Since I started working–in the outside world–I’ve learned a few things: working retail truly does suck ass. Also, I now believe everyone should be forced to work retail for at least one month of their lives.
In retail, you start to understand the various types of people there are in this world. There are caring people, careless people, clueless people, hopeless people, dishonest people, and people who just seem like they have all their shit together and it makes you hate them all that much more.
I watch the people as they browse the store. I pay attention to their mannerisms, how they look at things, move things, put them back (or don’t), and then I move in for the next phase, I talk to them. How they respond (or don’t) tells me loads about their character. It’s also helpful in learning how to judge a person’s character before making contact.
But more than that, it’s also a humbling experience. It’s a reminder that we’re all human beings deserving of unconditional respect regardless of race, gender, or even biases. (That last one is difficult to say considering the amounts of bigoted people I’ve also met and stories I’ve heard.) Now, if everyone in the world were to work retail, for at least a month, I believe it would make the world a far more caring and thoughtful place. (Unless, of course, you’re a determined sociopath.)