You spent half of your life worrying about things that won't concern you in the slightest at the end. When you're lying in bed dying, you want people to sit by your side. That's it. It's easy to get tricked by dreams of money or success, but all the money in the world doesn't buy you kindness. You get that because you gave it. - Edna Whitman Chittick, 101 yrs old.

I saw this in the LIFE section of ST this morning. It is something that I have to remind myself constantly. At the end of the day, what really matters is kindness. Unfortunately, kindness and honesty are 2 most under-rated virtue at the moment. No more kindness begets kindness or honesty is the best policy. The world is evolving into a dangerous playground, where kindness portrayed is not actually done sincerely but with ulterior motives. White lies are more welcomed than wholesome truths.

I sound sore, don't you think? Such a pessismistic view about man and the world? Many many times, I feel disillussioned about the whole state of affair. It is a no-win zone. This office is filled with people who are willing to do whatever it takes to make them feel good about themselves. They lie through their teeth. They scheme about the downfall of others. The colour of your skin matters IF you are seen better than them. If you are the WORST, it matters even more because then, you become part of the statistic that proves their point.

As my career progresses, I see so many unjustice in the office world. I bet many of you, who are working, see it too. People take credit for the hardwork of others. Plagiarism is the name of the game. And yet many "innocent" people are so blind to see the malicious system that is operating behind them. I just could not understand why they just cannot see? Can they not see that they are being driven by the nose? That ultimately, these people are actually safeguarding their own interest for being kind. They have something up their sleeves and we, being trustworthy ones, deceived ourselves into believeing that they are sincere. But when things go wrong, the fingers point at us. When we fall, they have the last laugh.

It is sad that as years go by, I have learnt to shield myself against these people. It is hard to learn how NOT to trust them. It is hard to learn that they are watching your every move, waiting for a moment of weakness and seize it to their own advantage. It is even harder to realise that the people who you "trusted" so much in your carreer are the people that you should eye like a hawk as they are the true "survivor" of this game. This is what I call the ugly side of office politics. There is without doubt the good side, but in this office only the ugly side shows. And kindness and honesty is not welcomed here.

I am contradicting myself. Yesterday, I wrote about giving chances to people. Today, I say FISH them. Blame it on the raging hormones...no, I am not a teenager but I still have many hormones raging within me. Shucks! Is it only Wednesday??