The Finger-Pointer

Oh, I do believe we all know this person.   As part of the Human Observation Project, let's give them a little attention.


"I didn't that!"  "It wasn't me!"  "If you want to know, speak to Chester."


Poor Chester, he gets the blame for everything.  Heck, you could exchange the name for Joe, Carey, Ester.  It doesn't really matter, because it's always anyone else's fault, even when it's their own. These type of people, "the finger pointer", warrant such little respect from those around them.


For some reason, they see themselves elevated from the common masses where humans are humans, and to "err is to be human".  They believe that saying applies to everyone but themselves, because surely they couldn't be in the wrong.


And what gets me is it doesn't take much for them to lift up their hand and direct attention elsewhere.  It can something as minor as where missing paperwork is.  You know, the person you ask if they pulled an invoice out for so-and-so.  You get the five-minute spiel about how they put it back.  They reassure you it still wouldn't be on their desk.  Then twenty minutes later, when you've almost succumbed to no hope of finding the "missing" paperwork, voila!,  it appears out of nowhere like a magical fairy came about and dropped it within your sight.  Coincidence?  I don't think so.  Or, and this is a huge or, they actually deliver it to your hands, they have a story to support their early denial.  "Chester, must have put it there."  Who cares - seriously?


Anyway, how can we apply this human observation to our writing?  Simple.  Assign this weakened characteristic to someone.  Maybe a minor character, maybe a main - that's up to you.  But my suggestion, if you're going to apply this one, you might want to brace yourself for the repercussions that come with it.  He/she might not be the most likable person due to this quality so you might want to balance them out with a really terrific trait.