up, or else they'll lose their audience. And they'll talk to anybody about anything. They'll take every infraction, no matter how trivial, to higher authority; they'll complain about not getting the respect they "deserve" (which they "deserve" because they are smart and experienced and always right); they will lie and twist meanings to show themselves in the best light, and they will see others as being "beneath" them. Even if the other person is their boss/superior/richer than them, etc., this kind of personality will rationalize that to anything except hard work and ability, i.e., they got their position by kissing up or knowing somebody or lies and distortion of the facts and do not deserve to be rewarded for it, while the attention prostitute feels that he has been overlooked unfairly. The attention prostitute is NEVER at fault. He is simply doing his best to share his knowledge/skills/opinions with those parts of the world that are'nt as smart/generous/caring as he is, and instead of the world kissing his... feet, shall we say, he has to soldier on as best as he can and do what he can to right the wrongs he's forced to endure. It's always about THEM, remember.
Fortunately, this sort is easily spotted, and the best advice I have after spotting them is to simply do what you can to ignore them. Nothing you can do will cause them to alter their behaviour, because to their way of thinking, they do not NEED to change. They're always right, remember, and if they do get humiliated, it's simply a case of you lashing out against them because YOU have a problem with the fact that they are so smart, respected, etc., and if you do point out their shortcomings, they immediately go into "defense" mode, and will make things difficult for you.
My advice, although I've been known not to follow it myself in the past, is to simply ignore the attention prostitutes of the world, because even negative attention is attention for them. Every one of this type that I've had the misfortune to come across has never been able to fool all of the people all of the time. In the end, they get exposed for what they really are.
I'm very familiar with one like you've described. To listen to this person talk about himself you would think that he has saved the world...singlehandedly!!! Of course...most...if not all...of his braggadocio has been continuously proven to be outright lies. When you confront him with facts to disprove his statements...he lashes out at you with personal insults and accusations. The more facts you counter with...the more outrageous the insults and accusations are. Eventually he gets so frustrated that he goes to supervisors and asks them to intercede because someone is "picking" on him.
I think you hit the nail right on the head...ignoring them is the only way to go about things. Eventually they MAY go away!!!
Well deserved rep sent!!!
__________________ Member of the Massachusetts Chapter
INTEGRITY is what we do...what we say...and what we say we do!!! Don Galer
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