Am I a Whiner?

[Fujichants]

Although it is easy to say 'who cares what others think about you', it is much harder to do it.

From personal experience, people who are weak get picked on more. I'm not saying that you are weak, but next time they make a joke on your expense, chime in! Be loud like them. Make fun of them. Just join in! That's just the way men are. If they make a comment about your bike, tell them you can kick Stacy's (that's her name right?) ***. Or any of their asses. They made fun of your jersey? Next time somebody walks in with something god-awful, make a sarcastic comment. Chances are, they don't know that your grandma suffered from diabetes. They make fun of your horse? Point to your legs and say you have no problem climbing hills because of the muscles you've developed riding your horse. Old man from the bike shop downstairs comes upstairs to check you out? Ask him where your coffee is. Doesn't have it? Then why is he up here? If you can't beat them, join them. You don't want to stick out like a sore thumb when the company culture encourages the type of behavior your colleagues exhibit.

The guys I ride with know not to mess with me because I can make lots of sarcastic comments about their shortcomings. When I do, the guy at the receiving end just shuts up and his buddies crack up. Boy dynamics. Same goes for my non-cycling guy friends.

[Flybye]

One of the ways guys "compliment" each other is through insult and teasing. It is part of their culture. You don't hear many men walk up to each other and say things like "you look good today" or "I think your girlfriend is pretty" or "wow, you are a great racer" BUT what they might say is "you are one ugly sucker" or "how did you score on someone like that?" or "you could barely keep yourself upright in that race" followed by a smack on the back.

We are different genders and for the most part communicate differently.

Lighten up, they are trying to incorporate you into their world. That is a huge compliment. Have some fun with it, and then find one of us on the other side to speak in our world terms.

[Irulan]

The best way I've found to deal with guys is just to give it right back to them. Have you ever seen the bumper sticker that says, "the more annoyed you get, the more fun it is for me?"

We have a couple of friends who's persona is basically "big jerk". They just want to see if they can get a rise out of people or not. I just dish it right back and have no problems.

[smurfalicious]

Although it is easy to say 'who cares what others think about you', it is much harder to do it.

From personal experience, people who are weak get picked on more. I'm not saying that you are weak, but next time they make a joke on your expense, chime in! Be loud like them. Make fun of them. Just join in! That's just the way men are. If they make a comment about your bike, tell them you can kick Stacy's (that's her name right?) ***. Or any of their asses. They made fun of your jersey? Next time somebody walks in with something god-awful, make a sarcastic comment. Chances are, they don't know that your grandma suffered from diabetes. They make fun of your horse? Point to your legs and say you have no problem climbing hills because of the muscles you've developed riding your horse. Old man from the bike shop downstairs comes upstairs to check you out? Ask him where your coffee is. Doesn't have it? Then why is he up here? If you can't beat them, join them. You don't want to stick out like a sore thumb when the company culture encourages the type of behavior your colleagues exhibit.

The guys I ride with know not to mess with me because I can make lots of sarcastic comments about their shortcomings. When I do, the guy at the receiving end just shuts up and his buddies crack up. Boy dynamics. Same goes for my non-cycling guy friends.

Ha ha I love it! I did lay the smack down one day about the jersey. I think it went something like, "Yeah, that's right, make fun of the jersey I earned on a ride I did in honor of my grandma who died from diabetes complications." Silence. It was truly golden.

I've been around guy culture all my life having two brothers and all. I get the joking and such, and usually I'm all for it but sometimes they can be really mean. I'm still the FNG and I get really intimidated sometimes.

I have been owning a lot of the **** they mock me for lately. The other day I left to commute home and I pulled the Tour de Cure jersey out of my backpack and held it up for Shaine to see and said, "Just for you, Shaine, just for you," with a big smile. The other day they were talking about Bob Roll being in town and Will said if I wanted to hook up with a dirty 60 year old man, Bob was the ticket. I laughed and said I'd schedule him in right after Hodge.

We have a really open office space and there's a huge conference table in the middle of the room. There's tradition of riding each others bikes in a circle around the table when boredom kicks in. I figure once I get my BMX bike I'll leave it at the office claiming I got it just to ride around the table.

Anyway, I am dying to try out the coffee line, that is priceless. Freak scared the crap out of me today. I went and grabbed lunch and just as I closed the door at the bottom of the stairwell he yanks it open and says, "Don't even say hi." Uh, number one, didn't see you, number two I have a policy of do not engage and finally you scared the poo out of me and almost made me drop my delicious greasy pizza.

Three days a week I do have an ally in Nadia. She owns a tri specialty shop and used to work there a while back. They were all scared to death of her! I being who I am started giving her **** from day one. She LOVES me. They are all in awe. One day I said something particularly sassy to me and I guess they were all frantically emailing each back and forth along the lines of, "can you believe she just did that?"

Oh, and for the record, if you ever have the opportunity to hitch your wagon to a bike with one gear, no freewheel, no brakes, and go hurtling around corners banked at 45 degrees, I highly recommend it. More on that and pics later, but I will so be there again Friday. It's like Disneyland, Six Flags and bikes all in one.

[shootingstar]

I agree with Tuckerville that not all guys are jokey insulting. Just many are.

After all some guys once, upon a time when they were boys, were the butt of jokes constantly, or even bullied...and fortunately, some didn't want to exercise the same sort of horseplay when they became adult.

And the guys who don't..might not say much, hence, you don't notice them immediately.

[Running Mommy]

Ohhh smurfy....I'm so sad for you! I wish you could come work in our shop. The boyz make fun of me, but I just tell them to shove it, and they go away.
In fact when they see me on this website they refer to it as "the men suck website"....
No men don't suck, just the dolts behind me!!

I think you need a zebra pro xl!!!