X deserves it, not everyone else does.
I question the logic here. Why would I vaunt X above everyone else as deserving special favors?
Well, because I have a thing for X, that’s why.
But… that’s questionable logic, no?
Is this a workplace fairness issue??? Can’t help you dude, I royally suck at office politics. Try smiling and being nice to people - I hear that works.
“Having a thing” for someone is unrelated to and beyond the reach of logic.
I’ll try 2 b comprehensive if the OP will try to be *comprehensible *
Seriously, I haven’t the first clue what he’s on about yet Isamu and Thelma Lou seem to get it. Are you people trying to *Gaslight *me 
p
I didn’t get it. I just took a wild stab in the dark.
No.
Well I was trying to leave out the particulars and boil things down to their essences. Why should being a shining jewel be limited to audience X?
Yes, well, it’s art. It is why people do things. I don’t know what to say.
As I understand it, the OP is saying, “Why should you treat some people better than others, because of [insert reason]?” For instance, if you have a crush on someone, why should you go out of your way to treat them better than you would treat someone whom you aren’t romantically attracted to.
I think it’s a self-answering question.
Emotional self-interest: they’re my sweetie.
Rational self-interest: they’re my business partner.
Abstract self-interest: they’re working on the cure for cancer.
Philanthropy: they need the help.
Schadenfreude: it will piss off someone I dislike.
I was looking at it more in terms of wasted potential. If one person inspires you to think, “Why, I am going to take it to another level!” and everyone else doesn’t make you think that, you are under performing when X is not around. Or, you are kidding yourself that there is another level.
When I got my first job, some decades ago, my supervisor called me in his office, closed the door, and said, “We play favorites here.”
People who are nice, who follow the rules, who are helpful…get preferential treatment. People who are crabby and who cause problems…might have to wait a bit.
Obviously, not to excess. Always within the limits of plausible deniability. But…yeah. Make trouble for me, and I won’t be johnny-on-the-spot to fix your printer.
Call it corruption, or call it human nature.
I only have so much energy. I will expend more on someone who deserves it or who gives me some sort of “return”, like positive energy. But I am not underperforming for others, I am just at a baseline level of perfectly fine, just not shining star. Seems logical enough.
The question here is what are the opportunity costs of not being a shining jewel? If you’re talking about being generally polite and friendly to everyone, the costs are not very high. But if you’re talking about putting more energy, time and effort into your job, then other parts of your life might suffer, such as your relationships. If you’re talking about putting more energy, time and effort into one particular relationship, then your job and your other relationships might suffer.
Because you just said so: X deserves it, not everyone else does.
Does X want your thing? Does X deserve your thing?
Could you repost your original post in such a way that I have some idea what you’re asking, without having to unpack a giant packing carton full of unstated assumptions that you seem to think would be mutual assumptions?
Darmok and Jalad, at Tanagra.
WTF? Try2B Concrete, dammit! Otherwise it’s just meaningless word salad. And Dammit, Jim, I’m a Doctor*, not a salad chef!
*Not really. But I’m also not a chef salad.
Well, before I get concrete, can I say that I think I have solved the riddle? With the help of you, my fellow dopers. Really! Thanks again, guys, for humoring me just one more time.
I would be shining jewel for X.
Truncate that to:
I would be a shining jewel.
Why is such a declaration in the subjunctive?!? :smack:
It’s in the subjunctive because it is not yet real for most people speaking it.
You can make it imperative for yourself if you choose. You’re not going to make it imperative for me.
I would not be a shining jewel for anyone. That sounds painful. 