Don’t Be Like Penelope

There is a new character named Penelope on Saturday Night Live performed by Kristen Wiig. Penelope has a problem. Any time someone tells a story about themselves, she interjects with a story of her own? only hers is better.

For instance, if a woman says she just had a baby girl, Penelope interjects that she had twin girls. If an amateur pilot tells other people at the party he is taking flying lessons, Penelope interrupts to tell everyone she is the on-call pilot for Air Force 1.

She is an exaggeration of a personality we all know. She is the person who can’t stand for someone else to have the stage. She’ll bust into any conversation and attempt to steal the glory.

In the skits though, like in real life, others catch on to the nonsense quickly, and she earns the scorn and ridicule of the group.

In one skit, Molly Shannon sets up Penelope during an apartment association meeting by announcing that she gave birth to a baby cow because she wanted free milk. Penelope attempts to one-up her by saying she gave birth to 2 baby cows. It’s all funny, but how many times do you find yourself excited by an accomplishment, when someone claims “I did that. But when I did it, it was better.”

We are all at different stages of development, whether intellectually, professionally, mentally or socially. So allowing someone to have their achievement is important – if not to you, it is to them.

When you want power with people, it’s not what you say, it’s what you hear that counts. Attempting to swipe the glory by spinning their story into your better story only leads to animosity.

It is a big temptation to interject. Bragging is fun. But as I get older, I recognize is great power in letting others have their stories.

Penelope is fun to watch because she’s so ridiculous, but she’s a lonely person. She can’t make friends. If you want friends and powerful relationships, don’t be like Penelope.