This charming article in Esquire by Roy Blount Jr. argues that "We
don't need any more assholes. We need a son of a bitch." I love his
arguments that there is a difference between people who are abrasive and
admirable versus people who are simply demeaning and narrow-minded
creeps . As I've written here before, The No Asshole Rule is not an argument for being a doormat or wimp, and I am a strong believer in the power of constructive conflict. Recall that one of the 15 things I believe is:
Learn how to fight as if you are right and listen as if you are wrong:
It helps you develop strong opinions that are weakly held. I also love the picture of the box that goes with the article too. Check it out.
Roy Blount Jr. Weighs in on the Asshole Problem
Comments
One response to “Roy Blount Jr. Weighs in on the Asshole Problem”
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I haven’t really thought about the difference between an asshole and a son of a bitch before, but there certainly is a distinction.
Reading the article gave me a new perspective on one of my favorite John Wayne movies, Red River. I now think that it shows how someone can cross the line from son of a bitch to asshole. John Wayne is certainly a son of a bitch in the beginning of the movie. He isn’t necessarily pleasant, but he’s effective and well respected. Later, stress and power go to his head and he becomes an ineffective asshole who people fear but no longer respect.
Two of the best managers I’ve worked with have been son of a bitches (one male and one female), but several other great managers I’ve worked with were not at all in that category.
I’m curious to hear people’s thoughts about how important being a son of a bitch is to being an effective manager. Can a person with no ability to be a son of a bitch be an effective manager? Does the ability to engage in constructive conflict equal being a SOB?
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