An INTP Trapped on the B-Ark

Dealing with salesmen (in this case, the mortgage specialist at my bank) always gives me a headache. The cloying personalities, the fake sincerity, the obliviousness to just how obnoxious they are. You can call them on their behavior and they just redouble their efforts.

Every single time I have to deal with them I wonder about my fellow humans - clearly this behavior must work because the salesmen are so successful (as a group, not necessarily as individuals). Why can't everyone else see what I can see? Isn't it blindingly obvious that they're trying to manipulate you and don't give a rat's ass about you beyond your ability to get them a commission.

Seriously, Let's say I joined my friends at the pub, and I had a rictus-like grin on my face that didn't touch my eyes, and I prefaced every statement with "You're my best friend and I would never steer you wrong", while being extra touchy-feely. Would they respond positively to this? No, they'd be creeped out and wondering WTF was wrong with me.

That is how salesmen look to me.

With advertising it's OK. I can watch the ad and think to myself "these guys are trying to sell you a glamorous lifestyle" or "women will flock to you if you use this product". Again, I'm amazed that so many people fall for it, but on the passive level of television or print ads, it's more amusing then irritating.

In person however, it's very irritating. Especially when you tell them "I'm not buying this patter, please stop it and just give me the facts" and they don't - they continue on like nothing has changed. Or worse, you've become a challenge to them and they have to prove to themselves that they can sell you.

Gah!

I will say that not all salesman are like this. I've talked to a handful that simply give the facts and let you come to your own decision. It's like a breath of fresh air when I encounter one.

Why are they like this? I have a half-formed theory that the successful salesman is a person who lacks empathy, but can fake it really well. I'll be charitable and suggest that for most of them, they've compartmentalized the lack of empathy to their jobs and they're normal around their friends and family.

My reasoning: A salesman needs to be able to rapidly build a rapport with potential clients, and they need to be able to do it often. That's the "fake empathy" part. On the other hand, the connection they build with the clients has to be paper thin because so many people will reject them. They can't let this rejection get to them. I'm no good at either of these, which is why I'd make a lousy salesman.

What I can't put together is how they get from that mindset to the cloyingly insincere patter. I guess if it's a successful behavior that gets sales, it will spread like a meme throughout the sales community, but why is it successful? It's like being in a world where you got a slap in the face whenever you had an ice cream cone, and ice cream sales where skyrocketing. I just don't get it.

Americans, Cubans and Flags

It's generally acknowledged that Americans take their flag more seriously then do other people. I'd be upset if I saw someone pissing on the Canadian Flag, but I'm not willing to punch someone in the mouth over it, or enact laws preventing harm to it.

Military personnel of all countries treat their own flags with respect, which makes sense, and they have rules for disposing of flags that have become ratty. I read the procedure that the US navy uses on Slacktivist yesterday, which is why the whole thing is sort of on my mind.

The short version: If the flag cannot be salvaged, salute it one last time, cut it into strips so that it's not recognizable as the flag, burn the pieces in a "respectful" manner privately.

I imagine other disposal methods are fairly similar.

Which brings me to one flag in particular: The American flag held in the Havana museum that was captured from a US navy ship in 1902. The flag is getting pretty ratty and it's not treated with respect (hardly surprising given how Cuba is treated by the Americans).

Why hasn't someone stolen it yet? The museum doesn't seem to be especially well guarded. We pretty much had free reign of the place and I feel certain that with a good story and a better bribe I could have had some private time in the room the flag was in ("My wife and I think captured flags are hott, could you leave us alone for a few minutes? Here's 50 chavito").

Security must be better then it appears - possibly you don't get to be a tour guide in the museum without being a true believer. Also, I imagine that the Cuban military is not far away.

But still, that speaks to how a theft would be prevented. Why hasn't some good-ole boy attempted it? If they had, it would be a propaganda event on par with Elian Gonzales. They wouldn't even have to smuggle the flag out - they'd just have to dispose of it in a "respectful" manner.

Maybe I'm the first to think of it (though that's unlikely). Most likely the people who'd be the most flag-intense are the people least likely to take a trip to Cuba. Something for museum staff to consider when travel restrictions are relaxed/lifted.

Of course, I've yet to hear about Greek patriots trying to liberate the Elgin Marbles so I suspect general human apathy is sufficient. When people attempt to rob a museum it's out of personal greed rather then patriotism.