I Can't Mind My Own Business
Do you ever strain your neck trying to read the book titles of your fellow flyers when you travel? I do.
On a flight last week to L.A., I snuck peaks at the bible study going on in my row. The woman next to me was reading from the Bible, a scripture companion book, and an internet print-out. She was making sure to get it right! On the flight home, I noticed a man reading this book. Not knowing about the book or who reads this kind of stuff, I really wanted to find out if I was on the plane with a live Black Republican. Or maybe he was just curious. Nonetheless, people shouldn't go around advertising for the GOP by waiving around its symbols.
Both of those selections were fine by me compared to the stuff I snooped on a flight a while back. I looked over at a seat mate's book and noticed the topic, "Crush Your Enemy Totally." I was pretty freaked out and feared her wrath. Later, I learned that the book is called The 48 Laws of Power and is full of smarmy topics.
On a flight last week to L.A., I snuck peaks at the bible study going on in my row. The woman next to me was reading from the Bible, a scripture companion book, and an internet print-out. She was making sure to get it right! On the flight home, I noticed a man reading this book. Not knowing about the book or who reads this kind of stuff, I really wanted to find out if I was on the plane with a live Black Republican. Or maybe he was just curious. Nonetheless, people shouldn't go around advertising for the GOP by waiving around its symbols.
Both of those selections were fine by me compared to the stuff I snooped on a flight a while back. I looked over at a seat mate's book and noticed the topic, "Crush Your Enemy Totally." I was pretty freaked out and feared her wrath. Later, I learned that the book is called The 48 Laws of Power and is full of smarmy topics.
posted by Kathy at 8:00 PM
7 Added Something:
i look at book titles too. And judge people soundly while on the plane for any number of reasons. Like today.
I was flying LAX to PDX at the crack of dawn and ended up sitting next to two white, burly, NW-logger type dudes who I immediately judged & disliked even though one of them was wearing yellow shoes. They were casting evil gazes at our flight attendant who was a flaming gay guy with perfect eyebrows and I was shooting back bad vibes on behalf of Mr. Eyebrows to my row-mates for being such homophobes. 15 minutes into the flight the two loggers fell asleep and when I looked over they were holding hands and snoring peacefully on one another's shoulders.
God I can be a hater. My lesson today is that stereotyping can be bad for everyone.
When I was first hired at my company, my manager gave me the Power book. It's actually quite good--full of fun historical quotes and facts about people who have used power or manipulated situations in the past, like Napoleon and Sun Tzu. But as for its usefulness in the corporate world? Eh, not so much.
Greg, the author of Power also wrote a book about how to seduce women using power tactics. So I just assume he's smarmy. On your recommendation however, I'm willing to read a couple of pages of Power. But I won't pay for it. I'll only check it out if I find it lying around somewhere. Then, I'll steal it or something.
Or I can just lend it to you. I think I'VE still got it lying around somewhere. But yeah, not saying it's a must read or anything.
I should do that too, Kathy. I'm afraid whenever I fly I am just checking out whomever I find hot...
I, also, look at what other people are reading: so that I can judge and dismiss them for reading trashy romance "novels", silly pulp fantasy "novels", or (even more ridiculous) any self-help or business oriented 'how-to-succeed' books. I, on the other hand, carry around various classics or books by French philosophers (Foucault is #1) that I hold up for everyone to see. I don't actually read them, I just want to make sure that the rabble know I am better than them.
i always check out what other people read. i ask them things like “any good” or “would it make a nice gift for my sister?”
also, WE shouldn’t assume that there are any real black republicans left in this country. a black man reading a book about republican strategies could simply mean that he’s a little “Neo-Curious.” i mean, i’ve even had a few kooky dreams, but my good friend Alan Keyes says its natural. he does want me to go camping with him, though. hmmm…
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