# Why Did They Do That By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2022-12-22 Why does your boss act a certain way? It's a question that delves into many subjects ranging from power to economics and psychology to philosophy. You can study a person for a long time and still be surprised. But why should you ever give a shit? As [[Jean-Paul Sartre|Sartre]] said, "Hell is other people." So, why get wrapped up in someone like your boss? One short answer may be that you want that promotion, and knowing how they think may help. This could be manipulative, but what isn't manipulative? Go ahead, give me an example. I'll wait. It's easy to become a cynical asshole and manipulate your way to the top, especially if you start luckier than others. However, there may be more beyond the manipulation. For example, what if you genuinely cared about your boss? In this case, understanding why they act a certain way may reveal more about who they are and bring you a broader realization of the human condition. Deeper connections can spawn and provide a broader purpose, but make no mistake - the manipulation still exists. In one way or another, you are pursuing activities for your purpose and things will be different. Every action has a reaction, even our internal and conceptual actions. None of this paints a rosy picture, except it's worth noting that everyone and everything is doing it all of the time. We are not individuals but the product of everyone and everything around us. Social and physical constructions oscillating between fact and fiction to form what we call reality at any moment. Thinking of what makes one person act a certain way is like trying to measure the position and spin of an electron. You can only measure one at a time, and measuring one changes the other. Nevertheless, we feel compelled to explain our universe, and this compulsion is the act of discovering who we think we are. The question of why your boss behaves a certain way and why you should give a shit is not about them. It's about you, your constantly developing identity, and finding a purpose worth pursuing. #### Related Items [[Systems Thinking]] [[The Human Condition]] [[Identity]] [[Management]] [[Self-Actualization]]