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Originally Posted by Jcs  Can you honestly say that you never thought "Ha, I am better/smarter/more successful/wealthier/etc then you/him/her/that guy/etc" in the, lets say, past year? |
I thought like that when I was a cocky know-it-all teenager, but that line of thinking doesn't serve me as an adult. It completely disconnects me from myself. Besides, I can hardly pretend I'm better than people when I can't even pick ripe fruit w/o help.
When I see people struggling with something that's easy for me, I think to myself, "There must be a way to help more people like this." or "What could I add to my web site that could help people in a similar situation?" I think it's beautiful to see people trying to grow in different ways, stretching beyond their comfort zones.
What some see as an ugly web site, I see as someone going after their dreams. A trickle of income from a basic site and an ugly URL may mean that there's a work-at-home-mom that gets to spend more time with her kids instead of working at a clerical job she hates. Every ugly web site has a real person behind it, doing their best to grow.
Maybe I'm in a unusual situation, since I get to hear so many personal stories from people every day. When I see a web site, I automatically think of the person behind it and how this site is a reflection of their goals.
There's no dishonor in being a beginner. I think it's something we should value, not discourage.
Whenever you see someone struggling with something you've mastered, consider that it isn't a message intended to reinforce your ego superiority but rather an opportunity to help someone. If you take advantage of that opportunity, you'll feel much better about yourself than if you merely glare righteously at the other person.
Don't take my word for it -- try it for yourself. Find someone with a screwed up web site, and just offer them one or two ideas to improve it. Just a two-minute email. Notice how that re-connects you with who you really are.
Life isn't a zero-sum game. Helping someone else doesn't hurt you... quite the opposite.