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Your italics are telling. Messages never, ever exist in a vacuum; if they did, RMS would not alienate people with his usually-correct but often-irrationally-ira
by semperfaux 12y ago
Your italics are telling. Messages never, ever exist in a vacuum; if they did, RMS would not alienate people with his usually-correct but often-irrationally-irate rants.
Communication is not just about your message, it's about the interpretation of your message. If you don't take that into account, you can be right all day long, but you may fail to be constructive or effective, and you share that failure with the person who -- perhaps reasonably -- fails to take your poorly-conveyed criticism well.
- bainsfather 12y agoYou are right, I was saying how things ought to be, not how they often are. In this case, many people were being killed due to the doctors' actions. Despite the very good evidence, the doctors preferred to play politics, and continue to kill/murder their patients rather than lose face. A most extreme example of the triumph of self-interest over reason and honesty.
- pdabbadabba 12y agoI'm of two minds. Sure, it would be great if scientists were able to ignore the personality and tone of the person making an observation or advancing a theory. But it would also be even better if everyone (including people with big, lifesaving ideas) could exercise a little self-restraint and show some respect for the emotions of others, if only because that's the way you get other human beings to listen to you (but also, hopefully, just because it's the right thing to do).