As a single man, I really can't see the point in 'white collar' work now

mostlycheerful

"Set up an expectation, and slightly go off the path you describe for whatever reason, and you are hung drawn and quartered"

Yes, and quite often you didn't go off the path at all, you were clear, simple, concise and comprehensive but sadly a lot of people are unable to understand straightforward data presented in a straightforward way. Even otherwise intelligent people sometimes get the wrong end of the stick and go off at a tangent. And bring their own agendas and personal problems to the table, sometimes irrationally and redundantly. Yes indeed, this is a universal problem and syndrome in most if not all aspects of life and human endeavour. So you just do the best you can and try to think two or five steps ahead in the game and then deal with all the inanity and misunderstanding arising in as diplomatic and polite and friendly a way that you can. However, with a lot of thickie numpties that I encounter I just give up at a certain point. Some people just cannot be helped. Some people compulsively automatically routinely bite the hand that feeds them. Some people complain entirely spuriously without reason or any foundation. And, of course, a recognised feature of some psychiatry is that the patient rebels against the doctors and social workers however kind and caring and useful and helpful and insightful they are. So there we are, human nature is often somewhat faulty. Any solutions? Well, education, enrichment, good diet, sufficient sleep, something nice to do during the day, some company, lots of love and attention and help and sometimes discipline and structure and tough love can sometimes ameliorate the damage and disease. Sometimes. Etc for another 1,000 pages...The Doc Martin and Indian doctor in Wales (whatever it's called) telly comedy drama series recently illustrated some of what a lot of GPs are up against.

Graham_Devon

I've been amused over the councils bin collection regime over the last few years here.

It started off that we had no bins given to us, and people moaned that others in the country got bins supplied.

So, we finally got wheelie bins supplied a few years ago.

"They are flying everywhere....they are too big....they roll over and people take mine" etc.

Anyway, move on a few years, people who were moaning about having to buy their own bins, are now moaning that the supplied bins are not good enough. Then, we hit the recycling phase. We get clear bags and green bags.

So, of course, the bags are wrong. Bins are forgotten, the bins now are the best thing since sliced bread and that's all people want....infact, they want more bins, as the bags are flying around, seaguls are getting into them etc.

So, more bins arrive, a green and brown wheely bin. Wrong. Too many bins now. Where am I going to put all these bins? They are too big. Suddenly, the old bag solution was miles better. Bins are awful.

So, the bins go. Councils listen, and a year later, along come the boxes. "BOXES" people said. Boxes are too small. They blow around, they have no lids. Awful, just bloody awful, what was wrong with the bins. Things get wet in these boxes. They need lids at least.

So, lids come for the boxes. "LIDS"!? What?!! Are you insane!? I now can't fit as much in the bins as I can't get the lid on if I pile too much in it. People are goign to by fly tipping with these small bins. I'm goign to fly tip. Yes, I'll fly tip, that'll show em.

I think every solution has now been exhausted, every want provided. Got boxes with nets now, elastic type nets....not good enough though, things get wet. Wrong wrong wrong. Councils are awful these days. They dream up these solutions (which the public have moaned and moaned for, but now conviniently ignore) and everything is wrong.

Latest has been "look, they got a new smaller lorry, absolute waste of money, my money, can't fit as much in it, have to do more trips, disgusting".

Obviously, they have forgotten the moaning they did about the big lorry causing damage in the narrow streets and causing havoc. Smaller lorry....bloody disgusting, not good enough.

quantic

I wouldn't let what other people e.g. "JSA, CB, HB, IB, AA, CA claimants" get impact your life choices too heavily. I hear constantly about how people can be better off not working, but I just don't buy it. Sure I don't agree with our handout culture but would I rather be in their boat? Definitely not.

treliac

quantic wrote: »

I wouldn't let what other people e.g. "JSA, CB, HB, IB, AA, CA claimants" get impact your life choices too heavily. I hear constantly about how people can be better off not working, but I just don't buy it. Sure I don't agree with our handout culture but would I rather be in their boat? Definitely not.

Fraid my brother was made redundant last Easter. As a husband and father of two children he can't (and never did infact) earn enough to make it worth working..... now he has found out how much he can get in benefits.

Reactor_2

Life isn't fair and we all knew that the day we started school.

Science says it's nuture that determines our fate and I used to believe this, but I've noticed an anomaly. If you ask anyone how hard they work, they will tell you that they work hard. So, if everyone is working hard, how come we're not all millionaires?

The answer to this is that nature has already decided our fate, which unfortunately means that no matter how hard some people work, at best they are only good enough for minimum wage jobs, hence they choose to live a life on benefits.

I personally don't think the benefits system is correct as it should be a disincentive and the only way to get this outcome is through the media shunning people that choose this lifestyle. At the same time, the government stops increasing benefits going forwards, so over time inflation erodes the value of these payments that they become worthless.

JonnyBravo

Reactor wrote: »

Science says it's nuture that determines our fate and I used to believe this, but I've noticed an anomaly. If you ask anyone how hard they work, they will tell you that they work hard. So, if everyone is working hard, how come we're not all millionaires?

No allowance for difference of perception then?
I know plenty of people in my company alone who would swear they have it tough with the amount of work they do. They are either bull$h1tting lazy idiots or have no awareness of the world around them.

Reactor wrote: »

The answer to this is that nature has already decided our fate

I'm off for a lie down then.
Presumably it's my natural talent that has got me this far and it is my natural talent that will continue to prevail.
Excellent.

lostinrates

tomterm8 wrote: »

The thing about doctors doesn#t bother me - I only go to the doctors if I think I am likely to die in the very near future. But for what its worth, you can't get appointments at my doctors, you just turn out in the freezing cold and rain, and after freezing your butt off for half an hour, in a queue of sick people, they may give you an appointment for some random time the same day or just send you home to do the same thing the next day. People with a job to go to simply can't go to the doctors. Can't take an entire day off without knowing if you will even get to see the doctor.

I'm not sure how thread became about doctors but, fwiw, I'm going in a fortnight.Made the appt in December when I had that congestion. Its just as well its not serious. A system balanced between appts and surgeries ...surgeries for urgent appts for routine/non urgent seems sensible. My last surgery did telephone appts,great for me with my GP phoboa...but pants when they tried to do it as routine before a surgery appt...I mean...what can they say over the phone about a rash, a thing that could be ring worm or dermatis or an eye that does a funny thing that looks like ''this'' over the phone?

tincans

Not posted for a while, not even lurked, but plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Check out the Times "letters from the archives" today (page 20, no link as you have to subscribe).

An employer bemoaning that they can't recruit at 13 shillings a week because of the "poisionous effects of the dole upon unmarried women and girls", means that some could get 13 shillings and six on the dole (having previously been employed so "stamp" paid presumably).

The letter was dated Jan 4th 1923.

No doubt some half wits will be blaming Labour for the above.

The OP and a majority of the 24 thankers are destined just to be unhappy whatever happens.
Its all rather sad.

tincans

Reactor wrote: »

Science says it's nuture that determines our fate and I used to believe this, but I've noticed an anomaly. If you ask anyone how hard they work, they will tell you that they work hard. So, if everyone is working hard, how come we're not all millionaires?

The answer to this is that nature has already decided our fate, which unfortunately means that no matter how hard some people work, at best they are only good enough for minimum wage jobs, hence they choose to live a life on benefits.

People tend to think they are better drivers, work harder, cleverer than average.

As an example 75% of people thing they are a better than average driver.

I don't know anyone who is truly a "hard worker" who settles for a life on benefits.

amcluesent

>The OP and a majority of the 24 thankers are destined just to be unhappy whatever happens.<

W00t! 24 thankers, that's a personal best...I've obviously hit a vein, maybe should be in politics!