The Thing About Incompetent People

 I was reading a piece today, and suddenly....someone made the statement....is there some surge of incompetency that has erupted today and spans from the government to the commercial world.

Probably since 2008....I've generally felt that way.

I won't say the vast number of people I come across are incompetent....but in general...walking around either in Europe, or in the US....I have this gut feeling that a quarter of the folks that I need something transaction or work out out of....are lacking.

Often, I've sat and thought....are they smoking some weed?  Are they sipping a bit of whiskey?  Are they just a lower IQ person?  

I'll be at a airport check-in, and feel this way.

I'll be at a gas station, and feel this way.

I'll try to deal with some banking person, and feel this way.

I'll be on the phone with a customer service person, and feel this way.

I brought this up while working at the Pentagon, and someone responded that they had to interview around a dozen people for a job (wasn't a job with responsibility or requiring college).  At the end, at least half of the dozen were disqualified because they either seemed low-IQ or seemed 'out-of-focus' (like they were on medication).  

It'd be interesting if this was observed in the 1960s/1970s by people as well....like it's not a new thing....just a normal thing about people.

Am I bothered by it?  I try to overlook their problems and just exit as quickly as possible.