The I's Have It

I belong to a lowcarb discussion forum, which is populated by a large number of diverse people. For the most part, I am happy to exchange my stories, experiences and information with the denizens, but lately, I have been frustrated to the point of inactivity. Upon my return on Tuesday from San Diego, I found that not only did I not really wish to post details or pictures of the trip, but I didn’t want to post anything at all.

The reason is simple – I cannot stand the “I” attitude. It is unfortunate that there are some on this forum who are examples of what one might call “attention whores.” These people are so completely swimming in their own whirlpool that they evince no interest in other forum members. A token note is made here and there, but their thoughts and words center only on one person, themselves. These people respond poorly to the posts of others and do not really contribute to the positive atmosphere of the forum. Not that they are mean, intentionally rude, abusive or malicious in any way. They are simply not capable of extending their sphere of concern beyond their own noses. They write the details of their day, the dishes they cooked, meals they ate…they provide copious information about husbands, pets and the like. But, they do not demonstrate any true collegiality with other forum members.

Now, this would be fine if they stayed in their own little world and spared the remaining forum members the trappings of their self-centeredness. However, we are not so fortunate. These individuals not only have difficulty engaging positively with others, they are also black holes of energy. If they feel the spotlight has moved so that they are not graced by its glow, they begin to jump up and down yelling “ME ME ME ME.” They are hungry for attention and want it at all costs. They describe in detail the angst of their lives and want sympathy, advice, commiseration…but give little in return. If another individual experiences a success in their lives, they are envious both of the success and the attention this individual receives from the other forum members. Their discomfort with this situation is evident in the words they scribe. A few of us have occasionally thrown a “virtual party” when an individual has a special event – birthday, reaching a goal – and the attention whores have worked quite diligently to ruin the festivities. Not only do they half-heartedly participate, they have gone so far as to try and put a halt to the festivities using pointed phrases in the party threads. This is shabby treatment of the individual being feted and the people who so care about this individual that they host a time-consuming virtual party in their honor.

The question becomes, why? Why the I? What is inside of these individuals (or lacking inside these individuals) that they cannot believe the current astronomical model that the planets orbit the sun and not their skulls? What has happened in their pasts to shape this “I”solated view of life? That the joy, support, and camaraderie of others is unimportant to them? I am actually sad for these people in that their lives must be like a basketball. Solid on the outside and empty on the inside. But, the majority of the participants are wonderful, intelligent, fun and engaging and, therefore, I continue my membership. It is they who bolster, support, share. It is for them that I remain Scigirl...