P1_post1

My score was as follows:

Openness to Experience/Intellect: 90
Conscientiousness: 94
Extroversion: 53
Agreeableness: 83
Neurotic-ism: 7

           What can I say, I am who I am. I don't know how much stock I can really put into a computer survey, if any. But when it comes to the subject of my work ethic philosophy, I often get good reports. A lot of people claim it is due to me having so much humility, but I don't know. I was never one to complain unless I had good reason to. I never really had the luxury of having a job that required me to dress in a suit and tie or that commanded a high level of respect and responsibility. My work day would usually end with me going home covered in some sort of grime, each type differing from one job to another. But I was getting paid well, or what I thought was sufficient for the time, so I couldn't complain. I actually got a new job today, which I believe is due to my sense of humor and my easy going attitude. It also helps when the person who is hiring you has been where you have and understands how much of a fresh breath of air it is not to be doing that sort of work anymore. Having the experience that I have now from doing that sort of work seems to finally be paying off in the way that I don't have to physically kill myself anymore. Now I am at the age where I get to help the people do the jobs that I used to do, just without all of the smashed fingers and constant aches and pains to go along with it.

            One thing I don't miss about the trades that I used to do is some of the people that I worked under and with. It's a helluva thing to be lectured about the facts of life by people who dope, cheat on their wives, and are thousands of dollars in debt while the whole time wearing a smile on their face and a song in their throat. I overheard a good quote the other day that made me stop and think for a moment. "I am tired of being under the boot of greedy men who believe in nothing." I don't think I could have said it better myself. We are raised with the belief that if you work hard, are honest, respectable, responsible, and reliable you are rewarded. But it's starting to seem nowadays that those traits really don't matter anymore. It seems that those who get rewarded now are those who choose to lie, cheat, manipulate, and outright screw over whoever they must to get themselves into greater positions of power. What scares me more is that they have no regard for the people they do it to or the consequences that they might face.  The whole "me, me, me, and everyone else be damned," attitude seems to be the growing mindset in our society. And it seems to be working for a lot of those who act this way. It's examples like this that make me wonder if the American dream is truly dead, or just dead for those who still believe that ethics and integrity should be pillars of strength in an individuals' moral constitution.