Admitting Mistakes 1

[CajunCenturion]

We all are human, and naturally, we all make mistakes.

Perhaps an interesting discussion can be had if we each do some soul searching, being honest with ourselves, and discuss, under what conditions you freely admit making an engineering error, and when you keep quite.

What ethical considerations are in play when faced with the decision to be truthful and/or remain quiet?

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[MakeItSo]

Admitting mistakes isn't confined to programming, but if it comes to that:
I'm quite a quickshot in programming - When I need a solution, I usually need it quick. So I start typing some code from scratch - actually without a scratch - and then just make it work. Given the case that I might need this solution for other projects and given the time, i can then try to make the code "clean".
So making mistakes is my everyday job!

But apart from programming or similar actions, people who are able to admit mistakes are getting rarer every day.

Most people don't think past their own wallet - and some can't.
Admitting mistakes would then mean justifying their actions to others and thus allowing others to take influence and even to dictate the next step to be taken.
I was raised in a veeery small village (pop. 300) and I was taught to honor the "old values": being tolerant, helpful and honest if inevitab - errr no: being honest if possible (not if practical!).
Do to the (aquired) egoism of most people, my helpfulness has often been (ab)used in the past.
This wasn't funny at all but then again - one single person out of ten appreciating your help and thanking for it made up for the nine losers...
Same is valid for making and admitting mistakes:
Whoever considers admitting mistakes a weakness is in my eyes weak himself. (how intolerant i am! ;-))
Admitting mistakes means being strong and accounting for your actions - in short: being true to yourself and stand for who you are!

Best wishes!
Makey

Andreas Galambos
EDP / Technical Support Specialist
(andreas.galambos@bowneglobal.de)
HP:

http://home.arcor.de/andygalambos

 

[MakeItSo]

Admitting mistakes isn't confined to programming, but if it comes to that:
I'm quite a quickshot in programming - When I need a solution, I usually need it quick. So I start typing some code from scratch - actually without a scratch - and then just make it work. Given the case that I might need this solution for other projects and given the time, i can then try to make the code "clean".
So making mistakes is my everyday job!

But apart from programming or similar actions, people who are able to admit mistakes are getting rarer every day.

Most people don't think past their own wallet - and some can't.
Admitting mistakes would then mean justifying their actions to others and thus allowing others to take influence and even to dictate the next step to be taken.
I was raised in a veeery small village (pop. 300) and I was taught to honor the "old values": being tolerant, helpful and honest if inevitab - errr no: being honest if possible (not if practical!).
Do to the (aquired) egoism of most people, my helpfulness has often been (ab)used in the past.
This wasn't funny at all but then again - one single person out of ten appreciating your help and thanking for it made up for the nine losers...
Same is valid for making and admitting mistakes:
Whoever considers admitting mistakes a weakness is in my eyes weak himself. (how intolerant i am! ;-))
Admitting mistakes means being strong and accounting for your actions - in short: being true to yourself and stand for who you are!

Best wishes!
Makey

 

[jsteph]

Interesting use of the word 'egoism' as compared to 'egotism'. In Ayn Rand's definition, the egoist would actually be the one who fits <<being true to yourself and stand for who you are!>>

And I agree about it being a weakness to admit it, I always say &quot;Beware the programmer who 'never makes mistakes'&quot;
--jsteph

 

[MakeItSo]

Ahhh - the famous tiny differences of words in diff. languages. ;-) Thanks for the correction. According to my dict., egoist and egotist should be the same - a selfish person, only looking for his own outcome, which is exactly what I want to point my finger on.

But I appreciate this post since I hold it with Confucious:
I flatter my foes; it's the friends I argue with! :-D