Rudy the Ridiculed

This is a little about teamwork, but it's mostly about hypocrisy.

One of my favorite Christmas songs is "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". Not because it's a great song (because it isn't), but because of the great life lesson it teaches. You say you don't really need a life lesson from a Christmas song? Too late, Chief. Here it goes:

The song starts out innocently enough. It's a cheery little tune about a horribly disfigured animal who probably landed his job because of some Equal Opportunity Law at the North Pole...

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Had a very shiny nose,
And if you ever saw it,
You would even say it glows.

Then, it all starts to turn sour for our hero. Rudolph couldn't join the team. The other reindeer noticed his disfigurement and, much like the humans, they called attention to it and mocked him unmercifully, but if you saw it, you'd probably agree with his insensitive reindeer bretheren...

All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names;
They wouldn't let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games.

They wouldn't let him join them in their activities because he was different. His obvious differences left him an outcast in the reindeer community, and he was shunned by the others because he looked different than the "normal" reindeer...until they found out something interesting about the guy...

Then one foggy Christmas Eve,
Santa came to say:
"Rudolph with your nose so bright,
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

It was discovered that Rudolph was able to help the others, and they were able to use his deformity for their personal benefit...

Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee,
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you'll go down in history!"

Once it was found that his difference could be used to benefit the reindeer community, the others began to love him, and even though they started out hating his red-nosed guts, when they found out that he was able to help them, their attitude toward Rudolph changed.

And there's your life lesson, kids.
If you are different, we will mock and ridicule you until we find out that you can do something for our benefit, then you'll be our pal. Even though the original story was written in 1938, the idea is current and universal.
People who have "shiny noses" are scorned until society finds something that they can do that will benefit us. Otherwise, keep your nose to yourself and let us keep making fun of you. If you can help us, we'll let you in.

Merry Christmas, everyone.