Courtesy Authors Janis Skye and Charlie Mercier have exposed pricks for who they really are.

Janis Skye and Charlie Mercier contend that “prick isn't a dirty word,” nor is it reserved for callous, self-centered people. Instead, the two define the word “prick” as the simple act of causing pain to someone else, as well as defining those who cause that pain. The two penned a book on the subject: “The Prick Index: Insights Into Thorny Relationships.”  It hit stores earlier this year and details the various kinds of pricks and how they damage relationships — romantic and nonromantic. 210SA recently caught up with Skye and Mercier to talk about their book's eye-catching title, how “The Prick Index” came to be and how so many relationships come to get “thorny” in the first place.
 

JS: I thought it was a two-sided coin in many ways, because the idea of it was a metaphor of the thorn and the rose being pricks, how pain affects people.

CM: I also think that we wanted to prick people's ears open. The book is sort of two things in one: pricking people's ears open and trying to send a message via a metaphor.

What is that message?

JS: The first message is that prick isn't a dirty word ..... and the idea is not to have any thorns in your life.

To those who haven't read the book, what exactly is the “prick index”?

JS: It's putting people in a category of 1-10 and how they inflict pain on each other, meaning “1” is the least amount of pain, and “10” is the most severe pain. And it could be not just a spouse, but a friend or family member, a co-worker or just someone in the general public.

At what point on the 1-10 scale do the pricks cease to become bearable?

JS: I'm not sure there's an answer for that, only because as individuals we all carry some of those numbers with us. I think the major point is that when you get to the highest number, you're a multiple of all those below it.

CM: It's very individualistic, because what's tolerable for one person may not be for another, because the circumstances of life are different.

How important was it to inject some humor into the book, to make a serious subject somewhat fun?

JS: That was a very important transformation. We took something that negatively impacts people, and turned it into a very positive message so it could be received by many people. When a message is humorous, it's very receivable. You read it and laugh and think about it, and you put more thought into it.

What is usually the biggest point of contention in a relationship?

JS: Honor. I can sum it up with that one word.

CM: The lack of honor, too. When someone lacks honor, that dishonesty and all those other types of behavior become allowable. That's really what damages relationships. Honor is the foundation.

CLINT HALE | 210SA CONTRIBUTOR