On Tue, Jul 21, 2009 at 7:04 AM, Udhay Shankar N <[email protected]> wrote:
> Danny O'Brien (still on silk, but lurking for a fair while now) has an > interesting blogpost, which verbalizes a similar feeling I have had > sometimes. About whom, is a matter for discussion. :) > > Udhay > > > http://www.oblomovka.com/wp/2008/08/20/on-being-a-bit-of-an-idiot/ > ALL of us are scared of criticism. Every one likes to get only positive feedback and it takes quite a lot of maturity to realize that negative feedback is as necessary as positive, and that it's probably more honest. The process of being proved an idiot..or wrong...is so humbling, that it often irredeemably erodes our self-esteem. We also have the culture of "kill-the-messenger"...the person who proves you an idiot is, in a reflex reaction, "proved" to be an idiot hesself, and hence, incapable of passing judgement on us or our work. The not-so-good-friend who says pleasant things (or even damns with faint praise) gets away with it, and is, indeed, appreciated for hes "compliments". Each of us prides ourselves on, and is vain about, something..intelligence, looks, breeding, wealth, connections, power...and it's difficult to take when one is exposed as a fool. Humility is NOT an easy state of mind for a human being. To achieve adulthood is within everyone's scope; to achieve maturity and wisdom is possible for far fewer people...but to achieve humility (and I am not talking about false modesty here) is for the very, very rare person. Deepa.
