On 11/1/07, Fred Bauder fredbaud@fairpoint.net wrote:
What a true, but nasty idea. I am always pissed when that happens and then someone expects me to have a firm opinion NOW. And stick to it. I guess there is eventually a bottom line. But that takes thought and hard choices.
I'm not familiar with the underlying issue here, nor am I asking anyone to explain it to me. I just felt compelled to reply to Fred's strange comment above, even if it is savagely out-of-context.
I doubt (most) people expect you to have a "firm opinion now", and I don't think that's a reasonable expectation to put on anyone, even in politics. I have noticed that early on in quite a few arbitration cases, you do appear to have a "firm opinion now". I must admit this is something I found more worrying than comforting, but I always assumed it was an intrinsic behavior, just the way you were. If in fact you feel that somebody expects (or even demands) this of you, I believe you'd do better to ignore that sort of pressure.
Just say what you believe, but not until you have reason to believe it, and not because you think it's what anybody anywhere wants to hear. If you're not sure yet, sleep on it. Not as if the broken globe of Wikipedia is going to turn into a pumpkin while you wait.
And of course if you are persuaded to change your mind later, that's nothing to be ashamed of. In practice, a willingness to reconsider a previous comment will probably gain more respect than "jumping ship" will lose (not that anybody should be playing for respect rather than justice anyway... *sigh*).
—C.W.