Our organisation was upgrading a client’s entire IT network. Unbeknownst to the staff at the organisation was the fact that all of them were to receive new 19-inch TFT monitors. One of the engineering staff approached the IT manager several weeks before the upgrade and demanded that he receive a 19-inch TFT monitor due to the intricate and important nature of his work.
The IT manager had a sense of humour and told the prima donna engineer that he would do his absolute best to satisfy his request. After a couple of days, the IT manager told the engineer that after considering his request and realising his importance, he could indeed grant his request.
The engineer was ecstatic—over the moon. He told the IT manager that he thought he was a fantastic bloke and he was doing a great job.
It was several days before the engineer discovered that everyone was receiving 19-inch TFT monitors as part of the upgrade. The engineer was livid. He approached the IT manager, simmering with rage. He told the IT manager that he discovered that everyone was receiving 19-inch screens and that was incredibly unfair. He thought only he was receiving a 19-inch TFT, and now that everyone was receiving the same, he needed a 22-inch TFT screen. His opinion of the IT manager had plummeted.
The IT manager was perplexed. How was it that several days ago he was receiving a 19-inch screen and he was over the moon, yet today he is still going to receive a 19-inch screen and suddenly this is unfair?
If you try and make sense of fair, then you just end up twisting your mind in knots. Life is not fair. If life was fair, the only time Britney would hold a microphone would be to say, “Price check, checkout three. Corn Flakes.”
If you expect life to be fair, then you will be continually disappointed. Why didn’t the referee see that offside player? Why are some people born with rich parents? Why do other people get 19-inch monitors? Just accept it and get on with life!