Self Aware or Simply Stupid???

I am going to say this for those that can't. I am going to say this because it needs to be said. I am going to say this because I am sick and tired of it. I am going to say that it sucks to deal with stupid people and truth be told you can't fix stupid. Yeah, I said it.
Everyday I am required to do the walk of poo in the back yard to pick up the droppings of my doggie. This is not a pretty job and somedays it makes me gag. But this walk of poo is nothing compared to the shoveling of poo that takes place daily in the work environment. That's right everyday people have to deal with bosses who are stupid, rules that make no sense and micromanagement that is just downright dumb.
Today because I am in the mood I would like to share with you stories of people who I have dealt with who were no longer just embracing stupid but were in a full on make out session with it.
Recently, I had a job interview with a man who was a mid level executive at a small private company. Now in a job interview both the interviewer and the interviewee work to determine whether they are a good fit for each other. My boy here showed up ten minutes late and seemed to only be able to ask me one question:  if I was self aware. Here is how this conversation went:
Him: I need to employ people who are self aware
Me: I believe I am aware of what I can and cannot do
Him: Are you self aware?
Me: Yes
Him How self aware are you?
Me: In what context do you mean?
Him: Just how self aware you are in your self?
Me: Do you mean in the work environment?
Him: I need to employ people who are self aware
Do you get the gist of this painful twenty minute conversation?  I asked him in between the discussion of self awareness what he saw as the plan for the company in the next five years. His answer was to make more sales. After hearing his mediocre sales pitch by a man who professes a special awareness of himself.  I was pretty much over the interview. So here is the following answer to his self awareness question:
I am self aware enough to know that working for you would be painful. I am self aware enough to know that I am probably smarter than you and the opportunity to move up in the company would be hindered by your insecurities. I am self aware enough to know that if you are not willing to sell me on your company you are not planning to stay there in the long term yourself. I am self aware enough to know that a director with no long terms plans to stay does not make for a stable company. I am self aware enough to know that dealing with your version stupid is just not within my patience meter. I am self aware enough to know that the best I can do will not be brought out by someone who consistently thinks they are better than me.  Lastly, I am self aware enough to know that my flaws are minimal compared to my strengths and if you want to know what they are ask me an actual question.
I used to work for a manager who did not believe me when I told her information regarding my book of business. So she would bring in a co-worker, who was straight out of college, to determine if what I was doing was good or bad. The irony of this moment is not lost on me.  Unfortunately, this co-worker liked to keep information from her and so when I told the truth it was usually determined to be bad. One time it took a whole week and fourteen meetings (twice a day) for the co-worker to confess that the way they were creating a spreadsheet was incorrect and the solution I had come up with would work.  My answer to the problem was never used, they did not invent it so they were not going to implement it.

This picture has nothing to do with the content of this blog it is just pretty

When I was a hairdresser I used to have to fill out evaluations of my bosses. Initially, I thought this was a good thing and wrote the truth only to have nothing change or managers who read my evaluation get mad at me. So towards the end I started to write out fairy tales, that's right a fictional story about a hairdresser who falls in love with a handsome yet debonaire prince. Each evaluation continued the story through their romance, their trials and tribulations until the crowning evaluation paper (and my last one for the company) where the hairdresser realizes she can do better and dumps the prince on his butt. (This could be reason number 409 of why I am single)
I had determined from that moment on that you could not fix stupid, you could try but why beat your head against that headboard. If you are going to get screwed you should probably enjoy it and embracing mediocrity has never given anyone a happy ending.  Yeah, I said it.