George Rebane

Conversations and debates advance toward productive conclusions when each participant in turn builds on what has already been recognized – either expanding or rebutting, but most certainly acknowledging that a notion, idea, or report of a happening has already been presented and made part of the discussion thread.  Admittedly RR presents many topics in complex formats that rely on already established positions, multi-subject posts, single topic commentaries, and uncounted sandbox threads.  Recently it seems that more of us posting in these pages often arrive breathlessly, to introduce something they think is new to the current thread, that really turns out to have been posted as a preceding comment or the subject of one of my (often recent) posts.

Doing this is, well, not nice, because it places the just-arrived contributor under a narcissistic mantle – ‘I don’t care to discover what others have contributed to this thread, this is my most recent thought on the matter, and you all need to re/acquaint yourself with my thoughts on the topic.’  If we were all sitting in a comfortable room around a blazing hearth, flagons of brew and wine at hand, Harry would never dream of suddenly introducing, out of whole cloth, something that Sue had already brought to bear, and the group had already made some progress in its expansion or dispute.  In such case Harry would look either the inattentive fool or the self-centered ass seeking group credit for the contribution just because he was the most recent one to regurgitate it.

Having found another revealing citation or even one of his own brilliant thoughts, Harry would be embraced as a well-mannered and welcome contributor would he but utter something to the effect, ‘Sue brought up a (good, confusing, bad, informative, … ) notion on (topic) that I’d like to (expand, correct, support from a different perspective, dispute, …).’

I don’t claim to always be innocent of the above charges, but as one who has had a career in generating new ideas and building new things within fiercely competitive R&D communities, early on I had it pounded in to me that you ALWAYS acknowledge any and all primacy that is known to you.  When you do, people will respect you for your generosity and knowledge of the field, and will want to work with you or share things with you, knowing that they will never be made to stand in your shadow.  But if you don’t, … well then, ‘nuff said.

Our horizons are expanded by the shoulders on which we have gratefully been allowed to stand.