Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

“Our job (in life) is not to straighten each other out, but to help each other up.” ~ Neva Cole

Watching the brou-hell-hell that broke out once again over the weekend here on the network I was reminded of the above adage. It seems to me everyone have their hearts in the right places – it’s just that some of us feel so firmly entrenched in our own opines that it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. Or is that the trees for the forest? I always wonder about that.

Which reminds me of another adage: “The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground.” ~ Author Unknown

No small lesson there. However, the idea of diplomacy is, as I recently ran across an Italian’s diplomat’s words, “…the art of letting someone have your way.” ~ Daniele Vare

As the great Ella Fitzgerald lyrics go, bewitching, bothering and bewildering have their honored places among us who can stand the discussion heat. It’s when it turns to berating, belittling and bedraggling that most of these strings die a belabored beheading.

Be-dazzled and be-deviled but try not to befuddle yourself with bedecking. Before you know it, if you learn the art of bespeaking, you’ll be-loved.

;)

"It is perfectly monstrous the way people go about, nowadays, saying things against one behind one's back that are absolutely and entirely true." ~ Oscar Wilde

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Permalink Reply by Recruiting Animal on September 2, 2008 at 4:04pm

When I was a kid we had the movie soundtrack with Frank Sinatra. I don't know if Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak sang their own songs. I thought the cover was pretty sexy when I was a little kid though I don't think I knew that word. (And, of course, I still do).

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Permalink Reply by Recruiting Animal on September 2, 2008 at 4:49pm

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Permalink Reply by Claudia Faust on September 3, 2008 at 3:25pm

Brilliantly said, Barbara.

Barbara Ling said:

Morning,

You know, I've been earning my living online now since 1997, and the one thing I simply cannot understand is......

"Why can't people simply say, thank you for your input?"...and leave it at that?

Sure, I might disagree with your ideas. I might think you're more intellectually challenged than a parakeet who lacks a graduate degree in quantum physics from M.I.T. If blessed with more than 38 seconds of free time, I might even indulge in wondering what sort of personal insecurities you might have that lead you to attack like a Johnny Sokko Transformer on strawberry-flavored steroids.

And then I'll let it go. After all, I cannot control what anyone says...but I CAN choose to control how I react.

Remember - everything that is written online gets inscribed into the Way of the Internet for decades that follow. When a potential client is considering my services, I want to ensure that everything I've penned (typed? Smoke-signalized?) will contribute towards

YES! I want to engage her services!

Compared to:

Houston, we have a negative on that trajectory....

Politeness costs nothing yet yields tremendous benefits.

'Nuff said,

Barbara

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Permalink Reply by Amitai Givertz on September 5, 2008 at 9:00am

I have been out of town and offline for a couple of days. So, seeing this thread for the first time this morning only two things occur to me:

1) Barbara's comment may be the most constructive and helpful although I don't necessarily agree with the implication that every online conversation has to be tempered by how a potential client might interpret a strongly held opinion and/or remark memorialized as a snapshot in time; and

2) As best I can, today I should commit my efforts today to advancing the cause of humanity. That leaves little or no time for commenting further.

C'est la vie!