Hey, great read as always; you really nailed how people prefer an echo chamber to a new perspective, something you've touched on before, and honestly, your self awareness in the face of feedback is pretty epic.
Two days ago, I, as a translator, asked another translator if he could help me out with a reasonably small task (3 pages) into his native language. He replied that translation pays peanuts these days and he concentrates only on interpreting. I said he reminded me of J. Bruce Ismay, and he took umbrage, and asked whether I was not joking?
That itself betrays a view on his part: that Ismay was dishonourable by abandoning the Titanic in its hour of greatest peril, and leaving the crew and other passengers to their fate. But Lord Mersey (who chaired the British enquiry) saw no objection to him hopping in the lifeboat, since he would otherwise have simply augmented the death toll by one more life.
In his film "Titanic", James Cameron portrays Ismay as having "caused" the disaster and thereafter jumping ship. Not unlike Captain Schettino of the Costa Concordia, with the difference that Schettino was a captain who induced disaster, whereas Ismay was an owner, who had, in the moment in question, zero authority to order the ship to do anything. Or was that a legal nicety?
To take umbrage at a comparison to Ismay is to hold the view that Ismay was in the wrong (i.e. "I am not like him"). Yet, by the same token, the translator defended his stance as one that was in the best interests of himself and his wife and family (i.e. "I am like him"). I'm not sure if that makes the umbrage better or worse.
You are right. But scrolling -and reading,is time consuming enough as it is so I mute or block EVERYTHING now that I don't want to catch my eye which is anyone who wants to tell me about their sexual abuse filled childhood and/or their narcissist Mother who Crime of All Crimes,never ever gev em a Nintendo Switch for Xmas. Can you imagine the pits of torture and neglect any sensitive soul would be put to by such a level of abuse! And I've had to block all the info about wars + such as it's lowering and its not as if my suffering is going to help others.
I don't think Dawn's comment was aimed at you Graham, it was aimed at Michael Sellers, you have to follow the line from he commentator to the original comment. I do agree that I tend to read columns that generally subscribe to my own outlook on life. I rarely read trump slime's comments he is too stupid for me to be bothered with. But I also disagree with Monbiot, I don't always agree with those to whom I describe, but I do read well written columns with which I disagree and I try to keep an open m,ind at all times, you ever know when you may learn something new that changes your perspective.
I don't think it matters, quite honestly, who the remark was aimed at. The fact it was said at all is bad enough. And, if Michael didn't respond to it, then I did as unwitting proxy on his behalf. It was nonetheless demonstrative of the tendencies I discuss in this piece. But, hey, thanks: I feel a bit better now!
Good post. But I do listen to someone who swears at me if what they are swearing about is interesting. Whether I agree or not is another matter, but I've heard useful stuff that way.
There's an old truth that might contradict that: "I can't remember what they said to me, but I can remember the way I felt when they said it." So taking a useful piece of info out of an insult perhaps needs a thick skin.
I've been insulted before, to the point where I upped and left in high dudgeon. But, on much later reflection, I did realise the truth behind the point being put to me, even if I didn't appreciate how the point was conveyed. The downside to that (later realisation) is that the insulter never has the satisfaction of your thanking them for the insight, because the insult makes thanks sound like sarcasm.
Hey, great read as always; you really nailed how people prefer an echo chamber to a new perspective, something you've touched on before, and honestly, your self awareness in the face of feedback is pretty epic.
Have a read of this recent piece if you've a half hour available: https://endlesschain.substack.com/p/back-to-the-titanic-back-to-the-future.
Two days ago, I, as a translator, asked another translator if he could help me out with a reasonably small task (3 pages) into his native language. He replied that translation pays peanuts these days and he concentrates only on interpreting. I said he reminded me of J. Bruce Ismay, and he took umbrage, and asked whether I was not joking?
That itself betrays a view on his part: that Ismay was dishonourable by abandoning the Titanic in its hour of greatest peril, and leaving the crew and other passengers to their fate. But Lord Mersey (who chaired the British enquiry) saw no objection to him hopping in the lifeboat, since he would otherwise have simply augmented the death toll by one more life.
In his film "Titanic", James Cameron portrays Ismay as having "caused" the disaster and thereafter jumping ship. Not unlike Captain Schettino of the Costa Concordia, with the difference that Schettino was a captain who induced disaster, whereas Ismay was an owner, who had, in the moment in question, zero authority to order the ship to do anything. Or was that a legal nicety?
To take umbrage at a comparison to Ismay is to hold the view that Ismay was in the wrong (i.e. "I am not like him"). Yet, by the same token, the translator defended his stance as one that was in the best interests of himself and his wife and family (i.e. "I am like him"). I'm not sure if that makes the umbrage better or worse.
You are right. But scrolling -and reading,is time consuming enough as it is so I mute or block EVERYTHING now that I don't want to catch my eye which is anyone who wants to tell me about their sexual abuse filled childhood and/or their narcissist Mother who Crime of All Crimes,never ever gev em a Nintendo Switch for Xmas. Can you imagine the pits of torture and neglect any sensitive soul would be put to by such a level of abuse! And I've had to block all the info about wars + such as it's lowering and its not as if my suffering is going to help others.
Take the rub (r) out of friction and you have ... fiction.
An essay can now have very little to do with 'essayer', to try.
Another factor - it has been shown that writing by hand promotes understanding and memory.
Thank you for a fascinating reveal of how translation skills are/were (one word...) remunerated.
I still believe that Alice in Wonderland is on a par with 1984 as a description of societal insanity - just with a healthier dose of absurdist humour.
Wow, you pack a lot of thought-provocation into a comment, Yvette, thank you!
I always write shopping lists and then leave them at home because, once they're written, I won't forget what I need. Good point!
I don't think Dawn's comment was aimed at you Graham, it was aimed at Michael Sellers, you have to follow the line from he commentator to the original comment. I do agree that I tend to read columns that generally subscribe to my own outlook on life. I rarely read trump slime's comments he is too stupid for me to be bothered with. But I also disagree with Monbiot, I don't always agree with those to whom I describe, but I do read well written columns with which I disagree and I try to keep an open m,ind at all times, you ever know when you may learn something new that changes your perspective.
I don't think it matters, quite honestly, who the remark was aimed at. The fact it was said at all is bad enough. And, if Michael didn't respond to it, then I did as unwitting proxy on his behalf. It was nonetheless demonstrative of the tendencies I discuss in this piece. But, hey, thanks: I feel a bit better now!
Good post. But I do listen to someone who swears at me if what they are swearing about is interesting. Whether I agree or not is another matter, but I've heard useful stuff that way.
There's an old truth that might contradict that: "I can't remember what they said to me, but I can remember the way I felt when they said it." So taking a useful piece of info out of an insult perhaps needs a thick skin.
I've been insulted before, to the point where I upped and left in high dudgeon. But, on much later reflection, I did realise the truth behind the point being put to me, even if I didn't appreciate how the point was conveyed. The downside to that (later realisation) is that the insulter never has the satisfaction of your thanking them for the insight, because the insult makes thanks sound like sarcasm.