Category: Local / Living

Kindness, Worth it – George Saunders Quote

Now, why do I regret that? Why, forty-two years later, am I still thinking about it? Relative to most of the other kids, I was actually pretty nice to her. I never said an unkind word to her. In fact, I sometimes even (mildly) defended her.

But still. It bothers me.

So here’s something I know to be true, although it’s a little corny, and I don’t quite know what to do with it:

What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness.

Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and I responded . . . sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly.

George Saunders. Advice to Graduates via NYTIMES

Downwards Head Nod vs Upwards One – Implicit Knowledge, Example of


Dear men, what’s the difference between the non-verbal downwards head nod and the upwards one? from AskMen

docgima
Up is more “what’s up”, and down is more I acknowledge your presence and show you no disrespect.

EmeraldJonahMale
Chin down is more respectful, more like saying “Hello”. Chin up is more informal, and more like saying “what up?” Depends on the audience. I’d probably never start a job interview with a chin up head nod. But i’d greet my buddies with one.

doofygoobz
In addition to what you said, I also see downward as indicating that the greeting is over, there is 0% chance that I want to interact further. With upward there is maybe a 3% chance that we’ll actually stop to talk.

This is an example of the type of thing no one explicitly tells you but everyone picks up if they’ve been around enough.

So You’re an X? Can you help me Y?


"Oh, you’re a programmer? I have a problem with my printer…". What’s the equivalent of this in your job? from AskReddit

Funke-munke
Oh you’re an Occupational Therapist- Can you help me find a job

CarbineFox
“Oh you’re a geologist? What kind of rock is this?” Just kidding, we love that shit and will tell you a long story of the history of that rock and how we saw examples in the field in the middle of nowhere.

geckospots
ahaha yes we will!!

Other common questions include:

Is this a meteorite? (no, it’s industrial slag)
Is this a diamond? (no, it’s quartz)
How much is this rock/mineral/fossil worth? (probably $0)
Is this a dinosaur bone? (no it is not)
Is this gold? (no it’s pyrite/fools gold)

keithwaits
So you’re a statistician? …..

I never get to help friends and family with my professional skills 🙁

MHRolley
“oh you’re a mechanical engineer, can you fix my car?”

International__
Yes but it’s going to cost 20 milion dollars in R&D. And another 2000$ for your psycholpgist

Absolute_Predator
“Oh, you’re a chemical analyst? You must know how to make drugs”

Conscious_Tea
Oh, you’re a therapist? tells me about their family member who really needs to see a therapist

DJRonin 9
“Oh you’re a Graphic Designer? Can you make a logo for me really quick? It’s for my cousin’s birthday. I don’t have any money to pay but I’ll have multiple revisions that will cut into your actual paying work time, but then get upset when you ask for payment”

Noblesseux
Fuckin this. Same with cinematography and photography. I had a guy walk up to me the other day while doing street photography and ask me if I do music videos. I’m like ??? no, and even if I did I wouldn’t take a job from some random who walked up to me on the street and tried to make a verbal contract with no discussion of pay.

When You’re the Asshole

lepidotesshow
I blamed my fart on a mentally challenged boy in fifth grade…

Gokanoza
In middle school, I saw a kid walking around with a fanny pack, so I snickered and said: “Nice fanny pack”. He said: “It’s for my insulin. Just got diagnosed with diabetes.”

Broncos_Fan
I was making fun of an old guy I’d seen outside our school at a basketball tournament to some friends in the locker room. He looked and talked like Farmer Fran from the Waterboy. Turned out to be the dad of one of the guys I was talking to. Still can’t even think of that movie without it bringing up endless amounts of shame.

ZZVN
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Shara.”
[Trying to be playful.] “Oh cool, like ‘Sarah-with-a-lisp.”
“I have a lisp. My name is Sarah.”
Oof.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/jlor5k/whats_your_oh_fuck_i_am_an_asshole_moment/

“If you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you’re the asshole.”