Being the nit-picker
This was going to be a picture of lice… but lice pictures are really gross. After 30 seconds looking at pictures of lice, my head started to itch and I needed something to redeem my mind, so you’re getting a hummingbird taking a little drink. I like to think that if there were a massive lice outbreak, the hummingbirds would come and save us by picking the lice off our heads. Because again, lice are pretty gross.
So, no, not actual nit-picking. Just the generic type that we tend to mean when we say the term. I have a terrible, evil tendency to tear apart the way people I love say things. It’s not very nice; it’s actually kind of smart-alecky. But, it also makes for good practice when it comes to editorial work… I guess the question is, how do I split the difference?
When is it okay for someone to correct an error? When should they keep their mouths shut?
I tend to think in namby-pamby terms about things like this… “Oh, it’s okay when your intention is right.” But, in reality, isn’t it when the correction will serve the person better than letting the error stand? My intention has to do with my attitude, my sinful nature… but the benefit of the correction versus the harm of the error is pretty much the extent of the transaction for the correctee.
Does that make sense, or does it sound like Petty Self-Justification 101?
Many of us are willing to accept correction from people we respect. Most all of us are willing to accept the same from people we love. Practically all of us desire such correction from the ones we know love us. Just follow your helpful, and welcome, suggestions to me with,”Sir” and we’ll be fine.
I’m never talking to you or around you again. So there.
I think it’s the teacher in you. You do it to share knowledge in the hope that your loved ones will learn something valuable and avoid criticism from others who don’t have their best interests at heart.
At least, that’s my “Petty Self-Justification” for similar things!
Well bud…being that you and I share the trait of being…smart-alecks… and correcting or possibly over-correcting the people we love…I’m going to go with possible self-justification, but I do understand where you’re coming from. It’s merely the fact that your argument is my personal self-justification that drives me to point this out. So yeah, I suppose in the end, it’s not a terrible thing, but maybe we should use less sarcasm.