Comments on: Symmetry Breaking

By: Allyson

Allyson — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:39:15 +0000

Samia, I think the assholeness in that sceniario goes something like this:

Woman standing up for herself = emotional
Man standing up for himself = passionate

But seriously, only assholes think that way. Fuck em!

By: Samia

Samia — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:27:53 +0000

Aren’t women generally chastised a little more harshly for speaking or acting in their self-interest/defense? We’re frequently expected to “go with the flow” and not stir up the waters. In some environments, it may be less okay for a woman to stand up for herself than for a man to do the same thing, especially of the asshole in question is a man.

By: JCF

JCF — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:40:12 +0000

Lawrence B. Crowell:
Regarding McCain’s sojourn in the Hanoi Hilton, one might reasonably conclude on reviewing the facts that it has proven a very positive development, as overcoming extreme adversity through courage and tenacity can provide uncommon fortitude to certain individuals, as the fight against polio did for FDR. McCain’s 26 years in Congress, marked more by principle than expediency, certainly point to that. Who knows what “demons” run through anybody’s head?

By: Kaleberg

Kaleberg — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:59:59 +0000

If you have ever attended a Passover seder you may remember the comparison between Pharaoh and Laban (the Syrian). Since the seder as we know it is modeled on a Greek symposium, this kind of question comes up, and the official consensus is that Laban was more evil than Pharaoh because Laban had it in for everyone, but Pharaoh had it in only for the Jews. Things are clearly different in academia.

By: pollux

pollux — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:34:56 +0000

They’re all around, it seems. From my side, my experience was in my first international meeting. I don’t have a permanent job… yet… still a fresh post-doc.
This guy came and started to say that I did some things wrong and even suggested that I was not honest in my last paper. I was really upset the way he put things and used his “authority” in the field to put pressure on me. From the conversation, I guess he did not even read the paper. Only after I went back to the Hotel I could calm down and see things clearer… and how an asshole he is/was. As always, afterwards, I heard about several other stories about him.

By: Solomon

Solomon — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:53:42 +0000

Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza,

???? ?? ??

By: Lawrence B. Crowell

Lawrence B. Crowell — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:47:29 +0000

The human mind is a delicate instrument. Under sufficient perturbtations it can begin to behave abnormally.

One of the problems with our modern society, which existed in prior societies to some degree as well, is that an enormous emphasis is place upon competition and the high price on “proving oneself.” This can easily lead to narcissitic behavior. I think this is what often lies behind a person who we might identify as the asshole. We must also be honest and admit the whole process of academia can easily foster this behavior as well. The corporate system is rife with this. If one is familiar with the history of Stalinist Russia it is apparent that much the same existed. However in that system there was a high measure of paranoid behavior as well.

On a somewhat tangential issue, the GOP candidate for the President spent 6 years in the Hanoi Hilton. That frankly couldn’t have been a positive development in McCain’s psychology. His outbursts of anger and some strange ideas he has might indicate he has some demons running around his head. If the guy should become President he will have the nuclear launch codes.

Lawrence B. Crowell

By: Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza

Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:31:25 +0000

solomon: got carried away with the praxis of the lexis and aH symmetry..[i may be mildly disgraphic] ???????

By: Pieter Kok

Pieter Kok — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:53:45 +0000

According to Dostojevski, one should judge a society by the way it treats its prisoners.

By: Solomon

Solomon — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 16:07:44 +0000

Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza,

Pirkei Avot, not Havot – from the word Av (father), and the plural form Avot (fathers).

By: Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza

Roberto Gonzalez-Plaza — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:31:31 +0000

Hillel the Elder, ca. 2100 YA-years ago- regarding-the questions at hand here-invented the Golden Rule”: “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. The rest is commentary; go and learn…..the commentary [sic]” [as reported in the Pirkei Havoth 1:12]. Also, Hillel is reputed with the invention of the ancestor of the sandwich to manifest grateful-and graceful- freedom. Golden Rule N. 2: “Following the Golden Rule -N.1- and eating good sandwiches accelerates human blogging to beneficent realms”

By: daisyrose

daisyrose — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:14:57 +0000

It is not the absence of faults but the presence of eminent qualities – some people simply can not bear the impeccable wisdom of mediocrity.

It is equally shocking when someone of note is disqualified for bad behavior!

By: ST

ST — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:04:31 +0000

The only way I have been able to deal with assholes is to be unapologetic about my self-interest.

When I was a beginning grad student, I would slog the night before and make some progress, but when it was time to talk to my advisor, my office-mate would end up taking up most of the limelight.

One day when he started doing his thaang, I said (without losing my temper) “*I* did the work. Why are YOU talking?” or something like that. I never had any problems with him ever again.

There is nothing I hate more than when someone else takes the credit for my initiative, work, etc. I have had much better success in handling this issue after I decided that I am not going to pretend that I didn’t care.

Its important to be a good person, but it is also important NOT to be a nice guy to dickheads out of (social) fear. If you fuck with me, I am going to bring shit to you in buckets.

By: michael

michael — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:41:28 +0000

Robert,

There’s a similar phrase Milan Kundera relates in “Unbearable lightness of being (iirc)” that you should really judge a person not based on how they treat other people, but based on their behavior towards animals. With an animal there’s ultimately little if anything an animal can usually do with regards to mal-treatment while even the waiter can spit in your soup.

Michael

By: Boltzmann's Reptilian Brain

Boltzmann's Reptilian Brain — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 04:49:51 +0000

Sean Said:
BRB, my rough guess is that it just wouldn’t do much good. Preventing assholery is not really within the power of most department chairs. Better to spread the word informally, so people know what to expect from this person — although that’s by no means a very efficient process.

Thanks Sean. Well, I don’t like badmouthing people, even assholes; but as I said, I would *really* not like to think that this twerp might write such a letter to someone less thick-skinned than myself. So it’s a real problem. As I said, his twerpery is apparently well-known locally, but it does not seem to have done him any harm. I hope that this particular kind of assholery is not common…….

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:20:21 +0000

How are “asymmetric bastards” different from sociopaths? Are sociopaths just better at manipulation (good enough at it not to be recognized as manipulators), or is a level of evil distinction?

My wife had a quote she got from somewhere: “the person who treats you nicely but the waiter poorly isn’t a nice person.”

By: Eugene

Eugene — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:21:12 +0000

Julianne,

Hmm, I’d like to think that being specifically diabolical is a more interesting way of life than just being maximally ornery. On the other hand, being evil is hard work, what with constantly having to scheme and such.

By: dave

dave — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:13:02 +0000

what about those who are “homogeneous spherical bastards” – no matter how you look at them or how you cut through them, they’re still bastards

By: Solomon

Solomon — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:32:46 +0000

If you really want to read about asymmetric assholes let me introduce you to:

1. Dr. Frank I.M. Moral, Chairman of Neuroscience Department
2.Dr. Christian C. Heat, Chairman of neurology Department
3. Dr. Stewart P. Retender, Vice Chairman, Neuroscience Depratment
4. Dr. David S. Neaky, Neuroscientist
and a whole slew of other assholes of a bit lesser asymmetry.

http://www.brownwalker.com/book.php?book=1581124228&method=ISBN

By: Julianne

Julianne — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:04:56 +0000

Eugene — it probably depends on whether you feel generically ornery or specifically diabolical.