Bharathi Jagadeesh <bjag at ln.nimh.nih.gov> writes:
>It's great to see the board active again!
>>And, Susan, please don't go and beat your graduate students -- seek help
>instead. 1-800-MENTOR-ANON (Ok, too many digits).
>>:-)
>>Here's my view on the training/criticism scale:
>1) Harsh criticism because it makes me feel good to show that I'm better
>than you.
>2) Harsh criticism (sometimes personal) because you have to learn to
>face it.
How shall I say this?
Fuck off and die.
Yup, that works.
Maybe, just maybe, if you explicitly tell your mentoree that you want to
role play a harsh Q and A session, including a safeword then that might be
reasonable. And if that is what you had in mind I apologize for my
harshness above.
But why, unless you had a truely sensitive soul
you were worried would shrivel up and die under the experience (no insult
intended toward sensitive souls), would you want to spend time doing this?
Do you truely have nothing better to do?
I am somewhat scrappy, usually polite, willing to admit mistakes,
6 foot 4 inches and male.
All of which have, at one time or another, helped in dealing
with harsh criticism. I don't think I have ever frozen under pressure
since perhaps 3rd grade (don't worry, it was pretty piddly though other
experiences since have not been)
And I hate it, I think people who tear into others are the scum of the
earth. And teachers who use it with good intentions in any but the most
carefully controlled situations are beyond my comprehension.
>3) Strong criticism because the scientific idea is flawed. This includes
>criticism with poor interpersonal style -- like this idea is
>embarrasingly stupid, how could you possibly think that. But it should
>be followed up with examples, though the receiver of the criticism might
>have to ask for it.
>I think that all of these except #1 have a place to play in science and
>in mentoring. #2 has to be delivered in the context of trust, or it
>becomes #1.
>But #3, strong criticism, freely delivered, sometimes ugly, is what
>science is about.
No, as you described it above #3 has nothing to do with science. It
happens to be something that has to be put up with in any human endevour.
That doesn't mean we should applaud it, or that we shouldn't attempt to
file off the rougher edges, but merely that we do have to expect it.
Yes, this is a hot button issue with me.
Robert
morphis at physics.niu.edu
