Every day, at some point, you're going to deal with someone who is:

Meddling.
Ungrateful.
Arrogant.
Dishonest.
Jealous.
Uncooperative.

Maybe you'll be on the receiving end of one or two. Maybe all six.

So who came up with such a great list for our least favorite kinds of people?

This was jotted down almost two thousand years ago, by Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome, in his journal. It feels like he knew he was about to have a bad day, and he was warning himself: Be ready. This is what people will be like today.

Count on it.

And he's right. There's something strangely comforting in expecting it. Not being surprised because I already know.

I will meet people today who are not intent on making me happy. I'm not assuming the worst in people. I'm just not going to be surprised when people act like assholes.

But here's the part I've been thinking about.

I'm one of those people.

When someone reads Meditations 2.1 and sees this list they might think of me. That list gets a little less fun when I stop using it to describe everyone I've had to deal with and start using it on myself.

Have I meddled?

Yep.

Have I been ungrateful?

Absolutely.

Arrogant?

Let's not go there.

Jealous?

Dishonest?

Difficult to work with?

Check. Check. Check.

We have this wonderful ability to divide the world into two groups: the difficult people, and the people who have to put up with them.

Conveniently, I'm always in that second group.

So maybe that's worth questioning? The person who drives me crazy today isn't some other species.

They're a human being just like me.

So maybe the reminder isn't:

Prepare yourself for shitty people.

Maybe it's:

Remember that you're one of them.

That doesn't excuse anyone's behavior toward you, and it certainly doesn't excuse your behavior toward them.

But it might change what happens next.