why is your boss mean to you?

Take a rat, put it in a cage with 2 sides separated by a door that it can open by pressing a button. If you give the rat random shocks that stop when it goes to the other side through the door the rat remains healthy - it learns that it can escape the shocks by moving. It has teh illusion of being in control.

However if you give the same frquency of shocks but change the rules so that changing sides doesn't stop the shocks, or so that the button doesn't open the door any more the rat get ill (outwardly most noticable in its movement patterns and loss of fur). It's lost the illusion, the stress can't be relieved, and it gets ill.

Next put two rats in the cage together. If they can escape the shocks by changing sides they both remain healthy. If however this 'escape' is removed the rats get stressed and fight. The rat that loses develops the same illnesses a the alone stressed rat, but the rat that wins the fights remains healthy. It feels that it has some control by beating up the other rat and stress is removed.

So there's a reason why your boss (or in fact anyone else you work with) might be mean to you. They are stressed. You are both stuck in the work (teh box) and you don't really have control over your stress inputs, but by beating up on you he/she feels that they are in control so relieves the stress. This is supposedly why employees lower down the ladder (particularly junior managers) have higher rates of stress related illnesses than employees higher up, as they get the stress without the control over the causes of the stress. It also probably explains why junior managers are such gits so often...

Originally posted by belgianfreak
If you give the rat random shocks...

Then the solution for fellow workers is for them to carry a stun gun to help relieve the stress the Bosses are under and to teach their bosses that the best way to treat someone is with dignity? Good idea.

Originally posted by cashthetrash
Then the solution for fellow workers is for them to carry a stun gun to help relieve the stress the Bosses are under and to teach their bosses that the best way to treat someone is with dignity? Good idea.

Originally posted by belgianfreak It feels that it has some control by beating up the other rat and stress is removed.

Originally posted by belgianfreak
Take a rat, put it in a cage with 2 sides separated by a door that it can open by pressing a button. If you give the rat random shocks that stop when it goes to the other side through the door the rat remains healthy - it learns that it can escape the shocks by moving. It has teh illusion of being in control.

However if you give the same frquency of ...[text shortened]... s of the stress. It also probably explains why junior managers are such gits so often...

Shag the boss.
That'll get their respect.
Especially if you've got a male boss.