American "Positivity"
Jan 9th 2006, 8:02 am
#76
Maño-Americano
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: In the heart of the Ozarks
Posts: 10,216
Re: American "Positivity"
[QUOTE=Elsie The Maid]
All the companies I've ever worked for anyway...might be a foundry thing I suppose.
Originally Posted by ironporer
I don't get it- in most companies you have a greater chance for advancement by playing in the golf league than by getting an MBA anyway...plus you can drink beer.
QUOTE]
Are you positive about that??
QUOTE]
Are you positive about that??
All the companies I've ever worked for anyway...might be a foundry thing I suppose.
Jan 9th 2006, 8:06 am
#77
Thinking about it
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Mid-West
Posts: 9,435
Re: American "Positivity"
Originally Posted by ironporer
I don't get it- in most companies you have a greater chance for advancement by playing in the golf league than by getting an MBA anyway...plus you can drink beer.
What in the sam hell is he thinking anyway??
What in the sam hell is he thinking anyway??
Jan 9th 2006, 8:06 am
#78
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 493
Re: American "Positivity"
[QUOTE=ironporer]
All the companies I've ever worked for anyway...might be a foundry thing I suppose.
Groan. That joke flew right over your American head didn't it?
Originally Posted by Elsie The Maid
All the companies I've ever worked for anyway...might be a foundry thing I suppose.
Jan 9th 2006, 8:09 am
#79
Guttural Brumerican
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: The Mile High City
Posts: 1,312
Re: American "Positivity"
Originally Posted by Dimsie
Likewise here !! I'll laugh at THEIR "Pollyanna" outlook, but I cannot bring myself to join in with it. When asked how I'm finding things in America, I answer as you do "It's different." No more than that. If they continue to question me I tell them exactly how and why it's different and watch their little faces crumple. 
"why don't you just go home then?" - this is usually accompanied by a smarmy face and/or shiteating grin.
Answer: "I have my ticket already booked, I'm just waiting for my MIL to pop her clogs, then I'm off like a shot! Cheers, I'll have another large one in there thanks!"
Jan 9th 2006, 8:13 am
#80
Maño-Americano
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: In the heart of the Ozarks
Posts: 10,216
Re: American "Positivity"
[QUOTE=Elsie The Maid]
Groan. That joke flew right over your American head didn't it?
...errr.... evidently it did 
(we don't work in a foundry 'cause we're rocket scientists, you know!!)
Originally Posted by ironporer
Groan. That joke flew right over your American head didn't it?
(we don't work in a foundry 'cause we're rocket scientists, you know!!)
Jan 9th 2006, 8:15 am
#81
Maño-Americano
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: In the heart of the Ozarks
Posts: 10,216
Re: American "Positivity"
Originally Posted by BigDavyG
Don't worry - I mentioned that too, but to no avail. Apparently he is doing the MBA not to advance his career, but because its a personal goal. When I then pointed out that the pass rate was 95% and that he could maybe pick something a bit more difficult and more rewarding as a personal goal he took it rather badly.
Jan 9th 2006, 8:20 am
#82
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,023
Re: American "Positivity"
Bloody hell, you're a tough crowd! If the guy wants to take an MBA course just to learn and improve himself, why is he an asshole?
The grade/pass rate for a class is a totally different issue from whether you learn anything - surely you get that?
If you wanted to improve your golf game, would that make you an asshole, too?
The grade/pass rate for a class is a totally different issue from whether you learn anything - surely you get that?
If you wanted to improve your golf game, would that make you an asshole, too?
Jan 9th 2006, 8:36 am
#83
Thinking about it
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Re: American "Positivity"
Originally Posted by dunroving
Bloody hell, you're a tough crowd! If the guy wants to take an MBA course just to learn and improve himself, why is he an asshole?
The grade/pass rate for a class is a totally different issue from whether you learn anything - surely you get that?
If you wanted to improve your golf game, would that make you an asshole, too?
The grade/pass rate for a class is a totally different issue from whether you learn anything - surely you get that?
If you wanted to improve your golf game, would that make you an asshole, too?
To me the way he phrased it he wanted to do the MBA to challenge himself, hence the comment about the pass rate (ie not much of a challenge).
Surely if he wants to learn something there are more worthy courses of study than the completely man-made, manufactured subject of management (apologies if this is your field of specialization, but to my mind many people are just not cut out to be managers regardless of how many courses they take, and a lot of these cretins just use the scrolls they "earn" from such courses to bash their employees over the head with).
RANT OVER (for now)
Jan 9th 2006, 8:39 am
#84
WTF?
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Homeostasis
Posts: 79,437
Re: American "Positivity"
Originally Posted by dunroving
I wonder why he was so pissed off? That seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to say. 
I hear what you are saying about excess positivity/optimisim (I deal with students who shouldn't really be in college every day), but it sounds like you were a little too direct and/or negative.
Maybe he's not good enough to study elsewhere? Telling him the course he was enrolling for was pants then would be telling him that he was pants, too.
I hear what you are saying about excess positivity/optimisim (I deal with students who shouldn't really be in college every day), but it sounds like you were a little too direct and/or negative.
Maybe he's not good enough to study elsewhere? Telling him the course he was enrolling for was pants then would be telling him that he was pants, too.
My reaction in a situation like this all depends on if I've asked your opinion. If I've asked you what you think about my taking this or that night course..... then I'm not going to get pissed off if you think it's a bad idea. However, if we're just chatting in general and all of a sudden you're telling me what I should be doing with my life, I'd probably get pissed off too, unless you're footing the bill.
Jan 9th 2006, 8:45 am
#85
Back where I belong!
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Re: American "Positivity"
Originally Posted by BigDavyG
Agreed, but he IS an asshole for the way he reacted to my comments which initially, were not put as bluntly as I summarized them on this thread.
To me the way he phrased it he wanted to do the MBA to challenge himself, hence the comment about the pass rate (ie not much of a challenge).
Surely if he wants to learn something there are more worthy courses of study than the completely man-made, manufactured subject of management (apologies if this is your field of specialization, but to my mind many people are just not cut out to be managers regardless of how many courses they take, and a lot of these cretins just use the scrolls they "earn" from such courses to bash their employees over the head with).
RANT OVER (for now)
To me the way he phrased it he wanted to do the MBA to challenge himself, hence the comment about the pass rate (ie not much of a challenge).
Surely if he wants to learn something there are more worthy courses of study than the completely man-made, manufactured subject of management (apologies if this is your field of specialization, but to my mind many people are just not cut out to be managers regardless of how many courses they take, and a lot of these cretins just use the scrolls they "earn" from such courses to bash their employees over the head with).
RANT OVER (for now)
Jan 9th 2006, 8:49 am
#86
Thinking about it
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Mid-West
Posts: 9,435
Re: American "Positivity"
Originally Posted by Leslie66
That crossed my mind as well. Or, perhaps that particular school was all he could afford.
My reaction in a situation like this all depends on if I've asked your opinion. If I've asked you what you think about my taking this or that night course..... then I'm not going to get pissed off if you think it's a bad idea. However, if we're just chatting in general and all of a sudden you're telling me what I should be doing with my life, I'd probably get pissed off too, unless you're footing the bill.
My reaction in a situation like this all depends on if I've asked your opinion. If I've asked you what you think about my taking this or that night course..... then I'm not going to get pissed off if you think it's a bad idea. However, if we're just chatting in general and all of a sudden you're telling me what I should be doing with my life, I'd probably get pissed off too, unless you're footing the bill.
Jan 9th 2006, 8:52 am
#87
WTF?
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Re: American "Positivity"
Originally Posted by BigDavyG
True, but anyway let's not get too carried away with that particular incident. I was just curious to find out if anyone else found this seeming need that a lot of yanks have to keep everything in a positive light a bugbear.
Jan 9th 2006, 8:53 am
#88
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Re: American "Positivity"
Originally Posted by Leslie66
The other thing I was going to say is that some people are just far too defensive and overly sensitive. My sister takes everything anybody says as some sort of criticism. Most of the time they don't even have her in mind particularly. I could be just talking in general terms yet she feels attacked.
Jan 9th 2006, 8:55 am
#89
WTF?
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Homeostasis
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Re: American "Positivity"
Originally Posted by Partystar
My sister is the exact same way, it drives me crazy.
Paranoid nutter. 
Jan 9th 2006, 9:46 am
#90
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 30,102
Re: American "Positivity"
Originally Posted by Leslie66
I work with a woman like that too. Paranoid nutter.
Paranoid nutter.
