what's that smell?

I don't think there's anything worse that fakers.  people who pretend to give a crap about you or your life.  people who smile and nod and lay it on thick.  people who have never been truly interested in you, and suddenly act like they care. 

please.  you don't care what i'm dealing with.  you don't care what i'm doing with my life.  you don't care how i feel.  so why pretend?

i'd rather not deal with the pretension.  i'd rather just go on knowing that you could live an entire lifetime without ever seeing me again.  i'd rather have you completely ignore my existence than sweet talk and platitudes. 

i've had enough toxic friendships, enough fake friends in my life to be able to smell the BS from a mile away.  and i don't like the stench, so just go be fake to someone else.

but i think what's worse than a peer pretending friendship is a supervisor pretending concern for employees.  as a supervisor you are held accountable for your staff and their production.  you are responsible for creating a work environment that maximizes your employees' output so that your customers are satisfied.  there are many ways to do that.  but, some people decide to be hard and lay down the law. 

so, if you're going to be hard, if you won't pay attention to concerns or your employee's experiences, don't encourage them to give suggestions or tell them that they can come speak to you about anything.  because obviously it would be an absolute waste of their time, since you're not giong to give any credence to their thoughts or opinions.  and even more, that confuses them, then it frustates them, then it irritates them, and then you end up with a bunch of employees who hate your guts because you're so two-faced.  and that's not a good place to be...so just don't even give them the option.  be hard, or be compassionate, but don't be one and pretend one.

especially don't pretend compassion.  be hard and cold and hand down mandates.  i'd rather work for someone who constantly lays down mandates and doesn't give a crap about me than someone who pretends to want to hear what i have to say, and then gives no credence to it, anyway. 

the stench of a two-faced boss is just as bad as the stench of a fake friend.

so...just be honest.  quit being a fake in your friendships or your workplace.  people don't like fakes...unless they're fakes, too.  and then, if that's the case...jeez...do you really have any genuine relationships?

now the question is: when people get a whiff of you, what do they smell?