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Friday, October 19, 2012

Don't forget; Everything is applesauce !

Who likes applesauce ?
Some of you do and some of you don't.  But hey !  It doesn't matter because you can't argue about taste.  Everybody likes different things, and that's ok.
If I happen to hate applesauce, that wouldn't mean too much to you, even if you really love applesauce, because my view on applesauce is just 1 of 7 billion on this planet.
It's just an opinion ...

But when I hate your work, or critisize your wife, or disagree on your presentation ... all of a sudden my opinion matters.  All of a sudden, you might feel hurt or frustrated. 
Strange !

One of the important things to do here is to maintain a strict separation between what you ARE and what you DO. 
E.g.  you ARE a man, you ARE a mother, you ARE a child, ....
You ARE all the things that you can't really change, but have a strong impact on you as a person.
All other things, are things you DO.   You choose to DO them.  They might be important for you, but in the end, it's just something you do.
E.g. you DO consulting, you DO management ( not: you ARE a manager), you DO a presentation, .......

There is no reason why a comment on something you DO should have more impact than a comment on the taste of applesauce. 

This doesn't mean you don't have to get feedback ever again!
It's like that old quote ( I think it's from Confucius) :
Don't reject my words, and don't accept my words.  Listen to me and explore the value of what I say.

And please, don't forget ... An opinion is just an opinion; it's worth listening to, but without obligation.   A.k.a.... Everything is applesauce.





1 comment:

  1. Mooie filosofische beschouwingen Geert! En zoals zo vaak de nagel op de kop.

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