Cobol - Re: Authorities

Author

Re: Authorities

LX-i

2005-08-12, 9:59 pm

Richard wrote:
>
>
> Maybe, but some would think that what was said was: "You are stupid
> (for having said/done this)".

And some would misinterpret. There is a difference between saying

"That was stupid!"

and

"You are stupid!"

Intelligent people can still do stupid things, and using the word with
them may be a way to get their attention when they've lost their focus. :)

--
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~ / \/ o ~ ~
~ / /\ - | ~ daniel@thebelowdomain ~
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docdwarf@panix.com

2005-08-12, 9:59 pm

In article <11d56$42fd331b$45491c57$3415@KNOLOGY.NET>,
LX-i <lxi0007@netscape.net> wrote:
>Richard wrote:
>
>And some would misinterpret. There is a difference between saying
>
>"That was stupid!"
>
>and
>
>"You are stupid!"

Not, perhaps, to those who know that 'stupid is as stupid does'.

DD

LX-i

2005-08-13, 3:59 am

docdwarf@panix.com wrote:
> In article <11d56$42fd331b$45491c57$3415@KNOLOGY.NET>,
> LX-i <lxi0007@netscape.net> wrote:
>
>
> Not, perhaps, to those who know that 'stupid is as stupid does'.

Now we're getting life philosophy from Forrest Gump? The tendency to
people to think that *they* are being called stupid, when it is their
*actions* that are being called stupid, is rooted in insecurity. I can
make a really bad mistake in code, and I can admit "Wow, I really boned
that one up - that was stupid!" Of course, I'm thick-skinned these
days, and I've never been one to tiptoe around those who are easily
offended. One of the signs of the weakness of our culture is the
constant drumbeat for apologies from anyone who is the least bit
offended by the least little thing.

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ / \ / ~ Live from Montgomery, AL! ~
~ / \/ o ~ ~
~ / /\ - | ~ daniel@thebelowdomain ~
~ _____ / \ | ~ http://www.djs-consulting.com ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ GEEKCODE 3.12 GCS/IT d s-:+ a C++ L++ E--- W++ N++ o? K- w$ ~
~ !O M-- V PS+ PE++ Y? !PGP t+ 5? X+ R* tv b+ DI++ D+ G- e ~
~ h---- r+++ z++++ ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

docdwarf@panix.com

2005-08-13, 8:59 am

In article <c88f5$42fd6666$45491c57$4393@KNOLOGY.NET>,
LX-i <lxi0007@netscape.net> wrote:
>docdwarf@panix.com wrote:
>
>Now we're getting life philosophy from Forrest Gump?

I don't know what 'we' are getting... but 'handsome is as handsome does'
is an aphorism which antedates that particular film by a few centuries.
Would you have found it more tasteful were I to have cited Goldsmith's
'The Vicar of Wakefield' (1766) use of 'Handsome is that handsome does'
(http://www.bartleby.com/100/273.85.html)... or are you the sort of
well-read type who'd place the origin with Chaucer's 'The Tale of the Wife
of Bath', as in 'That he is gentil that doth gentil dedis'?

>The tendency to
>people to think that *they* are being called stupid, when it is their
>*actions* that are being called stupid, is rooted in insecurity.

I barely know how *I* think, let alone 'people'... but the tradition of
'you are what you do' seems to be a moderately well-established one.

>I can
>make a really bad mistake in code, and I can admit "Wow, I really boned
>that one up - that was stupid!" Of course, I'm thick-skinned these
>days, and I've never been one to tiptoe around those who are easily
>offended.

As my sainted Paternal Grandfather - may he sleep with the angels! - used
to say, 'Never use yourself as a comparative... you'll only be
disappointed.'

>One of the signs of the weakness of our culture is the
>constant drumbeat for apologies from anyone who is the least bit
>offended by the least little thing.

How interesting... you do realise, of course, that many Arab cultures have
it that offering an apology is a sign of weakness; it is my experience
that those people who have confidence are more than willing, right off the
bat, to say 'Oh, sorry, didn't mean to offend'.

But perhaps you are right... one must be very careful of this 'cultural
weakness', one never knows when it will give rise to works of 'degenerate
art'.

DD

Rick Smith

2005-08-14, 4:59 pm

"LX-i" <lxi0007@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:c88f5$42fd6666$45491c57$4393@KNOLOG
Y.NET...
> docdwarf@panix.com wrote:
[snip][color=darkred]
>
> Now we're getting life philosophy from Forrest Gump?

I wonder whether the source is all that important. The
following seems to be along the lines of 'not casting the
first stone'.

"You know ... we all do stuff ... stupid stuff, but we learn
.... and ... and ... we learn ... and we don't do it again.
.... Ok, so, ... you know ... who are we to be all judgy!"
-- Buffy Summers, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

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