Being a tech legend myself for 15 years (and I'm only 27), it's no wonder I choose not to have many friends, because apparently, they always need my help, and if I help them, I'm a genius, if I don't, I'm a heartless inconsiderate asshole — and don't get me started on girls in school acting all cute to get me to help them with an exam or fix their computers for free. I get so tired of people asking me for help over, and over, while I always try to “teach a man to fish”, so that they'd stop constantly bugging me over the same shit. Nowadays, I just delete a new conversation as soon as it pops up on my Telegram, because I'm tired of people showing up only when they need help with something, and if you think I'm complaining, wait 'til you hear the people asking me for help. 😂 It's super frustrating when every product recommendation is “too expensive” for them, which means wasting more time talking about the same shit like I'm in a hell loop.
The irony is that, my only best friend in the whole world always pays me when I help him with something; we always say, “Friends in profit; not in loss”, and what's more ironic is that he's not rich, and yet he's more appreciative than any rich person I've ever met. Ah, self-entitled people are just the best to say no to. I remember a guy from my old neighborhood who had the balls to text me, “I deserve that you work for me for free.” And I was like, “Yeah, that makes sense. I guess the rich stay rich by robbing the poor.” I told him to shove the money he owed me up his ass, and I noticed the more I deal with such people, the more productive, and selective I become when it comes to the people I do business with. It's like a life hack that seems reckless or counter-productive at first, but the more you don't allow that fear to turn you into anyone's little bitch, the more powerful you become.
Thing is, I don't like bothering people to the point where I don't even ask them what time it is, so even when I help people, I never ask them for anything in return, because I'm used to being disappointed (while some confuse this with fear of rejection), and people always act like what they asked for was no trouble, while the thing I asked for in return seems impossible or unrealistic. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anyway, I've made it my life's mission not to feel guilty for not allowing people to drain the life out of me, and if empathy means helping others while feeling like a complete tool, then fuck empathy! The power to say no or tell people to fuck off should be taught in school, as far as I'm concerned. 😎👊