Mean people

I was pondering a blog entry on "Things that Stink" and I opened up the floor for suggestions. Wow! Some were hysterically funny - Thanks Laura! Some were kind of sad. One that struck me in particular was my friend Melody's suggestion "Mean People." I've often been called "mean" by students so I started to think about the word "mean." According to dictionary.com (and in the context to which I'm referring) the word is defined as "offensive, selfish, or unaccommodating; nasty; malicious." It also includes "small-minded" or "troublesome or vicious; bad-tempered." The synonyms are "contemptible and despicable." Not exactly a character reference is it? I started thinking about myself in those terms – I don't think I'm mean. I am occasionally petty and stubborn, but mean? I don't think so. I think doing something deliberately to hurt other people – now that's mean. I don't EVER wake up in the morning excited because I can ruin someone's day. I never lay awake at night, thinking of ways to make someone else miserable. But, apparently, some people do. I saw a shirt or bumper sticker once that said "Mean people suck." While I hate that term, I think I agree with the sentiment. Stay tuned for the next installment of "Things that really stink!"