Why, as a country and a people, have we become agitated and angry?
As a nation, we need to chill out a bit more. Our laid-back attitude is the reason people like visiting Ireland and engaging with us both personally and in business. Our welcome has always been what sets us apart from other nations.
Are these some of the reasons:
We Irish always want to have our own piece of land that we can call our own. It’s in our DNA, remember’ The Field’ by John B. Keane.
Now, for the large majority of our citizens and some of my family, this would appear to be no longer possible. You will pay for your plot of land for your lifetime, but you may never own it.
Thinking of the word plot reminds me that a loan has to be incurred for lots of people just to bury their dead and give them a good send-off.
We are reputed to be a wealthy country, yet 20% of the country’s children go to bed hungry.
Traffic Anger:
Our anger currently comes out in small ways. We drive more aggressively, and we beep our car horns for the most minor irritants.
Drivers treat cyclists and pedestrians as a nuisance(target) on our roads.
People driving onto yellow boxes and blocking your exit at junctions.
The danger of crossing the road is that you’re never sure if the drivers are watching and keeping an eye out for pedestrians and cyclists, or if they’re scrolling on their phones.
I recently spoke to someone who has a two-hour commute twice a day. I asked if it gets boring, and his reply was, “No, I watch a movie while driving!”
Buyer Beware:
Some years ago, I found what I thought was the car I had been looking for, but when I went to the garage to see the vehicle, I was surprised to see tiny bite-sized holes in the steering wheel cover and in the gear shift knob.
I asked the salesman about the small dimples, and he advised not to worry about them, suggesting he could replace the gear shift knob and steering wheel.
I continued to inquire, saying, “But how did that happen?” He replied, “We see this all the time. When people stress themselves in traffic, they tend to pick at the wheel and the gear knob.” Wow!
I did not buy the car as I felt that lots of the other parts of the vehicle, which I could not see, were probably treated just as badly.
A car full of residual stress, I did not want.
Multitasking:
Why must we always be doing something? Why can’t we just focus on the job at hand?
Multitasking is a myth; in actual fact, what you do is several things, none of them terribly well.
Do one task at a time; in a traffic situation, you and those around you are much more likely to arrive home safely and less stressed.
Greed, for short-term gain:
In local towns and cities, volunteers create events, whether they be theatre or music festivals, to bring people to their town. What the hotels and some publicans do is dramatically increase the prices.
It’s likely that the event will not attract the same number of visitors the following year.
An evening out for a meal is now a significant expense for many families and has become an occasional treat. Also, in many situations, the food and in particular, the atmosphere are not very good or welcoming.
Customer Service:
Large Companies, despite labelling a department’ Customer Service’, often go out of their way to prevent you from engaging with them.
Very few websites display a phone number, and email addresses are often hidden, not in plain sight.
If you were lucky to get through what they laughingly call a ‘help desk’, you get a chatbot that can answer nothing other than the simplest questions.
Give me a break, unless you think and speak like a computer and are computer literate, just give up, as that’s what they want you to do.
To add insult to injury, the next step is an email from the company, asking you to take 3 to 5 minutes to answer their questions or write a review of their service.
It’s no wonder that people are getting angrier by the day!
The Story so Far:
This article provides reasons and examples as to why we are becoming angrier as a people.
Yet, we have a lot to be thankful for. My parents often recalled the restrictive and poor Island they lived on, where only a select few had financial security.
Was it the Government or semi-state agencies, such as the IDA & EI, that created our current situation of secure employment and good jobs for all our young people?
I am sure that access to higher education and the Irish people’s natural entrepreneurial spirit also contributed to Ireland’s transformation.
We now have a growing population of people who want to live and work here, contributing to the growth of our small country.
I say thank you, whether you are the returning Irish or the new Irish.
My Advice:
When I coach groups and individuals, my emphasis is on articulating in a clear, calm, and confident way how they see things.
Being angry does not help; it just clouds the mind and often begets anger as a response.
Listen to the news in whatever country you live in, and I’m sure you will agree.
The things that cause us to be angry can be fixed if communicated in an open and engaging manner.
I can help people decompress and clearly communicate their point, using logic and common sense, to win the day, whether in a business or personal situations.
I strongly suggest you take Gandhi’s advice and
“Bring to yourself the changes you want to see in the world”
By Executive Coach Andrew Keogh of Aristo.ie
