What is a Weasel?

Over the past week or so I have focused on some folks in our culture pointing out people on Wall Street,  Sports Street and Church Street who (IMO) have behaved like weasels.
A few of you have commented saying:
Bob, what do you have against these cute little weasels? They have a bad rap. They are clever and sneaky for self preservation.

I think there are weasels is every organization and I won't make excuses for them.

I do have trouble getting behind a post labeling people as weasels whether they be sports figures or pastors.

I'm very "weasely" in a lot of my behavior.

None of us are very admirable when the things we wish to hide are laid bare.
So I thought that I would check this idea of what it means to be a weasel using the dictionary. Here are a few excerpts:
  • a cunning, sneaky person.
  • a person regarded as sneaky or treacherous.
  • a naive user, one who deliberately or accidentally does things that are stupid or ill-advised. Roughly synonymous with loser.
  • to evade an obligation, duty, or the like
In this context I might be a bit off in my characterizations of some I have labeled as weasels. Perhaps, like many of us, some of these have exhibited weasel like behavior as characterized by those last two bullets.

Unfortunately, I think that the first two bullets are applicable to some that I have bestowed the weasel label on. There are those in our culture that not only sometimes act like a weasel but live their lives like a weasel consistently displaying sneaky and treacherous behavior.. and some of these are in high profile positions.

And I have to say that.. from what I know of you.. you all are not weasels.. but.. like me.. you may sometimes do things that are stupid or ill-advised - in that sense I guess that we all exibit weasel like behavior at times :)

5 comments:

  1. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

    Sorry, Bob, but that's popped into my mind with each of your "weasely" posts.

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  2. I feel much better now that you clarified the definition of a weasel and are leaving the little furry type out of the equation :)

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  3. (This may be a double post - sorry if it is)

    I'm flabbergasted! Where did you find such a definition of a weasel? A weasel is a regular person like me and you who is bound by their job description to do some task, but not necessarily bound to do it with any joy, attention, precision, dedication, or compassion. They are bound not to lie, but are free to omit important truths or add certain amusing opinions that sound a lot like truths but aren't. They must render service to their customers, but they can enjoy wringing every last drop of amusement from the painful process the customer will endure to get what they need.

    They are the people who suffer the least amount of work to remain on the promotion track of life.

    Webster don't know squat.

    For example:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_weasel_words

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  4. Thx Kevin.. that sounds like something right out of Dilbert!

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  5. I know people who behave like weasels in their personal lives and when called on it become very defensive. I can not be around people who behave this way.

    Pam

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