By SARA MINOGUE

STAFF WRITER

“People are ten times more likely to post a negative comment or give negative feedback than they are to give positive feedback – that goes for just about everything in life.” – Elite Daily

We have all seen negative comments on social media before. Whether that be on SLU confessions, a controversial article, or Yik Yak. They have definitely come up everywhere in our lives. However, something that we might not realize is that negative comments and feedback will not suddenly end the moment we step out of college and into the work force or grad school. I was naïve enough to think that certain people would grow up and suddenly stop giving negative feedback; sadly, I was wrong.

A few months ago, my older brother Marc had to give a presentation at work. He had to explain and discuss his experiences gained from working on projects, and describe certain topics of finance that I have yet to understand. In any case, he was presenting in front of his bosses and other employees in his department. Out of nowhere, one of the other employees raised his hand and asked Marc to explain every single project he had ever worked on in great detail. This man had tried to mess up and embarrass my brother in the hopes that he would look better in front of the bosses himself. Luckily my brother had caught on to this and informed his colleague that in the interest of time he could not answer his question but would instead be happy to explain the details of his projects when the presentation was finished. To my brother’s great fortune, his bosses also realized what this employee was doing. So in the end, his presentation was not ruined, but it was the intent of his fellow employee that irkes me.

There are a couple of things to take away from this story. First, immaturity and unnecessary competition does not always leave us as we age. No matter where you are, there is always someone else who will want to get ahead of you and could potentially be competing with you for the same job. In this case, the person will want to look his or her best in front of the boss, even if that means putting others down to get ahead.

Additionally, you have to be prepared for whatever challenges are ahead of you. Though there are genuine human beings in the world,  lots of people are generally only thinking of themselves. Many believe that others will not help them on their career paths. Something that is sadly true for the most part. However, some people will go as far as trying to ruin the lives of others. If this is the case, it is extremely important to be prepared and stay strong. Never give in to the negative comments of people who are out to get you. Important people will notice your strengths and will not hold the rudeness of others against you.