Chess is a game that requires critical and strategic thinking, intelligence, and problem-solving skills. It is quite stationary and rarely causes any kind of a ruckus or bothers anyone around. All you need is a board, game pieces, a partner to play with, and a place to play.
However, some people can find a reason to complain about anything. For example, this Redditor’s chess club was kicked out of the venue they rented in the city hall because some employee and his director were bothered that the players brought their own chessboards and game pieces. Scroll down to read the full story!
More info: Reddit
Some people in power will not miss an opportunity to impose it on others, even if their reasons are some of the most ridiculous ever heard
Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko (not the actual photo)
A group of chess players rented out a venue from the city hall for their club’s event
Image credits: Mitchell Johnson (not the actual photo)
On the day of the event, the group was setting things up when an employee started complaining about the game sets that the players brought
Image credits: u/Jiriakel
When they called the director, hoping to sort it out, she started screaming and threatening them with legal action, so the chess club was forced to leave
The story took place in Lille, France, where the OP and their chess club rented out a venue from the city hall for an event they planned to host. Once the negotiations were complete, everything seemed to go smoothly, and soon, they were at the venue, setting things up for the opening night.
At some point during their preparations, one of the city hall employees came in and asked about their chessboards. After finding out that the players had brought them, he started telling them that they were not allowed to bring “unauthorized outside material” if it hadn’t been cleared with the director.
The club members tried to find a solution that would benefit everyone, but the workers wouldn’t budge. In fact, instead of trying to compromise, he decided to make them leave, so the players decided to get the director involved.
But the director proved to be even less helpful. As the OP wrote, whatever the man told her made her practically scream at them and their friends to the point of legal threats, so they were forced to leave.
The commenters were just as baffled as the author and their chess club members. Some were looking for any kind of logical reason behind such actions, while others were simply making jokes and saying that this should be a great story for the local newspaper. However, no one could come up with an actual rational explanation for why someone would act like that.
Image credits: Michał Parzuchowski (not the actual photo)
Whether a co-worker, a relative, a stranger in the street, or a city hall employee, all people on a power trip are usually annoying and problematic to deal with. It’s not always possible to steer clear of them, so for the times when we can’t do that, it pays to know how to handle these situations. For this, Donna Karlin of the Fast Company shared a few pieces of advice.
Firstly, if possible, don’t engage with them, and if you happen to pick up the rope, drop it as soon as possible. However, if you do have to do it, try not to stray off-topic and keep the conversation focused on the matter at hand and not the power-tripping and attention-seeking person.
If they make some vulgar comments, asking them to clarify or repeat them might help, as it could potentially shock them and cause them to rethink their words. But whatever you do, try not to fall into their trap by starting an argument. Just keep the conversation short and to the point, leaving as little space for their ego to get involved as possible.
Image credits: Yan Krukau (not the actual photo)
However, in some situations, when the person on a power trip has something you want, keeping it simple and clear might not be enough. For this, Jay Heinrichs of Vice proposed an alternative method.
If engaging with a person like this is a must, he suggests that, instead of fighting them, it’s a better idea to feed their ego and get them on your side.
While this may raise some eyebrows at first, the idea makes quite a lot of sense. When you provide the power tripper with the attention they’re seeking, they’re a lot more likely to start viewing you as their ally, which, in turn, can mean their support.
Whether we like it or not, someone being on a power trip usually means that they have said power to trip on. So, if they also happen to like you, even if they themselves are annoying, they can actually help you and back you up when it matters the most, leading to a lot more positive outcomes.
In the end, people who abuse their power and can’t let go of control are difficult. When dealing with them, it’s easy to find yourself in absurd situations that really didn’t have to be as complicated as they turned out to be, like how the OP’s conflict came to be when they didn’t get approval for bringing their own chessboards. But if you handle them right, you can come out on top and, perhaps, even have an ally for the future, even if it is an annoying one.
What did you think about this story? How would you have handled the OP’s situation? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The commenters were baffled and could only make jokes, as nobody managed to find any rational explanation for the director or the employee’s actions
