SocioSage: Why Technical Smart Asses are Technically Dumb Asses →
When I saw my friend over the holidays, I couldn’t believe my eyes. He had lost so much weight and looked so different. He was always a heavy guy. But somehow he had managed to shed the pounds.
When I asked him how he did it, he told me it was because of his consistency. Consistently working out and eating healthy. I then told him that he must have developed great self-discipline. He then responded saying that it wasn’t because of self-discipline, it was because of consistency. Then I told him that they both are pretty much the same thing. Then he started to emphasize that they aren’t the same thing, and we got into an argument about it.
Okay, I know that the word “consistency” isn’t technically equal to the word “self-discipline”, but in the context of this conversation they go hand in hand. Self-discipline breeds consistency. And that was my point. But somehow my friend seems to always focus on the technical details and miss the main point. Is it really that difficult to understand that self-discipline and consistency are both related and connected? Is it really necessary to be technically correct all the time?
Me and my friend are still on good terms, but I have to admit that I really get annoyed by technical smart asses. I don’t think my friend is the only one who is like this. There are many technical smart asses in the world. They’re at your school, work, church, in your family and etc.
What these technical smart asses need to understand is that when you try to be technically correct all the time you miss the bigger picture of what someone else is saying. Technical smart asses often have a narrow view of the world. They only see what’s in front of them. Therefore, when you phrase something in a way that’s different than what they’re familiar with, they’ll tell you you’re wrong.
Others might not use the exact terms you use when describing something, but technical smart asses should try to understand that it’s because they see the bigger picture and are offering a different perspective. When technical smart asses can embrace the bigger picture and different perspectives, that’s when they’ll learn and grow. But for the most part, technical smart asses are technically dumb asses.
Guilty of the former more times than I care to admit.
