Author: Rob Says

A man who loves and likes women.

Thin-Skinned Men

Rob Says1 Comment

clown stretching his mouth

Let’s talk about “Ben, Jerry, and Trevor…..”

“Ben” and “Jerry” are a couple of guys that I work with who happen to be pranksters. These are the guys who will bust your balls, call you names to your face, hide your uniforms from you, put random shit in your locker, and even move your locker around on occasion. These two guys will do all sorts of shit to get a laugh. They are also the sort of guys that when they dish it out, you can better believe that they can take what’s coming to them.

“Trevor” on the other hand… “Trevor” is what I want to call a “Thin-Skinned” man. He likes to laugh when Ben and Jerry are doing their shenanigans, he’ll shit talk with the best of them, and he’ll even help pull off a prank if you ask him. But if you prank him, you better watch out…

Jerry had been on vacation for a week or so and when he came back, the first thing that greeted him was his locker turned around so that the back was facing him and he couldn’t get into it. (The lockers are “standalone” and can be moved easily with a dolly or a handtruck.) The moment he saw it, he blamed Ben for it. Why not? This is something that Ben is famous for doing. It’s practically his signature move.

Ben didn’t move it though. Another unrelated co-worker was the fiend who pulled off the devilish deed. Ben faked mock surprise and mock hurt, everybody had a good laugh about it, including Jerry himself, and once the locker got turned back in the right direction, everybody pretty much settled down and got down to the business of getting ready for the day’s work.

Trevor laughed along with everybody else at Jerry’s expense, and from there I was done changing from my street clothes into my uniform, and so I left the locker room and went about my day…

Later that afternoon as I came back from my route, I noticed Ben and Jerry had a locker on a hand truck and were moving it around in the warehouse. Both had ear-to-ear grins on their faces and you could hear them snickering and giggling like a couple of schoolgirls.

Ben saw that I noticed them and he started laughing even harder. “We’re moving Trevor’s locker.” He said between snickers.

“Why are you doing that?” I asked.

“Because Trevor said something to Jerry and Jerry feels a need to pay him back.” Ben said with a look of pure glee. “So we’re going to hide Trevor’s locker in the women’s restroom.”

I just shook my head and said, “That’s a bridge too far.” And away they went. I never did find out what Trevor supposedly said, nor did I care.

Why did I say what I said and why did I shake my head?

Because I know Trevor. He has a “personality type” that is thin skinned. He can dish it out, but he can’t take it back. You goof on him and he takes it personally and gets a huge case of butthurt going on. He’s the type of guy that will take your ballbusting and goofing on him as a personal attack.

I didn’t want to call Trevor a Gamma, but a Gamma he is.

In the link I just added is a list of “gamma traits.” While Trevor has a LOT of these traits, there’s one in particular that stands out in this situation:

(Bold emphasis is mine)

You can’t even take a mild ribbing about anything outside of a few harmless topics from other guys, and immediately fly into a barely controlled rage and seek some sort of vengeance if you are lampooned by anyone. This isn’t upping the competition, but hatred of the other and you will avoid that person or speak badly of them.

The next day I went back to work. Trevor is normally about 10 minutes or so behind him on clocking in. Not that day though. That day he was moments behind me. Normally Trevor is fairly high-spirited and is always cracking jokes and talking shit. That day though, he was quiet and sullen. Trevor was pissed.

I could tell he was pissed because of his entire demeanor. It was in his body language. He practically radiated anger and hate. I knew what this was about before he even said anything.

“Hey Trevor, how are ya?” I asked.

“I’m pissed Rob.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Because fucking Ben and Jerry moved my locker into the women’s restroom yesterday.”

“Why did they do that?”

“To get back at me.”

“For what?”

“For what happened with Jerry and his locker yesterday.”

“What happened with Jerry and his locker? What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything except laugh. I’m going to get back at them though.”

He said all of this with a straight face.

This wasn’t going to be about “upping the competition.” This was about revenge. I’m sure that Trevor will have his “pound of flesh” too. He’s that kind of guy.

When Ben came into the lockerroom, he tried joking with Trevor, who gave him the “silent treatment,” hurried and got changed into his work uniform, and then hurried out the door to prepare his truck for the day. Ben looked at me, bewildered.

I just shook my head and said, “I told you. A bridge too far.”

“Wow, Trevor is pissed,” said Ben.

“Of course he is, what did you expect?”

The sad thing is, Ben and Jerry were just fucking around with Trevor. It was their way of ribbing him and saying that they like him, but Trevor can’t see that, or won’t see it. Now if things go the way that they could go, it’s going to turn into an escalation of arms. Trevor will “prank back” bigger and harder than Ben and Jerry did, to which those two guys will return the favor, thinking it’s all fun and games, only to Trevor it’s not.

This has the potential to get out of control and someone could end up getting hurt. I’m just going to stay out of the way and hopefully out of the blast zone when it does go down.

I’ve encountered a lot of guys over the years like Trevor. Thin-skinned gammas. I’m pretty sure you have too. Look over that list that I linked and see if there isn’t several traits that remind you of someone you know or have known.

Watch yourself around these guys. You can’t joke with them like someone who isn’t a gamma. And if you do happen to “bust their balls,” be prepared for some sort of retaliation, because it’s coming. It may not be something direct, it usually isn’t. Most gamma’s are too cowardly to come straight at you. It’ll be some form of indirect attack or a backstab. Something passive-aggressive.

You’ve been warned.

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Random Assholes On The Internet

Rob Says3 Comments

person wearing black topcoat holding black umbrella

What started out as a post on the Masculine Geek newsletter turned into a post here. I’ve fleshed it out a little bit more here, but you should go and sign up for the newsletter there if you haven’t. You’re missing out if you don’t.

Okay guys, this is a little “tongue-in-cheek,” but then again, not really.

I’m sitting here listening to a guy talk about the coronavirus while I’m typing this, wondering what the deal is with the coronavirus. Is it a big deal? Is it a “natural phenomenon?” Is it a biological weapon that got loose? I wonder if we will ever know, and does it really even matter?

Point is, the guy I’m listening to right now, I know nothing about this guy. He’s a random asshole on the internet. He mentioned his credentials, but are they real? Do they even matter? (In this particular circumstance, I would say that his credentials DO in fact matter.) Credentials can be manufactured, see “diploma mill.” Credentials can be made up with nothing but an imagination and a half decent printer, and that’s if you want to print something out and hang it on the wall. Otherwise you can keep it as a handy PDF to distribute as needed.

Most people, and I’ve been guilty of this myself, are lazy. They don’t take the time to do the research to find out if a set of credentials are in fact, legitimate. 

We live in a day and age of information overload. It’s not that there isn’t enough information available, it’s that we have too much information available. We are literally swamped with information and not all of it is accurate or even true. The internet is awesome make no doubt, but it is a double-edged sword as well. While it’s easier now than ever to “reach out and touch someone,” you need to keep in mind who some of those “someone’s” are.

I have a general rule of thumb when it comes to people on the internet, and that is, they are all “random asshole’s on the internet.” Until I meet them, preferably face-to-face, but at a bare minimum, a video call/conference, whatever you want to call it, is what is in order for me to move them from “random asshole” to something above and beyond “random asshole.”

I’ve met Vince, TJ, and Aaron face to face as well as several other guys. They aren’t random assholes. They may still be assholes, but they aren’t random anymore. They are guys who walk the walk and talk the talk. When they say something I tend to listen to them and give what they say some weight. That’s because I’ve actually gotten to know them. You should strive to do the same thing.

Even with me.

Right now, if I haven’t met you in some form, I’m just a random asshole on the internet running my mouth. I could be completely full of shit and have no idea what I’m talking about, and it would be to your detriment to take what I say and run with it.

Keep this in mind when you are dealing with anyone, especially on the internet. You don’t know them from a hole in the ground and whatever they are saying and/or selling could be complete garbage that will end up only hurting you. It’s okay to be skeptical, in fact, I consider a healthy dose of skepticism to be normal and healthy. Too many people today are far too willing and eager to jump on somebody’s bandwagon simply because that person either looked good, or they liked what they had to say.

Another thing to keep in mind:

Familiarity.

You see it all the time. Guys who are constantly posting on social media, whether it’s because that’s how they earn their living, or because they are attention seeking whores, or simply because they are bored and have nothing better to do with their lives. You see them spouting off all the time. That doesn’t mean that they know what they are talking about. However, you get comfortable seeing them running their mouths. You get used to them, they become a part of the background of your daily routine. And then they say or do something that grabs your attention. Maybe you liked what they said or did. Next thing you know, you’re buying their program and repeating their mantras and you became one of their biggest fans.

That’s all well and good if what you are getting from them is good for you and you are getting value out of it. But then again, maybe it’s not good for you, but you are too close to it to see it. You can’t see the forest because of all the trees. You’ve become too invested.

While familiarity can breed contempt, it can also breed comfort. Many affairs start out in the workplace simply because of proximity, common goals, and familiarity. There’s a certain level of comfort there and arousal can be generated from it.

The guy spouting off all the time on the internet can be creating that sense of comfort and familiarity as well. Maybe it’s intentional, maybe not, but you need to be aware of it and keep it in mind when dealing with them.

It’s easy to want to take short-cuts in our thinking. We do it all the time. In fact, if we had to critically think about every single thing that we want to do, we would either end up completely exhausted from just getting out of bed and using the bathroom in the morning, or we would probably end up going crazy. It’s easy to listen to someone that actually knows what they are talking about because they have proven it time and time again. Nothing wrong with that.

It’s also easy to take that short-cut and hand it off to some random person on the internet simply because they are saying what we want to hear or because they dress a certain way, or because we consider them attractive. Or because they remind us of someone that we like and trust. These are the times that we really need to slow down and use our critical thinking skills and say to ourselves, “Hey, this is just some random asshole on the internet. Maybe I need to look into this some more before going all in.”

Better that way than learning the lesson the hard way.

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My Concise Guide To Twitter

Rob Says4 Comments

apple applications apps cell phone

If prison is a bunch of guys having sex, Twitter is a bunch of guys wishing they were having sex. – Rob Says

So you’re new to Twitter and you want to know more about it?

Okay, so according to Wikipedia, “Twitter is an American microblogging and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as “tweets”. Registered users can post, like, and retweet tweets, but unregistered users can only read them.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Blah, blah, blah. That’s not want you want to know and that’s not why you are here reading this.

So walk with me for a bit and let me tell you about Twitter…

From phony tough guys, to faux Chads banging only 9’s and 10’s, to outraged Karen’s screaming their indignation at Susan, Twitter has it all.

From E-Whores taking your money to TradCons wanting to “Save the West” and having Jesus save your soul, there’s something for everybody, just with the volume maxed out and there is no off-switch.

Degenerates, dweebs, dorks, dickheads, douchebags, sluts, players, pimps, pornstars, prudes, priests, and puritans are all rubbing shoulders, shouting over each other in order to be heard.

E-Comm kids selling courses for $999.97 so they can drive lambo’s and do kick-boxing, and don’t forget the limited edition PDF that’s only available on gumroad.

Everyone is an entrepreneur, an author, a hustler, and a self made billionaire. Except for me. I’m the only guy that works a 9 to 5. Me and these two guys:

2019-10-01 12.31.07
I’m the one in the middle.

We’ve got guys periscoping in cars, guys ‘scoping in bars, and guys smoking cigars – the message is always the same (Look at me!) I’ll admit it, I’m no different.

The meat and veggie crowd is having a food fight over whose diet is better, and son, you better fucking lift or you’re just pure soy.

We got women telling Men how to be Men, Men wanting to make women great again, and if you’re lucky, someone will tell you that you better get some sun on your asshole. There’s even a guy who specializes in enema’s. He just gave himself one and you can ask him anything.

We got life coaches giving life advice, being your cheerleader for twice the price, and single women as relationship experts telling you, how you too, can get your One. Nevermind that their lives are bigger trainwrecks than yours.

We got nerds who like their D&D, guys worried about their dick’s burning when they pee, some asshole named Gary V, and a whole lot of shit posting.

We got anonymous accounts telling the truth, guys who show their faces who are uncouth, and we’ve even got old men yelling at clouds, calling everyone a pervert or a degenerate. Yes, Twitter is really like that.

We got twenty year olds handing out life advice like it’s going out of style and as if they have lived long enough to be handing out life advice. (Sit down.)

We have Power Dad’s and Mommy Bloggers trying to outdo each other as to who is the best parent when it comes to their kids. A question for the Dad’s: “Do you want to be a ‘Good Dad’ or raise ‘good kids?’ It’s okay if you don’t know the difference, your kids will.” (h/t to Rian Stone for that question.) While I’m at it, hey Twitter Parents, do you think it’s a good idea posting pics of your babies on the internet for every weirdo and predator to see them? I’m just curious.

We got bullet-point list guys making bullet-point lists and if you follow each and every bullet point, well, you might be an idiot.

We got guys hawking platitudes like nobodies business and if you want to get your first 1000 followers, I highly recommend that you regurgitate the same shit that these dipshits are doing, because it does work. Who knows? Maybe you could be the next Tony Robbins.

We got guys making threads about anything and everything, and I can’t be bothered to read them because, well, life is short and I don’t have the fucking time. Besides, they are all about something that sounds profound, even though they aren’t really, and they all end with a link to a course or some E-book that is overpriced on gumroad.

We got guys taking pictures or videos of themselves eating meat in a restaurant, showing you, the common unwashed masses, just how good they are living, while you are relegated to eating ramen and processed foods. All in the name of staying relevant.

We got guys who barely tweet, women who take pictures of their feet, and if you are unfortunate, you’ll find the Island of Cortes. Stick around long enough, if you don’t find it, the Island of Cortes will find you.

We got feminists saying that they don’t need no man, thirsty beta’s doing what they can, and you can buy some girl’s bathwater, just click the link. She sold out quickly. What can I say? The thirst is real.

While we’re on the subject of women, there’s the progressive left, the status quo right, an ancap who does cosplay, and beware the Sunhat Gods. By the way, there are no women on the internet. Ever seen the movie Catfish? You haven’t? Better check that one out before coming on to Twitter.

We’ve got guys who lift, guys who don’t, guys who drink soy latte’s and those who won’t, and there’s a guy named Ed who only drinks his coffee black. (Nice guy by the way.)

Speaking of coffee, we got guy’s who take cold showers and guys that get up at ungodly hours because you’re a piece of shit if you wake up any later than 4:30 in the morning.

Oh that’s another thing about Twitter:

Fuck nuance.

Everything is binary, everything is extreme, everybody has all the right answers and fuck you if you tell them otherwise. The sperg levels and the autism is real. Just ask some random tweeters about single mom’s and see what happens.

Twitter is a shit show and everybody is flexing and lying about who and what they are, all in the hopes of getting laid, and if you aren’t getting death threats and nudes in your DM’s, you’re doing it wrong.

Gun nuts, truck nuts, peanuts, and if you don’t have nuts, you better sack up like you got a pair. Twitter ain’t for the timid or the weak, just ask any hard to kill guy, he’ll be more than happy to tell you.

While we’re at it, check out Inmate Twitter. It’s for those who are interested in what it takes to be a convict and how to capitalize on that status once you are back on the outside. It’s as real as it gets.

So welcome to Twitter. Wear a cup.

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