The Undiscovered Country

Lacking Professionalism

First a clarification: I don’t care, nor is it any of my business what you put in your body. Not food. Not drugs. Not liquids.

Last week I attended a meeting where one of the attendees said out of the blue, “I just found out my nephew contracted [the-thing-that-shall-not-be-named.] I’m not surprised since he and his family are anti-vaxxers.” The way she spat out the last word, it was definitely meant as an insult. And she seemed gleeful that her nephew was sick. Almost like an “I told you so!”

Yuck.

Others soon piped in and proudly announced their own “vaccination status.” They also mentioned other “anti-vaxxers” who had come down with said thing and went in to get antibody infusions—said in a way that if they had gotten the “jab,” they wouldn’t have come down with the thing.

More glee. More yuck.

I had to force my jaw shut during the entire exchange. I wanted to tell them that what chemicals they put in their body is not my business and I preferred to stick to the subject at hand—which had nothing to do with why we were at the meeting. My time spent enduring the discussion was chargeable to our client, and he’s worth more respect than that (he also attended the meeting, but didn’t say anything).

Nor is it my business knowing their feelings toward those who choose differently. The worst part is they threw out insults without considering for a second that others in the room might be of a different point of view—such as the client (for whom I have no idea what side he’s on for this particular debate).

It basically showed to me their own arrogance and lack of consideration for others.

Sure, my silence may have perpetuated the idea that I was in their camp, but this was also a business meeting. Starting a debate on the thing and the vaccination against the thing would have been inappropriate. I found the entire discussion unprofessional, and a waste of billable time which have always been two of my pet peeves.