site banner
PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   2343 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for November 3, 2023

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

1
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Yesterday, I had scheduled something with a family member at 6pm, and near close of business the client returned with over a dozen transactions they wanted me to process (while this is something that happens on Thursdays the client usually provides the relevant info earlier in the day), and I was forced to complete the work hastily and hand it over to a reviewer - who unsurprisingly found errors.

This is certainly where I would start, with the drawing of appropriate boundaries. While granting that it's not always an option for the obvious reasons, my own reaction to such a development would be, "wow, that sucks, I'll take a pass in the morning". If the response was that it needs to happen today, my reply is simply that I already have plans and that the client needs to provide a standard 24-hour turnaround time, that I am not infinitely flexible in turning my personal life and time management over to accommodate their slipshod decision-making and time management. By setting appropriate boundaries, I can plan my own life better and be dedicated to doing the things I actually care about, which are decidedly not the things I've done to pay the bills.

In conjunction with that, scheduling consistent activities that appear as calendar blocks that are inviolable is helpful and ensures that you'll do the things you care about. For me, that's a running club. Have something you need me to stay for on Tuesday? Nope, can't, I have trackwork with the boys at 5, so I'll see you tomorrow. This both defines the work boundary and locks me into doing a nonwork activity that I care about.

Also worth a mention is that failing to do this will result in the problem getting worse. If you're the guy that's willing to pick up the slack when some asshole asks for something at 8PM, well, you're the guy that's going to get told to do it.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats