How come they succeeded and I don’t. How come they got the promotion and I didn’t. How come they have a nice partner and I don’t. How come they are thin and I am fat? How come they get the results and I don’t? How come, how come, how come… What am I, chopped liver?
And more often than not, the answer is: “Because they do what you don’t.”
When you are the one who is slighted, how didn’t, can’t, don’t have, or didn’t get X, it is near impossible to see what it is the THEY do that you don’t.
One of my areas of didn’t, can’t, don’t have, or didn’t get X has something to do with being liked.
Not many people like me. It used to be better, and it used to be worse.
In Hungary I had friends, I had fans. I only had problems with authority: I never got a raise, never was promoted, and I was widely unpopular by the top brass of the companies I worked for.
Then between ages 34 and 64, 30 years, OMG! I was mostly alone. I only talked to people when I was giving them something, mostly stuff that they would have to pay for. I begged them to take it. I wanted to buy my way into friendship.
The past two years it’s been nicer.