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Old 02-20-2008, 02:28 AM   #40 (permalink)
nick pagan
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 84
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Default Apology to Tom

Tom,

I want to apologize to you. I was inflamed by what you said (actually not what you said but the way you said it) and ended up responding in what I now consider an inflammatory, derogatory and offensive way. I normally don't behave that way. I am sorry. I promise that if I ever make a comment again and someone takes strong umbrage with it that I will not write a response until I am sure that I can do so dispassionately and without causing offense.

On that basis, I also apologize to anyone else who may have taken offense at the manner in which I explained myself.

ALG,

Thanks for your very considered responses. You are quite right that I have a narrow definition of competence/confidence. That's just part of my own method of coming to an understanding of things. I find that the more precisely I define a term the easier it becomes to understand it and work with it. I'm something of a follower of the ideas of General Semantics and an underlying tenant is that the more accurate our descriptions of reality are, the more sane we become. Of course, if people don't have the same interpretation of a word, or phrase, or experience as me then miscommunication is bound to occur from time to time as happened in this thread.

Chado,

Perhaps at the end of all this I would say that fake it until you make it can work for small incremental steps where it's almost in your grasp and you don't attempt to overreach yourself, i.e. a little boldness from time to time can overcome reticence to do something that you have a very high probability of achieving, if only you'd have a go at it. I'd never recommend it as a policy for taking huge bold steps because the chances are so high of falling flat on your face when attempting to do something that you have little ability or experience to do. From your earlier response you know that anyway

z1freeride,

Thanks for your testimonial!
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