“Fed up dealing with idiots!”

The headline is a quote from Sean Connery after starring in the film the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He had enough of the other members of the movie production and needed some time off.

The difference between Sean Connery and most other people is, that Sean Connery is financially independent, and the movie projects he was associated with were short- to medium-term projects that had a set deadline—so, for him, there was always a natural way out.

It’s often more difficult when normal people find themselves in a similar conundrum. It can be hard to find a way out if you’re stuck in an unfulfilling job, relationship, or something similar—the most frustrating parts of life are often the more permanent ones. 

So, what can you do when you’re stuck in a rut, and can’t see a way out? 

Well, here is the coffee talker's two-step guide to when you’re “fed up dealing with idiots”.

1. What would Marcus or Seneca do? 

Remember the stoics… If this is the first time you hear about Stoicism, then we highly recommend the writings of Ryan Holliday—his books are a great introduction to Stoicism. Anyways… In short, Stoicism focuses on the difference between the things you can influence and the things you can’t. This may sound quite banal, but the impact can be quite dramatic. It gives you the power to filter out all the stuff that you can’t control, and gives you a deeper appreciation for the things, opportunities, and relationships you have and that you can influence—which leads to the second step.

2. Be so good they can’t ignore you

If you find yourself in a situation, where you applied step one, and you still find yourself surrounded by idiots, then maybe you need to change the scenery a bit. We often dream of the dream job, dream partner, etc., but you can often spend so much energy looking for green grass, that you don’t see the possibilities that lie in front of you. The best way out of a tough spot is to plan and focus on the opportunities that lie in front of you. Take an honest look at yourself and see if you can’t find some areas where you could make a bigger effort. 

This approach is highly personal and depends on the unique circumstances that you’re in—be honest and try to make an effort. Most of us are very average at best, which means that there’s room for improvement and that your competition also is quite average. 

So, learn the difference between what you can influence and what you cannot, and try to make an effort on improving the things you can. You’ll be a better partner, coworker, and a better friend if you take an honest look at yourself and try to find the best possible way out of your current situation instead of dreaming of greener grass and getting frustrated and bitter in the process. 

Good luck and until next time, 

Scott and Lennart