Sunday, May 3, 2009

People-Pleasers

I just heard a sermon stating that everyone is a people-pleaser.   It went on to state that there are two types of people-pleasers:  Those who want others to like them and those who want to be successful.  

The first will do what others want them to simply to try to stay on the "good" side of the people around them.  Sometimes, though, they are forced to choose between people because one person will convince them that to be correct, the people the person used to please was wrong and should now be avoided/displeased/punished/whatever.  (I've seen that happen quite often as children mature and form their own relationships.)

The second will do whatever is necessary to achieve their own idea of success.  That would mean that in the first example, this people-pleaser is the one who tells the first person to avoid/displease/punish/whatever the earlier person that was that person's ideal.    This person is a Donald Trump type of person.  Not really interested in individuals, just in his/her own success.  

I'm still mulling this one over.  What do you think?  

2 comments:

Laura said...

That's a really interesting topic! Those categories make sense to me. I guess the two are sometimes a bit blended, and they may not be as extreme or particularly obvious, but deep in the heart, I feel like we all sway one way or the other.

glee said...

Yes, it took me a while to get it and I even thought he was wrong at first. He gave some examples and they were pretty good. Still, it is something interesting to ponder.