Ego and Pride.

In advertising, you have to play the game with arrogance. I read that somewhere and I thought "that's tough". Why do we need arrogance to be in advertising? Do we get respect if we do so? Do we get more money? Do we get a promotion? I don't know. I've been questioning that line for years. And the only thing I discovered in advertising is that people have huge egos and pride. That's it. They have to be right. Because by being right, they will get respect. They will get promotion. They will get recognition.

It's tough being right all the time. You kind of have no room for mistakes. Perfection is your only friend. Perfection is a safety net. Perfection increases the ego and pride.

For the longest time, I have trouble trying to identify these kind of people in advertising. Sometimes they pop out, but then again they revert back to being a supportive person - if a senior staff is present. No surprises there. The ego and pride are gone in a split second. Vooosh, vamoso and good riddance. These people know that their ego and pride will never best against a greater mind - because of the great mind.

Says a lot about these people now, right?

Sometimes, we have to make sure our ego and pride checked. Keep them in their cages and release when you have to. We are not Prophets.  We are humans. With flaws and a lot of shit. In a way, ego and pride can be our best friend; provided we know how to control them. That's all.

So, don't go on hating them egoistic and prideful people. They are just trying to protect themselves because without it, they are nothing. They will be rendered useless. Perhaps their previous experience have traumatised them and they realised by playing the game with arrogance, they can survive.

So for all ad peeps, relax and breathe when you run into these people. And if they are clients as well. They are just being human.