Communication, Expectations and Disappointment

Some of the biggest screw-ups that I’ve come across to date always seem to have their roots in mis-communication or lack of communication. “Words are at best a poor excuse for communication” – very true. And in fact, even my attempt to write something about this on here is probably not going to be successful in communication what I am really thinking (well, part of that is for a difference reason, see the upcoming blog on Vagueness and Continued Ambivalence).

People just cannot seems to be honest and tell others what they really think. There is always a facade to maintain. Always some scheming in the background. What it results in is a lack of understanding. A lack of clear expectations. When person A expects something else, because person B just didn’t have the balls to come out and say what they really want to say or vice versa. And as it was said in one of the quotes I have in the old quotes blog somewhere… expectation is the first step to disappointment. Mis-matched expectations is what causes people to get pissed. It’s what causes people to be diappointed. To be hurt. To be pissed-off and angry.

I definitely maintain that I would be happier knowing than not knowing. I’d rather know what the fuckups are. What the problems are. What the expectations are. If I know, then what actions need to be taken can be a educated decision. And yes sometimes knowing can be worse… but that is a decision for the individual to make. Whether or not they want to know. It is wrong for anyone to make that decision for another.

So, as I said in quotes today… People confuse me. Really. They do. But I guess the non-predictable nature of humans is what makes us fascinating as well…

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Eavesdropped!

“Parapsychology is a farce and a delusion, along with other claims of wonders and powers that assail us every day of our lives. Knowing what I do, and holding the opinions that I do, has not made this world any the less exciting and wonderful and challenging for me, nor should it for you. On the contrary, to know that you are an individual not put here for some mysterious reason by some supernatural means, and that you are not protected by unknown powers or beings; to know that you are a product of millions of experiments in the evolutionary process and not the result of a seed thrown on this planet by extraterrestrials– that to me is very exciting. I am a responsible member of a race that reached out into space and walked on the moon, folks! In a small way I also walked there, and so did you And I’m thrilled about it!

Throw away the Tarot deck and ignore the astrology column. They are products offered you by {sic} charlatans who think you are not the marvelous, capable, independent being you are.

Nonsense has reigned too long as Emperor of the Mind. Take a good look. The Emperor has no clothes!”

:James Randi (“The Amazing Randi”) in the Epilogue for Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns and other Delusions. Well said. It’s one thing to use faith and belief as a moral-crutch. It is completely another to delude yourself into irrationality.

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Eavesdropped!

Education online is like sex on the Internet.

You can get in online, but it’s a lot better in person.

:Person interviewed on CBS 60 Minutes regarding online education. Having taught via distance learning, and in the classroom, I couldn’t agree more!

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What is this strange canine-fascination with objects of spherical propensity!?

Yesterday, as I walked around Schenley, Squill (Sq. Hill) and Shadyside, I ran into several very friendly canines. One who literally dragged his owner over while coming to say hello to me and in the process wrapping his Flexi all around me, immobilizing me in the process till his owner walked circles around me to set me free. Then there was this very old bassethound… really old. I bet it could harldy see as the cataract in its eyes was very apparent. But it was friendly nonetheless.

The highlight of the evening however was a highly exuberant canine with his two human cohorts. Can you say that this guy liked to play fetch? He was out like a bullet as soon as the ball left his owners hand and was literally about 2-3 feet above the ground while jumping to catch it!

So what is this strange canine-fascination with balls!? I have yet to come across a dog who didn’t get excited at the idea of having to chase a ball. They’ll sit there with their eyes glued to it while it’s in your hand, with drool dripping down the side of their mouth! And then dart out after it as if it is the coolest thing in the world! Is this a charactistic that is universal to all dogs? Or is it a characteristic of their human owners who inculcate this seemingly innate desire in a dog to chase an object of spherical propensity! Enough said.

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