Not signed in (Sign In)

Blogs: Butthurt - I am not a Saint

Bottom of Page

1 to 4 of 4

  1.  
  1.  (886.1)
    In the sciences, I am not a saint. I had that beaten out of me on the second lab report we did in complete scientific paper style, down to citations. I was decent at writing papers, and early on got into the habit of supporting my words with references, citing other articles bigger, more badass scientists had done.

    Now to Psychology, which I'm treating as Biology Lite. I'm in an upper level course, though it feels more like a 101 course in tone, and in my classmate's primary responses to things. We're told to chew on each other's thoughts and ideas and to respond.

    This is where it gets tricky, you see: One of my classmates is butthurt, because she made a rash, blatantly untrue statement, and got corrected for it. (cont.)
  2.  (886.2)
    Note I say "Corrected". As in "No, you were wrong, it says in our book, it's XYZ, not ABC". not "YOU IDIOT, YR WRONGS" + cat Macros. Butthurt says we're being mean and "This is supposed to be a conversation", and is shocked and appalled when she gets snarked for it.

    Because part of the scientific process is taking it when people don't agree with you, reading what they said and countering it, or revising your original theory. It's not a personal attack.

    Unfortunately Butthurt can't see it that way, so she's filling up our class board with her angry and sad diatribe, wondering why no one will come to her text-rescue.

    Science can be brutal. It can be very, very competative, and sometimes it DOES falter towards name calling (there are rumors of stranger things occurring in field-science symposiums). For the most part, this brutality is not done out of personal hatred, but out of love for the sciences, for wanting to get things right, or closer to right. It's a constant learning process of revision and readjustment that shows no mercy to any one. There's a reason peer reviewed journals are peer-reviewed, and it's not so you can get hugs and kisses from butterfly rainbow moonshine cuddlekins, your editors and peers. It's to make sure your shit's the best it can be.

    I am not a saint.

    Nor are my peers.

    But when we act in ways that are less than kind, pointing out one's errors, I would like it if my classmates didn't respond as if I'd said I was going to do illegal sexual acts upon them with a can-opener and a serving knife. Disagreement with one's theories or ideas does not mean hatred of the person who proposed those ideas. Unfortunately, in the case of one classmate, this is too much to ask.
  3.  (886.3)
    Science can be brutal.

    Yes. I have one of those classmates also.
    •  
      CommentAuthorWaxPoetic
    • CommentTimeFeb 7th 2008
     (886.4)
    it is also awful when those people manage to get terminal degrees and then jobs and then act like there's nothing actually wrong with the mediocre work they do, the reason no one gives them tenure is that everyone is so me-e-an.

    i lump these people in with the small groupers who have one thing to say: "i like it."

    i feel for you and your classmates - good luck getting on with the learning...

1 to 4 of 4

  1.