So last week, I had a conversation with someone I thought I hated.
Note I said “thought”, because the fact is, until last week – I had never met the person, I had simply encountered them through their work.
I didn’t like their work.
In fact I hated it.
To be fair, some of this was because of the people who liked this individual, rather than me purely loathing all they did. But I did. I bloody hated it.
That said, I appreciated their broader influence and I respected their beliefs – even if I didn’t agree with them – but all in all, they were in my ‘shit box’ and had remained there for literally, a couple of decades.
So imagine my surprise, when last week, I found myself on the phone, talking to this guy.
Worse, imagine my surprise, when last week, I found myself on the phone, talking to this guy and liking him.
I should add this was not because I suddenly agreed with all his views and opinions [though without doubt, I did on some things] but because he was a smart, charming, informed and amusing.
In addition, he also didn’t hang up on me when I told him how much I used to loath him and his ‘companies’ work … though that could also be because I mentioned how a certain colleague of mine spent 2 years mimicking him at work, just to annoy the shit out of me.
All in all, it was a really enjoyable, informative and thought-provoking conversation.
This has left me in a pickle.
I’ve been robbed of a belief that I had blindly hung on to for years.
A belief that I accept, was – potentially – based on nothing more than adolescence, pettiness and belonging.
OK, so this change in opinion could be based on me maturing. [Ahem]
Or maybe they’ve stopped being such an obnoxious arsehole. [Ahem]
But whatever the case, it’s reminded me that whether it’s people, research, clients or agencies … you should never judge a book by it’s [media] covee – never, ever, ever – unless it’s Bono, because I’m absolutely certain he’s an egotistical, little twat.