We were talking about being machiavellian and machiavellian people today during the macroeconomics lecture (no, not the lecturer, it was a private discussion).
A friend said he thinks its necessary to be machiavellian in work and the business world because it's essential in the working world but not in his own private life.

But I for one, don't believe in inheriting any machiavellian qualities because I just simply think it goes beyond a code of conduct I've set up for myself.
I believe in watching your back because not everyone can be trusted and it's a cruel world out there, but I don't believe in stepping on other people's toes to get to where I want.
And I don't believe in a distinct line between the working life and private life because how you conduct yourself outside reflects your core values and principles which will in turn seep into your private life as well.

I believe in honesty and doing good to others because I think that in turn forms a bridge of trust between two people and that's how friendships and relations are formed.
And cruel as the outside world might be, I don't believe in compromising that part of me.
It's just like something someone told me years ago that struck a chord with me, and it's something I've tried to abide by ever since: To have good friends, we must first be a good friend.

And I think it applies to the outside world as well.
Not everyone is a good friend, not everyone is a good person, but just because someone out there is cold and cruel, doesn't mean that I have to apply the same principles as well.
I don't believe you have to be machiavellian to succeed; you certainly can't be a doormat or a pushover, you have to watch your back.
But I certainly believe in a certain set of moral principles.
Maybe it's because my father has always been frank and honest and whatever he's said he's always meant and in turn I've seen how people respect him for that and he has gained his own little success.

Relations in the working world are conducted on a certain basis of trust and risk-taking as well like we learn in Contracts and doesn't that mean that we have a certain responsibility to uphold that trust?
Most machiavells have a tendancy to breach that trust because of protected self-interest and that makes me terribly wary of people like that because I'm constantly harbouring the fear of breach of trust.

Okay, I know I'm not making much sense here.
My brain is feeling slightly fried and my laptop is lagging making me very irritated indeed!
-

Hmm, on another completley random train of thought, Snakes on the Plane has got to be one of the most digusting, horrifying movies I've watched in my life and can only be succintly described as AAAARRRGGGG!
We bought tickets for Kenny yesterday but found that it sucked 10 minutes into the movie so we snuck in and out of several movie theatres before settling on Snakes on the Plane because the movie had just started.

Major mistake.

I spent most of the movie with my jumper clapped over my mouth, I started tearing when the snakes came out, I cried when all the poor innocent people were brutally attacked by those disgusting snakes, I cried when the victims started dying, and when the plane finally landed, I was so relieved I cried all over again.
It's one of those movies where the horror is so intense and explicit, the only form of expression is to cry.

And there were people snickering during the movie when some guy's genitals got bitten by the snake as he thrashed around in pain.
But I really did not find an ounce of humour in that whole situation!
I was thoroughly disgusted and that's when I really started to cry.

Okay, I know I sound like a major cry baby, and I'm NOT.
It was just... horrifying.

-

On another random note (I realised none of my train of thoughts are linked), I really miss Smokey lately.
Was talking to my sister the other night and she was telling me how that silly boy started picking fights with all the dogs he met along the street and when they tried to attack him, he clung on to my sister for his dear life looking like he was about to break into tears.
Ha ha, what a retarded sweetie.

Then I spent a couple of minutes hollering Hi Smokey!! Smokey come here! over the phone as my mum put me on the speakers and promptly told me that Smokey had come running to the phone and started wagging his tail.

Anyway, I started digging through my photos for pictures of my dearest dearest boy.

Smokey when he was a scraggly lil puppy!













When he was still a puppy.. how cute was he!














And now this little fluffy fatso of a dog!















Ushering in the year of the dog! Smokey at chinese new year looking very well-groomed!

I miss Smokey.