For me, it’s associated with positive encouragement after someone screws up on a team sport. No, it wasn’t a good job, it was a screw up. It’s epitomized by a very sweet, very positive Christian girl in PE class, while playing volleyball. The contrast of a hypersaccharine “good job!” and the annoyance at the screw up had me grinding my teeth.
The more general issue on “good job” is the inherent condescension. I am your superior, here to judge your performance and pat you on the head to encourage you to improve. No thanks.
That goes a little with your point about the difference between “good job” and “I like that”. I made a similar distinction between “You’re wrong”/”That’s wrong” and “I disagree”. It does seem less annoying or insulting to have people phrase their opinion in terms of themselves, instead of an objective fact about you or reality.
Convey your evaluation as your evaluation, instead of as a objective fact. Seems to feel better for the issues we’re annoyed with.
But do the nicies want to hear “good jobs” that the meanies don’t?
I have a real problem with “good job”.
For me, it’s associated with positive encouragement after someone screws up on a team sport. No, it wasn’t a good job, it was a screw up. It’s epitomized by a very sweet, very positive Christian girl in PE class, while playing volleyball. The contrast of a hypersaccharine “good job!” and the annoyance at the screw up had me grinding my teeth.
The more general issue on “good job” is the inherent condescension. I am your superior, here to judge your performance and pat you on the head to encourage you to improve. No thanks.
That goes a little with your point about the difference between “good job” and “I like that”. I made a similar distinction between “You’re wrong”/”That’s wrong” and “I disagree”. It does seem less annoying or insulting to have people phrase their opinion in terms of themselves, instead of an objective fact about you or reality.
Convey your evaluation as your evaluation, instead of as a objective fact. Seems to feel better for the issues we’re annoyed with.
But do the nicies want to hear “good jobs” that the meanies don’t?