No one likes a know-it-all. These people seem to have an answer for everything – though it is questionable whether or not their answers are right.
Sometimes playing dumb is best – because then you learn more than you had if you gave your two-cents. When I was a journalist many eons ago, one of the tricks we’d have in our proverbial journalistic judo kimonos was to play it dumb with a know-it-all source. The know-it-all source would just keep babbling away, and eventually we’d get more than enough information to write the story.
This trick also worked on those that didn’t want to talk to the media – out of fear, guilt or whatever nutty reasons people have for keeping out of the press. When you played dumb with someone that you knew more then you led on about, often they would confirm the information simply out of pity for your fake lack of knowledge.
I remember how this trick worked exceptionally well when a politician was known for using the town’s credit cards at a seedy strip club. By playing dumb, eventually the bozo said that many people on council used their town credit cards for personal use – I myself may have indulged in a little something here or there – he said.
Got ya!
Then there are situations where really not knowing any better can be bad – very bad.
I was at the gym today doing my usual body-building heart pumping workout, when I saw a new face, doing strange and dangerous things.
At first this stranger hopped on the eclipse machine next to me. She looked like she didn’t have a clue how to operate it – she just stood there staring blankly at the controls.
“You have to move to turn it on,” I explained. “Start walking.”
She did and a look of relief came over her as the display lit up and gave her some basic instructions on starting.
She wasn’t on that machine for more than 15-seconds, but had somehow managed to put it in the fastest setting. She was flinging about on it like a wild bore in a China shop. It was painful to watch, and could have been quite dangerous – she not only can pull muscles, loosen joints, and cause other damage to her body, she could also have fallen off. Falling off at that speed would be bad – as the machine wouldn’t stop right away and she’d probably get hit with one of the moving parts. She could have easily fallen onto the person next to her – which happened to be me! – and then we’d both go down and risk injury.
I looked at her and told it is okay to start slow and work up to a speed which you feel comfortable at. She looked at the controls and eventually figured out how to slow it down.
As I did my workout, this new face at the gym appeared again. This time she was attempting to hang upside down from the stretch bars on the wall.
I’ve seen some people do this, and for those that know what they are doing, it is okay. I think there are safer and easier ways to stretch your torso – like standing straight and tall, and reaching straight up – but hey, some people like to do things the hard way.
This new face obviously didn’t know how to do things the easy way or the hard way. She managed to get her foot stuck in the bars, while one foot came loose, and she fell and if it wasn’t for her head to break her fall . . .
Actually she was lucky – she landed on her ass. It could have easily been her head and that would be bad.
She sat their, shocked and probably quite embarrassed.
One of the trainers rushed over to see if she was okay. She said she was fine and they started talking about how she could sign up for personal training lessons – to familiarize herself with the equipment.
I hope she signs up – she’s a danger to herself and others around her – because she is someone who knows not the ways of working out safely.
But she does know something – how to fall off the stretch bars. Maybe I should ask her to teach me, so that I don’t land on my head . . .
Sometimes playing dumb is best – because then you learn more than you had if you gave your two-cents. When I was a journalist many eons ago, one of the tricks we’d have in our proverbial journalistic judo kimonos was to play it dumb with a know-it-all source. The know-it-all source would just keep babbling away, and eventually we’d get more than enough information to write the story.
This trick also worked on those that didn’t want to talk to the media – out of fear, guilt or whatever nutty reasons people have for keeping out of the press. When you played dumb with someone that you knew more then you led on about, often they would confirm the information simply out of pity for your fake lack of knowledge.
I remember how this trick worked exceptionally well when a politician was known for using the town’s credit cards at a seedy strip club. By playing dumb, eventually the bozo said that many people on council used their town credit cards for personal use – I myself may have indulged in a little something here or there – he said.
Got ya!
Then there are situations where really not knowing any better can be bad – very bad.
I was at the gym today doing my usual body-building heart pumping workout, when I saw a new face, doing strange and dangerous things.
At first this stranger hopped on the eclipse machine next to me. She looked like she didn’t have a clue how to operate it – she just stood there staring blankly at the controls.
“You have to move to turn it on,” I explained. “Start walking.”
She did and a look of relief came over her as the display lit up and gave her some basic instructions on starting.
She wasn’t on that machine for more than 15-seconds, but had somehow managed to put it in the fastest setting. She was flinging about on it like a wild bore in a China shop. It was painful to watch, and could have been quite dangerous – she not only can pull muscles, loosen joints, and cause other damage to her body, she could also have fallen off. Falling off at that speed would be bad – as the machine wouldn’t stop right away and she’d probably get hit with one of the moving parts. She could have easily fallen onto the person next to her – which happened to be me! – and then we’d both go down and risk injury.
I looked at her and told it is okay to start slow and work up to a speed which you feel comfortable at. She looked at the controls and eventually figured out how to slow it down.
As I did my workout, this new face at the gym appeared again. This time she was attempting to hang upside down from the stretch bars on the wall.
I’ve seen some people do this, and for those that know what they are doing, it is okay. I think there are safer and easier ways to stretch your torso – like standing straight and tall, and reaching straight up – but hey, some people like to do things the hard way.
This new face obviously didn’t know how to do things the easy way or the hard way. She managed to get her foot stuck in the bars, while one foot came loose, and she fell and if it wasn’t for her head to break her fall . . .
Actually she was lucky – she landed on her ass. It could have easily been her head and that would be bad.
She sat their, shocked and probably quite embarrassed.
One of the trainers rushed over to see if she was okay. She said she was fine and they started talking about how she could sign up for personal training lessons – to familiarize herself with the equipment.
I hope she signs up – she’s a danger to herself and others around her – because she is someone who knows not the ways of working out safely.
But she does know something – how to fall off the stretch bars. Maybe I should ask her to teach me, so that I don’t land on my head . . .
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