Stupid

One thing I had to quickly learn about the typical Minnesotan is their passive-aggressive mature. Now, we're not an aggressive person by nature, but in contrast, Marcy and I seem to have gained "reputations". Why the quotes? Because few here have the guts to tell us this.

We've picked it up from our more candid, straight talking friends. In my two years at my company (which shall remain nameless to protect the innocent!), rumour has it that I've managed to scare a whole crew of technicians, and start arguments at every turn. This is because I ritually do something view do, speak my mind.

People here have an opinion that you cannot criticise the idea without attacking the person, so they don't. They will happily blast the person behind their back though. I know you can critique the idea and still respect the person. To those I report to, I'm known as someone who can analyse objectively, and bring a group together to get things done.

It's to the point where I am the arbitrator when it comes to the processes on which I am a subject matter expert. So when I arrive into work on Monday, and have a memo waiting for me asking if someone's breach from procedure had merit (a procedure which I had just helped in reinforcing people's training), there was only one way to sum up the individuals idea: stupid. And that's the word I used in the memo, which I sent to individual's boss.

Now, I'm not naive enough to think that I'd get a statement like that out without a comment. But I meant stupid as it was the best adjective I could use for an idea which was [ref.]:

1. Obtuse
2. Was a poor decision
3. Marked by a lack of care
4. Stunningly inaccurate
5. Pointless; worthless

Their Boss later suggested that I should not have used that word. I truly feel that the use of any other word would have been ... well, stupid. Of course, it would be unfair, nay cowardly of me to post what the error was. This whole post probably makes me seem really aggressive to American readers, and silly to Irish readers who would use words much stronger than stupid.

But I cracked a smile when, in a meeting with their Boss on a different matter, he used the word stupid. Maybe I've started something (fingers crossed).