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Old 04-July-2009, 08:02 PM
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Perikles Perikles is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moose View Post
If you're wrong, someone will correct you. I would like to think most people would welcome such a correction. I certainly would.

And if you're right, great, but the only way to know for certain is to have your idea mauled and savaged.
If somebody is unused to the normal cut-and-thrust of discussion within a scientific or mathematical topic, the demolition of their idea can be received as highly aggressive and unfriendly. Experts in a field can come across as arrogant and unpleasant when in fact they are merely operating on a plane acceptable to their specialism (of course, they might be arrogant and unpleasant as well, but probably not). This should not be taken as a personal insult, but often is taken so to those unaccustomed to it. A thick skin is an advantage.
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