I’ve been able to implement something like this to great effect. Every time I notice that I’ve been behaving in a very silly way, I smile broadly, laugh out loud and say “Ha ha! Gotcha!” or something to that effect. I only allow myself to do this in cases where I’ve actually gained new information: Noticed a new flaw, noticed an old flaw come up in a new situation, realized that an old behavior is in fact undesirable, etc. This positively reinforces noticing my flaws without doing so to the undesirable behavior itself.
This is even more effective when implemented in response to someone else pointing out one of my flaws. It’s a little more difficult to carry out because I have to suppress a reflex to retaliate/defend myself that doesn’t come up as much when I’m my own critic, but when I succeed it almost completely eliminates the social awkwardness that normally comes with someone critiquing me in public.
Every time I notice that I’ve been behaving in a very silly way, I smile broadly, laugh out loud and say “Ha ha! Gotcha!” or something to that effect.
If I did this I’d be shouting “Gotcha!” all the live long day.
Let me tell you about this morning. I mostly work from home, but showing up at the office is very useful. So much stuff works better face to face. It saves a lot of faff on IRC. And the connection is faster.
I got up in good time, had a proper breakfast, very nice cup of tea thank you, got myself ready, got on a curiously uncrowded tube train with no copies of Metro (that’s your foreboding, I shall point out), got to work, and … the large iron gates were chained shut.
Because today is the New Year bank holiday.
If I’d procrastinated, of course, I’d have been in bed till eleven like I’d much have preferred to be.
This was a pretty much mathematically perfect example of doing exactly the right things to get something done, except for the fact of doing it at all.
Edit: And today I showed up when people were actually here. My co-workers find me having shown up yesterday hilarious. The perfect employee: dedicated and stupid. The Book of the SubGenius does say that when you foul up, you should crow about it and call great attention to it and you will be thought of as a creative genius.
but when I succeed it almost completely eliminates the social awkwardness that normally comes with someone critiquing me in public.
Agreed! I started using this response to criticism several years ago, and actually got a compliment on it. I never thought of applying it to my own criticisms of myself, though...good idea.
I’ve been able to implement something like this to great effect. Every time I notice that I’ve been behaving in a very silly way, I smile broadly, laugh out loud and say “Ha ha! Gotcha!” or something to that effect. I only allow myself to do this in cases where I’ve actually gained new information: Noticed a new flaw, noticed an old flaw come up in a new situation, realized that an old behavior is in fact undesirable, etc. This positively reinforces noticing my flaws without doing so to the undesirable behavior itself.
This is even more effective when implemented in response to someone else pointing out one of my flaws. It’s a little more difficult to carry out because I have to suppress a reflex to retaliate/defend myself that doesn’t come up as much when I’m my own critic, but when I succeed it almost completely eliminates the social awkwardness that normally comes with someone critiquing me in public.
If I did this I’d be shouting “Gotcha!” all the live long day.
Let me tell you about this morning. I mostly work from home, but showing up at the office is very useful. So much stuff works better face to face. It saves a lot of faff on IRC. And the connection is faster.
I got up in good time, had a proper breakfast, very nice cup of tea thank you, got myself ready, got on a curiously uncrowded tube train with no copies of Metro (that’s your foreboding, I shall point out), got to work, and … the large iron gates were chained shut.
Because today is the New Year bank holiday.
If I’d procrastinated, of course, I’d have been in bed till eleven like I’d much have preferred to be.
This was a pretty much mathematically perfect example of doing exactly the right things to get something done, except for the fact of doing it at all.
Edit: And today I showed up when people were actually here. My co-workers find me having shown up yesterday hilarious. The perfect employee: dedicated and stupid. The Book of the SubGenius does say that when you foul up, you should crow about it and call great attention to it and you will be thought of as a creative genius.
Agreed! I started using this response to criticism several years ago, and actually got a compliment on it. I never thought of applying it to my own criticisms of myself, though...good idea.