Today’s message has little to do with travel, and a lot to do with your social status.
In not so many words, the Social Buffoon Curse sounds like this: “You think that is cool, wait until you hear what I have to say.” It shows its ugly face when one person in a group shares some good news only to be trumped by the next person’s “exciting information.” The other people in the group immediately interpret this as a sign that it is time to play “one-upmanship.”
It may unfold something like this: “My daughter just graduated from The University of Miami.” “Oh! My son just graduated and we had a big party and he came with his fiancé and we bought him a car and 300 people came and he looks a lot like Brad Pitt and I wore my red dress and… and… and…”
I am certain that you are guilty of exhibiting the SBC now and then, and I suggest that you cease this boorish behavior at once. It is the fastest way to reach a dead end street when it comes to establishing a meaningful relationship.
BETTER: Remember that “nobody cares about your stories.”
Too harsh? I’ll say it again. “NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR STORIES.” They care about “their” stories. You are well advised to probe deeper into their stories by asking questions. To the first person announcing her daughter’s graduation, you might say, “That is terrific. What did she major in? What is she planning to do next? Did she ever skip class and hang out on South Beach? Did she ever spot Don Johnson?” (That last one was for you old folks like me.) You get the picture.
Now that I have brought it to your attention, you will notice the SBC happening everywhere. Just don’t become a practitioner yourself. Get into other people’s stories. You will be glad you did. You already know your stories and other people only care about theirs. Become The Exception. Get into them.
Mike Marchev has lots more to share with you. Email him today to receive a Special Report titled, “THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GAVE TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS” at mike@mikemarchev.com Be sure to write the word “advice” in the subject box, and while you’re at it, include what you enjoy about reading Mike’s column.
