›
This forum is in permanent archive mode. Our new active community can be found here.

GeekNights 070208 - Professionalism

RymRym
edited February 2007 in Everything Else
Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss professionalism. In the news, CNN notices the Internet, and the Chilean Military is delusional.

Scott's Thing - Where is He Now?
Rym's Thing - Born to be Alive

Comments

  • HankHank
    As an oldest kid, I sympathize with Rym about his little brother framing him. My solution, after a while, was to actually be guilty. If one of my little brothers was going to pull something like that anyway, they may as well be telling the truth, and it may as well really hurt. Fortunately, it didn't happen too often.

    The way that has influenced my parenting is in my attitude about being a rat. I encourage my son -- an only child -- to try to solve squabbles with his friends himself, and I call him a "Rat-fink" if I think he's tattling. If he had had younger siblings, I probably would have assumed they were lying -- or had it coming -- if they said he hit them.

    Cheers,

    Hank
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    I'm a follower of the Bill Cosby school of fatherhood.

    Father's don't care about justice, they just want quiet!
  • kenjurakenjura
    When I was a kid, I loved Bill Cosby's material, and I thought that was just a funny exaggeration.

    Now I realize how true it is. And, in fact, I don't think it's limited to fathers, or even parents.

    But it is damned interesting to watch psychology at work in the minds of children. So many things go unsaid among adults; kids, not so much. They're definitely good at expressing themselves. By looking at the differences in children who tattle a lot, vs. children who are mature and/or sensitive, vs. children who are just quiet all the time (the little angels), and especially how these traits manifest into adulthood, we could probably learn a lot about adult behavior.

    Child psychology shouldn't be about studying children to better understand them; it should be about studying them to better ourselves. You know, like animal experimentation. =)
  • HankHank
    edited February 2007
    On the episode's subject...

    Another example of non-professional things I see in work emails (and in my local grocery store) is using quotation marks for emphasis.

    For example:
    Special today: "Fresh" Tomatos

    or:
    It is "VERY IMPORTANT" that these forms are filled out and returned by ....


    Is this a common thing elsewhere (outside New Mexico, USA)?

    Cheers,

    Hank
    Post edited by Hank on
  • JasonJason
    edited February 2007
    Bill Cosby is really incredibly on-target. It's too bad he's been villified for some of his remarks.

    Here, we have Pet Supplies "Plus", which makes me think they might not be as plus as they want me to believe.

    Also, I've not gotten a chance to listen to the episode yet, so it might be addressed, but business signs that can't use apostrophes make me boycott those businesses:
    Watch's repaired in one hour.
    Try our new burger's.
    Jasons' going to kick our ass'es.
    Post edited by Jason on
  • tuttle88tuttle88
    On professionalism, say please and thank you.
  • taraxgoattaraxgoat
    Unfortunately the reason we often encounter a lack of professionalism is that most people are stupid. Stupid people tend to act in one of the following ways when confronted with the prospect of professionalism.

    1) Act in an unprofessional manner to bring others down to a level where the stupid person feels comfortable. Many stupid people fear those more intelligent that themselves. The prospect of having to act professionally fills them with this fear so they act unprofessionally in hopes of turning their social context into something they can deal with. After all, people who act professionally tend to get things done. Someone who gets things done is the enemy of the stupid person.

    2) Try to fake professionalism to appear intelligent. Some stupid people strive to be like their more intelligent brethren. They believe that if they act like an intelligent person, they will become one. Often they will spout professional sounding phrases but completely out of context. When confronted about their lack of sense, this kind of stupid person will repeat their professional sounding phrases until people stop asking them questions.

    To foster an atmosphere of professionalism, simply exclude stupid people from your dealings. An excellent tactic is to schedule meetings for stupid people and while they are distracted, get things done. I find that scheduling meetings for stupid people which send them across town, island or continent to be the most effective.
Sign In or Register to comment.