Lesson #2: Beware of Piranhas

(Genus: Pygocentrus)

Okay, I mentioned this on one of Rich Jacobson's posts (Give Peace a Chance - sorry, Rich, but I'm having trouble with the link) and realized it was a perfect second lesson "relearned".  Yesterday, I was reading some of the blogs from my area (not AR ones), and I kept coming across a lot of back-biting and negativity.  I got very disappointed.  I had just started a blog to focus on my area and wasn't at all interested in participating in this sort of thing.

Then I came to AR to catch up on some reading here, and it seems that some of these same piranhas are living in the Rain now.  I guess they're moving from the Amazon or something.

As I read the nasty comments and negative posts, I realized I had a choice to make.  I could either let it get me down (or worse, keep me from playing), or I could just avoid the piranhas.  I've settled on the last option.

I think this is an important warning for new agents, who are a lot like minnows just waiting to be eaten.  Right now, even though this is my second go-round, I'm very aware of the danger.  In short, I feel like bait.

Now, I feel determined enough to survive, but new agents might feel a little afraid of these carnivorous creatures, and with good reason.  There is such a large variety of piranhas out there, any of which can eat at your possibilities for success.

There are the ones that love to gossip and instigate trouble (Pygocentrus troublemakerus), and these are closely related to the jealous type of piranha (Pygocentrus envyus).  They will see you succeeding, or even just threatening to succeed, and they'll quickly come to defend their territory.  They can be a very passive-aggressive type and can nibble away at you without you even being aware of it.  Use extreme caution when handling these, although I'd strongly recommend avoiding them altogether.  This species is best left alone.

There's the cynical or skeptical variety (Pygocentrus pessimisticus).  This type will find fault with anything and everything.  It's closest relative is the Pygocentrus complainicus.  Nothing is ever right, and the sun never shines on this fish.  Trust me, you need sunshine to survive.

There's the kind that's always available (Pygocentrus hangsoutintheofficecus, pronounced "hangs out in the office cus").  New agents should be especially wary of this variety.  It's a very sneaky little thing, in that it appears to have your best interests at heart (and maybe it does).  It loves being around you and is always there to lend an empathetic ear.  From the surface, you might be inclined to think that this one could be your new "best friend," but don't be fooled.  Have you not noticed how this agent, I mean piranha, may be a little too empathetic?  There's a reason for this.  This agent has been around for a while and is floundering in stagnant water.  The broker has lost interest, since he believes that this little fish is not motivated enough to survive with the big fish.  He's probably right.  Instead, this agent hangs out at the office, trying to appear to be busy.  Warning: To catch or be caught, your broker says you must be out in the river.  He is right.  Avoid this little school of piranhas.  Be nice, of course, and if you see an opportunity to save one, by all means, do so.  This may only be a misguided fish who truly means you no harm.

You may not know this, but there are even piranhas who live more like internal parasites (Pygocentrus selfdoubtus and Pygocentrus afraidus).  These are resilient and sneak up on you.  They will paralyze you if you're not careful.  I honestly don't know what to tell you about these, other than just swim in spite of them.  Ignore them if you must.

There are also the more "inanimate" types, but you should not fear these any less.  You know these, Pygocentrus billspilingupicus (pronounced "bills piling up i cus") and Pygocentrus ivegottoeaticus (pronounced "ive got to eat icus").  They make your stomach tie up in knots and have a tendency to keep you awake at night.  They have been known to cause high blood pressure when left untreated.

The thing is, there are so many varieties (many yet to be discovered) that it really feels like you could never possibly survive, let alone thrive, among them.

They eat away at you some days, and I've only found a few potential solutions:

• Stay positive,
• Keep your cool,
  
• Um...swim, and
  
• Try to out smart them.