Bad to the Nth Degree

I struggled for a long time to define what an individual might consider to be "evil" -- and it came down to "that individual knowing that they were doing something to someone that they themselves would NOT like to be done back to them".

Interesting. This would preclude the idea of "evil" being simply "bad" being taken to the extreme, which is more or less what I have defined as "evil" in my casual thoughts over the years. To a masochist, few things would be "evil." To a tender grandmother type something like failing to send a "thank you" card would be "evil."

I'm not mocking your definition ... I'm wrestling with the implications of this.

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When I was on what I believed to be my deathbed looking back at my life - I had very few regrets. But those regrets I did have were for the times that I had behaved in the fashion that I describe above.

In this respect you have a unique perspective I cannot match. I wonder -- do others that face the very real prospect of death share the same view? I know we hear about people coming back from near-death experiences with a radically changed view of what's important. But do they also look back and regret the things they've done to others they themselves would not want? Do you have any idea if this has been studied?

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But who would want to be a salesman?

I don't know. But I've seen some pretty good ones. They are remarkable. My ex father-in-law was the owner of a sewing machine store, and a natural salesman. Never pushy, never loud and gregarious, he was just a natural.

I have seen many bad ones, myself included. Myfailing was that I'm too tense about the process, and I feel bad for foisting upon the potential customer what I was selling. I wonder if that's because I never truly believed in what I was selling. Probably. Others I've seen aren't that good because the model they employ is the "Let's throw this pot of spaghetti on the wall and see if any sticks." This is the model most often seen in the world you and I live in. That's why enormous resources are used chasing "opportunities" that really aren't that at all. My lovely bride reports that it's a common element of "sales" in our world. Smaller, leaner companies who can't afford to chase bad leads are a bit more selective.

I was awful at qualifying leads. I want to help everyone.

A manager at a customer I supported when I was selling UNIX boxes told me after I'd moved to my present position: "Do you know why you weren't that good a saleman? Because you were too honest." I guess I'll take the compliment, backhanded as it was. :-)