Are you an asshole? Yes? No? How do you know either way?
Being an asshole has a different meaning to different people. It varies by social class, race, gender, personality, mood, etc. Because of this, it can be a difficult thing to pin down, but in general, following the basic rules of applying common sense to most situations and being decent towards others will usually render you "asshole-free". Confused? You're not alone. People by the millions walk around every day performing actions they deem completely acceptable; Never cognizant of the fact that they just became a total asshole to someone around them. Maybe they ARE aware and just don't give a crap. Those that fall into the latter category are probably too far gone to be saved but if YOU care, you should definitely read this book.
"Don't Be An Asshole!" defines the specific types of assholes you may encounter and tries to examine why some people become the assholes they are, how to cope with them and what you can do (or not do) to make sure you don't become one yourself. It lists many a situation and place where asshole behavior is prevalent so that you can either prepare yourself or avoid them altogether.
Still confused? Maybe this will help. Imagine a book that could help you learn:
How to deal with stress
Because asshole behavior stresses us out! What's better for stress than having your feelings justified by a complete stranger and having a laugh or two while you're at it?
How to deal with difficult people
The term "difficult people" itself implies people who are assholes. C'mon, if they weren't being assholes, would anyone think they are "difficult"? I can think of a lot of "difficult" people right now and every last one of them is an asshole. This group can include friends, employees, employers or just complete idiots.
How to deal with conflict resolution
There is no other cross section of society that is more intimately familiar with conflict than the asshole crowd. They can find or initiate conflict anywhere. Ballgames, the movies, church, online, in your bedroom... ANYWHERE. Do you wanna be caught helpless when you find yourself in a conflict with one of these good mood oppressors? You could even just hand them a copy of this very book and call it a day. They'll get the point.
Will this book help you find your soul-mate, find a better job, lose weight, increase your penis size or otherwise change your life?
Probably not.
Will it give you the power to passive aggressively make your feelings known to jerks in your life?
You betcha! Just hand them a copy and a smile.
Will it make you a star at the next "white elephant" gift-swapping, holiday party?
Fo shizzle! Miss Mason-Jar-Wine-Glass ain't gonna have nothin' on you next year.
Life changing? No. Fun as all get-out? Yup!
"Don't Be An Asshole!"
- Part comedy, part therapy. A tongue-in-cheek look at why, where and how people act like assholes and what we can do to make sure we're not one of them.